by Alexa Davis
"Ms. Wallace? Mr. Baxter will see you now," the receptionist said, pulling me out of my rumination.
"What? Oh, thank you." I got up and headed down the hall to Peter's office.
"Well, well, well, if it isn't my favorite star!" Peter smiled as I entered the room.
"Yeah, I bet you say that to all the actors on your roster," I grinned. "But thanks for making me feel special."
"I do try to make everyone feel good, but not everyone is a star," he laughed. "Come in and sit down; what's going on? How's the job going?"
"It's good. I like Max, he's a nice guy," I said trying to keep everything on a professional level. "The store is beautiful and the things he's imported are exquisite. I think he'll be able to find someone in no time, but it's nice to be helping out while he looks."
"Great review, now tell me what's really going on," Peter said as he reached under his desk and pulled out what was probably his tenth diet soda of the day. On an average day, he'd go through a case of it. I wondered if the chemicals were what kept him looking so young at fifty.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, now tell me what's really going on," he repeated popping the top on the can and drinking deeply. When he finished, he set the can down and gestured at it. "Want one?"
"No, I'm good, thanks," I shook my head. "Peter, everything is a mess. Josh called me at work and asked for money, and I lost my cool."
"In front of the Malinchenko guy?" he asked.
"Who?"
"Max, your boss," he said as he looked at a stack of papers on his desk and began tossing sheets in the trash. "Did you lose your cool in front of him?"
"I guess so, but I was quiet about it," I said. "Wait, I thought his last name was Malin."
"Ah, so he took my advice," Peter nodded. "Look, kid, that little piece of crap McLean is a nobody. Don't waste your time crying over him. He's a third rate actor who is going to get nothing but crowd-filler parts. You're the professional. You've got skills and a chance to do something big."
"He's not a third rate actor, he's got a pilot in LA!" I cried. "He dumped me to move there for a sitcom!"
"Kid, you are far too gullible," Peter said as he stopped sorting papers and looked at me. "That guy doesn't have a part in a sitcom. I talked to his agent two days ago, and he said that he had told McLean that if he wanted real work, he was going to have to get to a big city."
"You meant he didn't have a job?" I said. I was stunned that Josh had not only lied to me, but that he then had the nerve to keep the lie going. How blind was I to believe him?
"Nope, nothing," Peter answered. "Now you, you are a different matter. Are you ready for your audition this weekend?"
"I've been running my lines with Viv and I think I'm ready," I said. Peter loved Viv and was always trying to get her to consider a career in acting, but she didn't have the patience for all of the auditions, so she kept turning him down.
"You've really got a shot at this one, kid," he said. "I'm not kidding, this part is one of the big ones and I think that if you can land it, you'll get the attention you deserve. Plus, it's a six-month run at top pay!"
"Yeah, and you get ten percent of it, don't remind me," I said with a grim smile.
"C'mon, isn't this all worth it?" he said spreading his arms wide and looking around the small office. "I mean, we have a classy operation going here!"
"You're too much!" I burst out laughing as he leaned back in his chair and put his hands behind his head. "But yes, you are definitely worth it."
"All right then, you get out there and nail that part, kid!" he smiled. "I have faith in you!"
I left Peter's office feeling better about my chances of landing the role in the play, but worse about what had happened with Josh. I walked home, and by the time I opened my front door, I had put the drama of Josh McLean behind me and was looking forward to my audition.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Max
My brother's visit to the store left me feeling enraged by my father's empty promise, and I needed an outlet for my anger. I had my driver take me home, where I quickly changed into shorts, a t-shirt, and my favorite running shoes, and headed out to the lake for a long run. I thought about all of the ways in which my father had lied to us over the years as my feet pounded the pavement.
Usually, running was my outlet for frustration, but this time, the farther I ran, the angrier I felt. I felt betrayed and foolish that I'd trusted my father to be true to his word. I should have seen the deception and I beat myself up for not having thought of all the angles before I'd gone to see him. I felt abandoned, and more than anything, I missed my mother. She had always been the one who had reminded me of the good things about my father, and she'd been the one to soothe hurt feelings on both sides of any disagreement. She loved us all so much, and right now, I wished she were there to help find a way to stop my father from forcing me to do something I didn't want to do.
"Damn him!" I muttered as I opened the front door to my apartment.
"What did you say, darling?" Natalia said, emerging from the kitchen carrying two glasses of red wine and wearing an outfit that was definitely designed to attract attention.
"What are you doing here?" I said. I was irritated that she'd let herself in without calling first, but I'd given her a set of keys, so I had no one to blame but myself.
"I'm here to help you, Max," she purred as she set the wine down on the table in the entry and moved toward me. She was wearing a form-fitting black blouse that emphasized her large breasts, a short, black leather skirt that looked like she'd been sewn into it, and a pair of black suede boots that stopped just below the skirt's hem to give a glimpse of the lacy tops of her thigh-high stockings and the garters that held them up.
"You look like a walking felony," I said as I tossed my keys on the table next to the wine and walked toward the bedroom.
"Thank you, I think," she laughed as she followed me. "What's wrong with you, Max? Why are you so uptight?"
"I've got a lot on my mind, Nat," I said as I pulled off my t-shirt and shorts and prepared to step into the shower.
"My God, you are an exquisite man," she said as she leaned against the doorway and watched me undress. "I can never get enough of that body of yours."
"Good to know," I said tersely. "Mind if I take a shower now or do you need to ogle me a bit more?"
"Oh, I'd like to do much more than just ogle you, Max," she grinned as she walked across the room. I felt myself becoming hard as I watched her hips sway as she walked. She was undeniably sexy, and without the cover of clothing, I couldn't hide my response. She looked straight at me as she dropped her voice, "You like what you see, do you?"
I said nothing; I , simply dropped the clothing I'd been holding and reached out to roughly grab her so I could pull her against me. She let out a throaty laugh as I wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her against me. I grabbed a fistful of her shiny, black hair and pulled her head back before grinding my lips against hers in a brutal kiss. She responded by reaching around and digging her nails into my back and running them all the way down the length of my body.
I growled as my hands groped her body to find the hem of her blouse and yanked it up over her head. I dug a hand into the lacy fabric of her bra and pulled out one of her breasts before lowering my head and sucking hard on the already engorged nipple. She moaned and grabbed two fistfuls of my hair, pulling hard as we battled for control of each other's bodies. I could feel her need as I yanked her skirt up and pushed my hand between her legs, and as she groaned, I pushed her panties to the side and shoved her back against the wall. I gripped her waist and quickly lifted her up onto the dresser before roughly spreading her legs and plunging into her warm, wet opening.
She moaned as I entered her and then pushed her hips forward to meet my thrusts, digging her nails into my shoulders. I held her waist and rammed myself into her over and over again as she groaned and urged me to do it harder and faster. I felt myself lose control as I took out
all my anger, rage, and pain on her body. She cried out for more as I thrust into her more violently, seeking relief from the feelings that were threatening to pull me under.
I could feel myself getting close to the edge, and I tried to hold back long enough for her to reach the peak first, but I was too far-gone and in an instant, I felt myself letting go and falling over the edge. I could feel myself releasing inside her as I remained buried in her warmth. A wave of heat passed through my body as I jerked and throbbed. I could hear her moaning softy as she ran her hands down the length of my back and pressed her cheek against my shoulder.
"Wow, that was some run you must have had," she laughed softly when both of us were breathing normally again.
"Are you okay?" I asked as I rested my head on her shoulder and breathed deeply.
"Yeah, I'm fine," she said, patting my head. "The question is whether you are okay or not."
"I'm good," I nodded.
"Then, let me get off of this dresser. My ass is getting cold on this glass top," she said, lightly smacking my shoulder.
"Oh, sorry. Here, let me help you." I stepped back and helped her down off of her perch.
"Are you sure you're okay, Max?" she asked, looking at me with a great deal of concern. "That was pretty intense."
"I'm okay, Nat," I nodded. "I've just got a lot on my mind with the store opening tomorrow and my family stuff."
"Was your dad responsible for that shooting?" she asked as she located her blouse and pulled it on.
That was the thing I loved about Natalia. She understood my family situation because hers was very similar. Her father had defected and moved the family to Chicago around the same time my father had moved us here. When I was with Nat, there was a lot I didn't have to say. She understood the vory v zakone and she was just as wary of it as I was, only as a woman, she was expected to marry one of the bratán, whether she wanted to or not. Us getting together solved a host of problems for both of us, and the friendship had lasted because we both knew that we didn't want to get sucked into the thieving life.
At one point, when it looked like she was going to have to marry a guy who was a high ranking captain in her father's gang, I asked her to marry me. She turned me down, saying that she knew I loved her, but that we weren't like that and to pretend that we were was a lie she just couldn't live with. Soon after, she convinced her father that she wasn't cut out for marrying anyone and went off to college. By the time she returned, her father had been killed in a dispute over a shipment that hadn't contained what was promised. She mourned the loss of her father, but was glad to be freed from his iron rule.
"I don't know, Nat," I shrugged. "He might have been, but I don't think it was him this time. I think he's lost control of the younger ones and that's why he's cracking down on me and Kristov." I told her about my father's promise and my brother's visit to the shop.
"Man, that's fucked up, Max," she said shaking her head. "What are you going to do?"
"I don't know; what can I do?" I asked. "I'm going to run the shop for as long as I can, and then when things get unbearable, maybe I'll just disappear and never come back."
"I'd miss you if you did that," she said punching me lightly.
"I'd take you with me, if you wanted to go, Nat," I told her. "And, you know that."
"What, and leave all of this?" She grinned. "Nah, I'm good. Pop left me enough money to last me a lifetime and the bratán now know that I'm off limits. I couldn't leave Mama or Babi. How would they survive without me?"
"Good point," I nodded. "But still, the offer stands."
"And, I love you for that, Max," she said standing on tiptoe to kiss my cheek. "You're the best thing that ever happened to me."
I pulled her to me and held her tightly against my chest for a moment before letting go and heading into the bathroom.
"What do you want for dinner?" she called on her way out of the bedroom. "I'm thinking Italian. How does that sound?"
"Order whatever you want," I yelled. "I don't care."
I stood under the hot water for a long time, letting it pound on my head as I tried to figure out how I could extract myself from my father's plan to pull me into his business. I couldn't see a way out that would allow me the freedom I desperately desired. My worst fear was that I would have to drop everything and simply disappear, but I knew that if it came down to it, I would choose disappearing on my own terms over those of my father.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Lexi
When I arrived home after meeting with Peter, Viv was curled up on the couch snuggling Anna and talking to her about the latest issue of In Style. I laughed when I saw Anna sitting on Viv's stomach, patting the pages of the magazine as Viv rattled off the benefits of each skin care product listed in the article she was reading.
Viv was a makeup artist for a well-known line in one of the local department stores and she moonlighted with a number of theaters in the city. It was the perfect job for someone as social and outgoing as she was, and she had a mind like a steel trap, which made it possible for her to remember thousands of products and immediately discern which one was right for which person. It also made her an excellent person for me to run my lines with since she quickly recognized any mistakes and lovingly pointed them out to me. There had been times during college when I'd wondered if our roles should be flipped and that Viv should be the actor, but she'd reassured me that she had zero desire to be on stage. She wanted to be behind the scenes – not in them.
"Honey, I'm home!" I called as I walked through the door. Viv looked up and smiled as Anna chirped loudly and hopped up onto the back of the couch. I walked over and scooped her up, causing her to meow loudly before mushing my shoulder and drooling on it as she purred in my ear. "Wow, this is an awesome welcoming committee."
"And, dinner is in the oven," Viv told me as she set the magazine down and got up off of the couch. "You hungry?"
"Starving," I said. "We were too busy to take a lunch break, and then I got involved in some Josh drama and was too mad."
"Josh drama? Do tell," she said as she moved toward the kitchen.
"Let me change out of these clothes first," I called as I headed down the hallway to the bedroom. Anna protested loudly when I set her down on the bed. I laughed as I scolded her, "Oh behave, little one; I can't carry you around everywhere!"
When we returned to the front room, Viv had brought two plates loaded with ribs, potato salad, coleslaw, and cornbread out into the living room. She'd opened a bottle of zinfandel and poured two very generous glasses to go with the meal.
"Now, spill the details!" she demanded as she handed me a plate and a fork then sat down on the couch and dug in.
I spent the next half hour telling her everything that had happened that day, including the tension that I felt building between Max and me. Despite the stress of the call from Josh, I still couldn't stop thinking about how it had felt to be so close to my handsome boss. And I wondered out loud what he would be like without the suit on.
"You should find out, Lex," she urged. "I mean, how often do you meet a rich, handsome guy who owns a jewelry store? And, if he's smart, all the better!"
"Don't get so worked up about it, Viv," I warned. "It's just a temp job for a few weeks until he can hire a professional salesperson to take over. I'm not going to be around long enough for him to get attached to me, and I'm not ready to hop into another relationship. Hello? Josh just dumped me!"
"Oh please, Josh had been dumping you for years," she said, waving her hand dismissively. "You just chose not to see it. Now you're free, and I think that this boss of yours is the perfect guy to rebound with! I mean, he's handsome, rich, and he obviously likes you or he wouldn't have hired you for this job!"
"Viv, let's not go overboard here," I warned. "He hired me because he had few other choices. I was a poor substitute for a real salesperson, but I looked good enough to play the part. That's all this is — me playing a role for a guy who needs to run a business."
"P
shaw! He's going to fall head over heels for you before the end of your employment," she said. I raised an eyebrow and stared at her. "Okay, well, maybe not head over heels, but he's going to be smitten."
"You are an eternal optimist, Viv," I laughed as she held out a wet-nap for me to wipe my face with.
"I'm just a romantic dreamer," she countered, batting her lashes as she wiped her face. "I believe in true love and all the magic it entails."
"You're certifiable," I laughed. Anna hopped into my lap and patted my arm. I looked down at her and smiled as I picked her up and cuddled her, "And, you are a good, sweet girl! Spoiled, but a good, sweet girl."
Viv smiled and then changed the subject. For the next hour, she told me all about the impossible clients she'd worked with during the day and the new job she'd landed with one of the theaters in Edgewater. We laughed about the things actors had in common with everyday folks who visited her counter at the store, and then we spent another two hours running my lines while Anna hopped between us, batting at the scripts.
"This is so dark!" Viv remarked as we ran through the scene in which Hedda encourages Eilert to commit suicide and gives him the pistol with which to do it.
"I know, but it's such an intimate look at the psychology of women in the nineteenth century!" I said excitedly.
"Nineteenth century, hell, it's the twenty-first century, too," she said as she looked at the next portion of the script. "This has every dramatic element of a good reality television show."
"Ibsen would turn over in his grave if he heard you say that," I replied.
"If he knew what a television was," she shot back and we both collapsed into a fit of laughter.
Two hours later, Viv and I called it a night. She had agreed to sleep over and do my makeup in the morning so that I looked flawless for the first day of sales at the store. I was grateful that she would be there in the morning to help me get ready and calm my nerves.
Anna, however, was confused and spent the night traveling between my bed and the couch, chirping happily at having two warm bodies to snuggle with.
