Russian Mafia Billionaire’s Secretary (3 page)

“God Dammit!” Alanna silently berated herself.

She gratefully took the glass of water he brought to her, as she took small sips while she decided what to say. Deciding on a half-truth, she spoke up.

“I’m so sorry about that. I assure you that this doesn’t happen very often. This weather has been so dry and well, allergies, um, what was the question?”

Nodding affirmatively, he sat back down in his chair and leaned back. “I asked if this sounded like the right position for you.”

“You already know that I have the knowledge and experience for the position,” she began. “Otherwise I wouldn’t be here.” Sitting back, she smoothed the fabric covering her legs before looking back at him. “I have had other interviews but I’m not looking for a position where I’m simply doing the time. I want a position where I can…and will grow. I can assure you, Mr. Denisov, that if you hire me, you won’t be disappointed.”

“You also need to be aware that when you are working for me, you represent me and my company, at all times. Some of my clients can be aggressive when they don’t get their way. Tell me how you would handle it.”

As she explained how she would handle difficult clients, including specific examples from her experience, she watched him lean back in his chair, steeple his fingers together and smile.

“I’m impressed.”

“Thank you.” Alanna felt like the job was hers for the taking. All she had to do was step up, secure the salary and ask for a start date.

“You are very interesting, Alanna Vella.” He smiled and interlaced his fingers together on his desk.

“I’ve heard good things,” she said with a smile and then worried that he wouldn’t understand but he seemed to ignore her comment. 

“You should know that there is some travel involved in this position,” he noted.

“That isn’t going to be a problem, Mr. Denisov, I’ve already arranged for a babysitter for my son, Roman.” He nodded as if he understood her dedication.

“Please, call me Alexander,” he said and smiled. “Roman is a strong name for a boy. I like that name. How old is he?”

“Thank you and he just turned three.”

“So, you are married?” he questioned.

Alanna wondered if he was merely making small talk or if there was something else on his mind. She knew that legally, he wasn’t allowed to ask about her personal life during the interview, but she also knew that she opened it up for discussion when she brought up Roman. Part of her wished that he was asking because he was as interested in her as she was in him, but she doubted that would be the case once he found out she was a single mom.

Shaking her head, “Not married.” Deciding to leave it at that, she waited for him to speak.

He continued to stare at her, as she shifted uncomfortably. He studied her resume again as she looked on. She thought that if the circumstances were different, she definitely would date this man. Granted, now that he knew she had a toddler, would he feel the same? While she got the general impression that he was appreciative of her looks, she had a hard time figuring out what he was thinking.

She tucked her red curly strands of hair behind her ear as she waited for him to speak. He caught her movement and set her resume down. Standing, he walked behind her and placed his hands on the back of the chair.

“I’m sorry if this is inappropriate,” he told her from behind. She craned her head to make eye contact.

“What’s that?” she asked him curiously. Reaching his hands out, he gathered her hair up in his hands, brought it all behind her, and then let it drop on her back, as he stared at it seeming fascinated. She watched as he returned to his desk and cleared his throat.

“Your red hair is gorgeous the way in shines in the light. I am truly taken aback by your natural beauty,” he admitted. “I can’t help myself.”

Alanna’s lips curved upward into a smile and he smiled in relief. “I hope that hasn’t offended you that I pointed that out,” he went on. “Of course, the job doesn’t depend on the woman being beautiful, but you would fill that requirement without question.”

She blushed at his compliments, pleased that he was as taken with her as she was with him. She thought back to the woman she met on her way in. Amelia and Alexander shared the same last name and she’d wondered what made him so bold to flirt while his wife was on the other side of the door.

“Won’t your wife be jealous that you’ve been paying me so many compliments?” Alanna asked sweetly hoping that she nipped any problems in the bud. She blushed, but she knew she wanted Alexander Denisov.

“My wife?” he asked, utterly confused. “I don’t have a wife.”

His tone indicated that he had no idea what Alanna meant.

“Amelia?” she offered.

“Oh, Amelia!” he chuckled. “Amelia is my sister.”

She sat back in her chair and relaxed as her wayward thoughts returned to him. Pleased that he was attracted to her, she wondered what kind of a relationship they could have. She smiled to signify her acceptance of his compliments.

Shifting gear, he sat forward in his chair. “As a Russian business man, I can be demanding. As I’m sure my sister will tell you, I like to control everything. This is your last chance to ask yourself if you are up for such a challenge,” he warned.

“I am ready for whatever you want me to do,” Alanna promptly replied, but quickly realized the overt innuendo, as he offered a mischievous smile in return.

“That is exactly what I want to hear,” he applauded her.

“Should we discuss the salary?” she asked him.

“Of course,” he began. “We listed the job at fifty thousand dollars, but after ninety days, this increases based on performance.”

“That sounds fantastic,” she agreed.

He stood up and unbuttoned his dark grey suit jacket. His curly chest hair poked through the small area that his black dress shirt didn’t cover and she wondered how his body would feel on top of hers. 

“So when are you available to start?” he questioned her as he stared into her bright blue eyes.

“I could start Monday if you need me to,” she offered.

“Eager, I like that,” he cheered. He offered a wide grin and collected the papers on his desk in a neat pile.

“I look forward to working with you, Alexander,” she told him, as she rose from her chair.

“As do I, Alanna. On Monday, come in at eight and see Amelia. She will train you on everything you need to know to work under me.  She is returning to our office in Russia in two weeks where she is needed. So, learn as much as you can from her.”

He spoke in a matter-of-fact tone, but his attention was caught as his phone rang. His eyes darted between Alanna and the phone, but he didn’t want her rushed out of his office.

He pressed his finger onto a red button on the phone, picked up the receiver and said, “One moment.”  He then hit another button, placed the phone back on the cradle and the red light blinked.

“Is there anything else you need?” he faced her. He gripped the stack of papers on his desk and shoved them into a folder.

“I’ll be here bright and early on Monday,” she assured him.

“See you then,” he muttered as he turned away, sat down and picked up the phone’s receiver.

***

Alanna walked out of the downtown building with a spring her step. The fifty thousand dollar a year salary was a dream come true and with the potential for an increase so soon, she was already contemplating how to use the money. As she made her way home, she decided to prank her sister.

She walked into their first floor apartment and looked downtrodden as her sister approached. She shook her head in despair and Alyssa rubbed her shoulder.

“Chin up Lana, there will be other jobs.”

“Yeah, but do they pay fifty thousand dollars a year like the job I was offered, today?” she teased as the inflection in her voice increased in enthusiasm. They both jumped up and down together.

“You got the job?” Alyssa squealed as she danced around. “Tell me everything.”

They sat down on the couch and Alanna beamed when she described the position. She blushed as she talked about how handsome her new boss was. “Lys, I didn’t think it was possible, but he’s much hotter in person. I swear that man exudes sex appeal and smells like a million bucks.” 

“Wow, and you’ll be working closely together? I’m not sure I could do that.”

“Tell me about it.”

“You know it’s not good to mess with your boss.”

“Yeah, but he’s not my boss until Monday morning,” Alanna teased.

“This is a side to you I haven’t seen in a very long time. I’m glad it’s still there,” her sister told her with a smile.

“I know. I can’t remember the last time I was so attracted to someone, let alone a stranger. Oh god, Lys, I have never been around someone so hot. I don’t know how I’ll manage to remain professional around him when all I want to do is see what he looks like under that suit.”

“My big sister is human after all. I can’t tell you how happy that makes me.” Alyssa hugged her sister tightly. “Come on, we need to celebrate.”

Chapter Four

Monday morning, Alanna strode into Venisov International ready to start her new job. She’d spent the weekend going through her clothes and pulling together different outfits. After a hasty trip to the drycleaners, she felt comfortable knowing that she had a couple weeks’ worth of clothing that was ready to wear. Several panicked moments were spent looking for her passport, but she now had it safely tucked away in the event any of her travel would be international.

Curious about the company, she spent some time on the internet researching everything she could find on it. She had discovered that the majority of Denisov International’s clients were located in the Baltic Region and much like Alexander had described to her, the company’s growth had been slow to start but rapidly picked up pace in 2010 with the acquisition of five major clients who seemed to provide the bulk of his revenue.

Alyssa was more curious about the man than the company and scoured the internet for additional pictures of Alexander taken at different charity functions. The sisters both squealed in delight, as Alyssa coo’d that he was better looking than some of the models on the covers of her favorite books and Alanna had to agree. He was definitely her kind of fantasy.

Walking up to the reception desk, she smiled at the woman she met on Friday. Clipping her new badge to her jacket, she entered the elevator for the ride up to the top floor. Before the mirrored doors opened, she took a final look at herself. Her black skirt and matching jacket was offset by her emerald green blouse, which highlighted her red hair that she had pulled up off her shoulders in a side chignon.

The elevator doors opened to reveal Amelia silently sitting at her desk.

“Good morning,” Alanna called out as she walked toward her desk.

“Good morning, Alanna,” Amelia answered as she smiled at her. “I have your paperwork to sign.”

“Great.” Taking the folder Amelia handed her, she sat down at the table and quickly read through everything. Satisfied with the contents, she signed her name before handing it back.

When she was finished, Amelia showed her around the top floor as she talked about what to expect working for her brother. 

“My brother moves quickly and is very decisive,” Amelia said quietly as Alanna nodded. “He is a fair man, but he is also equally stubborn.”  

“I get that, he’s very busy and concerned with the business running smoothly,” Alanna affirmed.

“When he wants something done, he will not take no for an answer,” she confided in Alanna. “If he tells you to do something you haven’t done before, he will watch your response to see whether you can handle the situation quickly. He does not often give second chances.”

“Okay,” Alanna said as she hoped Amelia expanded on her comments.

“What I’m telling you is that if you are tasked with doing something, do not hesitate. He’s demanding, but he’s very direct. He likes that in other people, as well.”

“I appreciate you telling me all of this,” Alanna told her.

“Just remember, he doesn’t like anyone who focuses on negativity. He focuses on resolutions, not small details. He is fearless.” Amelia spoke with affection and respect for her older brother. She admired him, but revealed her need to return to Russia.

Alexander barged out of his office and caused Alanna to jump.

“Alanna!” he shouted. “I need you to take the calendar from my desk and work all of the information into my schedule. I took notes,” he barked at her from outside his office.

“Of course,” Alanna called out as she smiled at Amelia before moving toward his office doors.

“Work closely with my sister, Amelia, she will be leaving us in two weeks and you need to know everything she does before she departs.”

“Of course,” Alanna replied again, as she scooped up the calendar from Alexander’s desk.

“Also, take this,” he said with his hand extended.  

She looked at the key he handed her and asked, “What’s this for?”

“It’s a key to my home,” he stated as Alanna looked at him confused. “For you to collect my dry cleaning and leave it with my housekeeper.”

Nodding her head in reply, he continued, “It’s ready,” he told her as he dialed a number on his phone and didn’t make eye contact.

“I’m sorry, what’s ready?” she asked him pointedly.

In response, he smiled at her and said, “My dry cleaning, ask Amelia for the details.” 

She carried the scribbled on calendar out of his office as he turned his attention to the person on the other end of the phone. He began yelling, but Alanna quickly closed his office doors and hurried over to Amelia.

“He gave me a key and mentioned something about his dry cleaning,” Alanna told her and showed her the key from Alexander.

“Ah, yes.” Smiling, “I realize that this is contrary to what I just said, but once you get to know him, I would suggest telling him no, once in a while; at least for anything that isn’t directly related to your position,” Amelia advised her charge. “Just once or twice so he knows that he isn’t to take advantage of you. You will learn that he has a tendency to make demands without thinking if it’s appropriate. Mostly because he’s already moved on to the next task.”