Page 8 of Bratva, Baby

If I had known talking to another man would result in a kiss like this, I would have done it sooner.

It’s like coming up for air after being under the water for too long.

That’s when I realize that he increased the pressure on my throat before dropping his hand altogether.

As he backs away, I gasp for a breath of air, utterly consumed by that kiss and apparently having forgotten to breathe since I didn’t even realize he had tightened his hand around my throat sometime during the kiss. Wow. ‘The God’ can kiss.

Andy releases the elevator stop button and we finally ascend to the ground floor, where I exit and head straight for the elevators that will take us to our office floor.

When I enter the elevator and turn around, expecting to see Andy, he’s nowhere behind me at all.

Shrugging it off, I let the elevator slide closed and press the number 9 for our floor.

Entering the floor, I am met with glances and whispers, but I try to brush them off. This is only my third day, so it can’t possibly be about me, can it?

When I sit at my desk, a stocky coworker I have seen around the office sidles up and leans his hip against my desk.

“May I help you?” I ask politely.

“Yeah, I’m Daniel. I wanted to see if you felt like getting dinner and a movie with me one night this week?” He says.

Looking him up and down, I do something I rarely do and make a snap judgment.

.. He isn’t un appealing in his own right, but you can tell by the way he dresses that he doesn’t take care of himself.

His suit, while it is brand-name, is wrinkled as though he couldn’t be bothered with an iron, it is ill-fitting, and has a light odor that reminds me of mothballs.

“I’m sorry,” I say. “With my being new here, I really just want to find my routine. Maybe after I get adjusted, we can all go out as a group?” I suggest hoping to lighten the blow.

“Don’t be like that, baby. We’ve all heard what really made you leave your old job.” He says, looking at me as though he just won something.

“What are you talking about?” I demand.

“It’s all over the office about how you fucked your last boss and when he tried to call it off, you went nutso, and he had to fire you.

I guess it’s a good thing our CEO isn’t around right now.

Maybe he’s more your type?” He says proudly, like he’s just done some major digging to win the Pulitzer Prize.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Daniel, and I would appreciate it if you would leave my cubicle now,” I say, fuming at the situation in front of me. My last CEO was a 49-year-old woman. Why would anyone say I fucked her?

Looking up from my desk, I see Meredith beaming, and I know right now what’s going on. However, I am an adult, I won’t stoop to her level, and I will figure something out to deal with Meredith. If she becomes too much of a problem, then I’ll put my big girl panties on and go to HR.

The rest of my day goes like that, the constant whispering and glances.

At least no one is outright staring at me.

I just have to act like it doesn’t bother me and not give them any reason to believe it is true.

However, that plan goes to shit when, about an hour before it’s time to leave, I hear someone call my name.

“Ava Jones?” A voice asks loudly throughout the office.

“Delivery for an ‘Ava Jones.’” Standing up at the sound of my name, I see a deliveryman with a large bouquet of purple and black roses with branches of black orchids dangling down around it.

My favorite colors and orchids are my favorite flowers.

“Over here,” I say as I nervously wave my hand.

I really don’t need the extra attention right now, but it’s too late; everyone in the office is watching as the deliveryman hands me the bouquet.

Once I grab the bouquet and offer a tip, which he adamantly declines, I set out searching for a note to find out who it's from.

I find it nestled right beside the orchid branch.

This bouquet is just the start.

A whisper wrapped in petals,

A promise sealed in silence.

One day, you will understand.

One day, you will see me.

And when you do, everything will make sense .

You belong to me, Ava, even if you don’t know it yet.

I flip the poem over, looking for a name, but find nothing.

Huh. No name . But what are they talking about?

I didn’t meet anyone new the other night.

What the hell? Goose bumps cover my arms, and I look around me as if I might catch whoever sent the flowers staring at me, but no one stands out.

Breathing as evenly as possible, I tell myself not to panic.

It’s probably a joke from Meredith or something, trying to scare me away from Andy.

Sounds like someone trying to warn me away from someone, more than they are trying to convince me of their love. What kind of game is this?

Before I can think any more about it, Andy comes up behind me, surprising me since I haven’t seen him for most of the day. I thought he had left to go home.

“Who are the flowers from, little bird?” He asks close to my ear. And for some reason, his closeness flusters me.

“Um…I don’t know. The note didn’t come signed.” I briefly wonder to myself if I should confide in him that I think they are from Meredith to scare me from him, but I decide otherwise. What if they actually aren’t from her and I just sound insane, pointing fingers at someone innocent?

At first, he looks contemplative, but then it’s like a mask comes down over his face to show an air of indifference, as if he senses I’m not telling him something .

Changing the subject quickly, I say, “I thought you left for the day. I didn’t see you for most of it.” Universe, why did you make me like this? I sound so clingy.

“I was still here, just running errands today. What did the note say?” He replies, refusing the subject change.

Dammit. Nosy bastard.

“ Oh, uh, they’re probably just from a friend who forgot to sign their name.” I lie. “Who else would know my favorite flower?” Now that I am thinking about it, how did they know my favorite flower and colors? What the fuck is even going on?

He stares at me, studying my face for a few seconds before he laughs it off and asks, “Are you ready to head for our coffee date? I chose the best place.”

Andy

I am bringing her to Grind this is just the beginning.

Getting into the car with her, a shock of excitement zips up my spine at being so close to her again after sharing that kiss this morning in the elevator.

I have been taking care of my CEO duties all day, while Alek has taken care of the coffee date for me and my little bird.

Being two people is easy when no one knows who I am as Andrei.

Yes, the higher-ups in my company know me, but they are also part of my inner circle or have some connection to the Bratva in some way and have signed an NDA.

The office workers never needed a meeting with the CEO before, so they don’t know that Andy is me.

The stunt Meredith pulled today with her bullshit rumors is high asinine at best, but if she keeps bothering my little bird, I’ll have her taken care of.

I won’t hurt a woman just for starting rumors, but I can fire her and ruin her working career, so I’ll need to keep an eye on that bitch.

As for the flowers I sent my little bird, I am glad to know I deduced her favorite flower correctly from the little time I was in her home, but I was really hoping for more of a reaction from her.

I do know she is hiding her true reaction, probably for the same reason she is attempting to keep me at arms-length, but, oh little bird, it won’t work.

Due to my inner musings, we pull up to Grind & Dine after a car ride of silence. Thankfully, it wasn’t too far of a drive from the office .

Walking in, we are greeted by a young woman around Ava’s age with black hair and a septum piercing.

As she walks us to our booth, she immediately starts talking to Ava about piercings and completely ignores my presence until I clear my throat.

She looks me up and down, rolls her eyes, and goes back to talking to Ava as if they are long-lost best friends. What the absolute fuck?

Sitting down across from Ava, I settle in to quietly listen in on their conversation, pretending to read emails on my phone. Hoping for any scrap of information I can get from her.

“Did it hurt when you got them done?” I hear her ask, her voice nearly a whisper. When did she get what done?

“There was an initial pinch and sting when the needle went through, but it didn’t hurt, perse.” The barista, whose name tag reads Olivia, says.

Looking nervously at me as though she’s trying to catch me eavesdropping on their conversation, she lowers her voice a little more and says, “I plan on getting mine done very soon, but the idea of a stranger seeing my breasts has always made me nervous. Even if he is just the piercer.” Are they discussing nipple piercings?

“OH, I have an idea!” Olivia exclaims, no longer keeping her voice as low as she was.

“I can introduce you to my guy! I can bring you to get yours done. Let’s exchange numbers.

” What the fuck? Like hell another man will touch my Ava’s breasts, but I can’t show an outward reaction right now because they don’t realize I am privy to their conversation.