20 - Business First
1110 Words
Aleks POV
I kiss Sophia on the lips, calm but firmly, and let her know that she can reach me anytime she needs before walking off to meet the other men. Neil, the groom to be, is a man of little importance. He’s attended golf games, and dinners with Don McGriffin in the past. He’s arrogant and haughty, but he may very well be the leader of one of the top Irish families, so I’ll play nice.
As I’m walking down a wide, vacant hallway someone clears their throat behind me. I know who it is before even turning around. Her unmistakable signature scent, Chanel #5, assaults my senses instantly.
“What do you want, Mandi?” I ask, tucking my hands away into my pockets, and turning slowly on my heal to face her.
Mandi swaggers over to me, as graceless as a newborn fawn, bunching up her dress so that the slit reveals more of her legs. I resist a sneer.
“Oh Aleks, baby, please don’t be so brazen with me.” Mandi pouts. “I just missed you is all.”
I keep my expression bored and uninterested, until she reaches her arm over and runs her hand along my shoulder.
I gripped her wrist in my hand, yanking it away from my body.
“Ooh I love it when you get rough with me.” She hisses a laugh.
“Keep your filthy hands off of me.”
I snarl at her. Throwing her hand away and dusting off my shoulder where she made contact. Her feline smile disappears and is replaced with a frown when I turn to walk away.
“Aleks! Stop this!” She throws her body in my path, blocking my exit.
“Move, Mandi, Now!”
“No!” She yells. “Not until you tell me why!”
Why I ended things with her. That’s what she wanted to know.
“I want different things than I did before.” I said matter of factly.
“And you think that little tramp you’ve been toting around is going to give you those ‘things’ huh?”
“You know well enough that she’s no tramp.” I reply.
“No I don’t. And neither do you!” Mandi argues. “I know you better than anyone Aleksandr. I know that you’re still trying to placate your grandfather. Only now, you’re risking your company and your life by trusting this nobody.”
I roll my eyes. “If she’s such a nobody, is she really such a threat?” I tilt my head to the side. “Or is she just a threat to you?” I wonder.
Mandi scoffs. “Don’t make me laugh. She’s nothing compared to me. Absolutely, nothing!”
“She’s enough for me.” I say. “So let it go, and stay out of the way Amanda. I’m serious.” I order her, and push her aside to continue on my way.
I hear her huffing in frustration as my shoes tap on the marble floor, echoing my escape.
There’s a lingering feel of grime on my body where she touched me. That woman, that nightmare, nearly became my wife, and I shuddered at the thought.
-
The rest of my evening was uneventful. I stood in a dimly lit study with walls of bookshelves and a massive fireplace tucked in the back of the room, with Neil, his groomsmen, Daniel, William, and Warren. And a few other elite guests.
I swirled the dark liquor in my small crystal glass. I heard the muffled voices that kept chatting on around me, but I’d long since stopped paying attention.
As I watched the liquid danced in my cup, I could only think of how her hair span and whirled when she’d turn around. I missed her. My girl. Minushka.
I checked my phone religiously, hoping she would and wouldn’t need me.
I was a selfish bastard, and I knew it well. I wanted her to have fun, be safe and content to spend hours gossiping, drinking
or whatever is it that women do together. But I also wanted her to need me, to want me, to come save her. I wanted her to miss me, like I was missing her.
“Morozov?”
I look up to the men all staring at me. Awaiting an answer to a question that I did not hear.
“Look at him, he’s more smitten than our actual groom!” Daniel laughs deeply.
“How is your fiance?” Williams repeats.
“She’s fine, William.” I answer bored. “But I didn’t come here to talk about her with you lot.” I cut my eyes to Neil. he knows what I mean. Business. That’s all that his life will be now. Business first.
Shipping, costs, liabilities, alliances, threats, and income.
The atmosphere turns serious, and I find it ridiculous that any of them let their alcohol cause them to be so relaxed, so fluid here. We are not friends. No one here in this room is a friend to any one else. Business partners and competitors, that’s all.
“Neil, what’s the current standing The Family has right now with all of your distributors?” I ask.
Neil clears his throat. “Good, I mean smooth. Everything is, it’s good Mr. Morozov.”
“No missing shipments? No loss of assets?”
“Not to my knowledge.” Neil replies.
I roll my eyes in irritation.
“Well then I suggest you look into it, and come up with a more precise answer. Soon.” I huff.
Then I decide that we have been here long enough, and turn to leave.
I navigate my way through to building with one thing on my mind. Sophia. The closer I get to the room that I left her in, I hear a loud frustrated scream. The voice is shrill and broken. I’m close enough to see the brunch rooms’ entrance, but far enough to remain hidden from view. I stop, seeing Mandi stomp and groan out of the room saying to herself, “I’m going to end that know it all, gold digging tramp!”
I laugh to myself, wondering who pissed off the diva queen now, and wait for her to disappear from view before I head to the brunch room.
When I arrive in the doorway, I can see my girl at the center of the room, smiling, brightly and confidently as the women around her give a small applause and a gentle laughter fills the room.
Oh s**t, it was my girl that Mandi was cursing.
- Writer
