“So, a week ago, you came to my apartment all frantic because you thought were being followed. You also said you were going to quit,” she says. “You told me that you were going to tell him and then that was it. Here we are a week later and you’re still here.Andyou two have been avoiding each other like the plague. What gives? Did he threaten you or something?”
I wish. That would be easier to explain. “No,” I say to her. She’s going to keep needling me about this. “Come here.” I take her by the arm and pull her toward my office.
I pull her in and close the door, leaning against it like an anchor. She stares at me wide-eyed with a cautious smile. “Okay, now you’re scaring me a little, Em. What the hell happened? Did he actually threaten you?”
“No, he hasn’t,” I repeat. “But something did happen… and I need you to keep quiet about it. Nobody can know, Tash. And I meannobody.”
“All right,” she says. “What is it?”
I pause. Natasha has always kept my secrets. I’ve never known her to go blabbing around about the things we talk about. But this wasn’t like the other stuff. If anybody finds out about what happened between me and Roman…
“I mean it, Tash,” I say. “You really can’t talk about this.”
She crosses her arms, her smile dropping. “Now I’m getting scared. What did he do to you?”
I sigh. “Nothing I didn’t want.” She cocks her head. “We… had sex.”
“What?”
“I know.”
“How the fuck did that even happen?”
“I don’t know. One minute we were talking and the next, he had me heels to Jesus on the couch up there.”
Her eyes dart upward, in the direction of his office. “You fucked Roman Orlov here? In his office?”Her voice is raised. I rush over to her and shush her.
“Hey, keep your voice down,” I tell her. “And… and yes. We fucked, had sex, whatever.”
She pauses, her eyes wild with questions. “Wow,” she whispers, then she leans into me. “How was he?”
“That’s not exactly the point.”
“Oh, I think it is. If he was terrible, that would definitely be something King Bratva up there wouldn’t want to get out.”
“He was good. Great, actually,” I say. “It was probably the best sex I’ve ever had.”
She covers her mouth, stifling a giggle. “You really fucked a Bratva boss.”
“It wasn’t on purpose. I mean, it was, but…” I groan and turn away. How can I possibly explain myself?
“But wait, what’s the problem? Why is this a secret? Is he married?”
I hadn’t even thought of that. My stomach tightens instantly at the prospect. “I don’t think so,” I say. “Look, it just shouldn’t have happened. If people find out we had sex, it’ll invalidate me. People will think I’m only here because I fucked the boss.” I sigh, the heart of the matter right in front of me. “The thing is, he convinced me to stay on for another three months.”
“Holy shit,” she says. “You are the last person I ever thought would get dickmatized by some guy. It must be made of gold.”
“It’s not. And for the record, I do not want to talk about the details of what happened, okay? This whole thing is embarrassing enough.”
She purses her lips. “You must be pretty pissed about that whole thing in the hallway, huh?”
I start to answer, the ‘yes’ right on the tip of my tongue, but I stop myself. Of all the emotions I’m feeling about what just happened, anger isn’t one of them. I close my mouth, taking a few seconds to analyze.
“Em?” she asks. “Youarepissed at him, right?”
“No,” I tell her. “That’s weird, right?”
“I mean…” She sort of stammers, then, “Why aren’t you mad?”
