Page 115 of Taken By My Grumpy Pakhan

“I wasn’t sure it was you from across the road, didn’t know you came to this part of the city.” Her smile didn’t reach her eyes. “And with company.”

“My assistant.”

She looked at me like she hadn’t accosted me in a shopping mall a couple of weeks ago. “Of course, Queeneth.”

“Genevieve,” I corrected.

She ignored me, continuing with her speech. “You must keep him very organized.”

“I do my best,” I replied with a tight-lipped smile.

The air around us had gone from playful to tense real quick, and it wasn’t the kind of tension that made you want to explore things, it was the kind that screamed at your senses and pushed your antennas up.

“We should catch up soon,” she said to him, her hand landing briefly on his forearm like it belonged there. “It’s been far too long.”

“I’ll have Nikolai reach out.”

It wasn’t quite a yes, but it wasn’t a no either, plus I didn’t miss how he never pushed off her hand or moved away from her touch.

Svetlana, on the other hand, seemed satisfied enough and finally turned to go, but not before her eyes found me one more time, dragging over my coat, my shoes, my whole existence, like she was pricing me.

Once she walked out of the cafe, the air loosened and oxygen rushed back into my lungs with a whoosh; however, my appetite already left with her.

“We should head back.” Kazimir said, already halfway up. “I have a call to make across time zones.”

I followed without questions, the encounter replaying in my head like a new scene would materialize to explain things if I thought hard enough.

We walked the rest of the way in silence. I wanted to ask who she was to him, really was, past the vague label of old acquaintance he always gave me. I didn’t.

Some part of me was afraid of the answer, and an even bigger part of me was afraid of how much I already cared what the answer was.

“You’re quiet,” he said as we reached the building.

“I’m thinking.”

“About?”

“Nothing.” I pushed through the revolving door before he could push further, because I didn’t have the language yet for the thing twisting in my chest.

Once inside, I made a quick turn to the right.

“Elevator’s this way,” Kazimir called after me.

“I need to go to HR.”

“What for?”

“Stuff I need to sort out.”

“I own this place, Genevieve. I’m pretty sure I’m a faster route to solving whatever needs you might have.”

I stopped, turning to look at him. “I’d prefer to handle this the normal way. Thank you.”

Without waiting for a response, I walked off. I caught sight of Sylvie casting me a stink eye, but a jealous receptionist was the least of my problems.

It was almost interesting how my life was simpler when I had less and was less known. Now, I was currently walking around the office with no sense of direction because my boss, who I decided to get involved with and foolishly fallen for, was leading a life I couldn’t seem to figure out.

I spent extra time on the lower floors before I was convinced my head was level enough to complete the day without letting my emotions win.