Making New Friends

Mila

I woke up late into the morning. For the first time there was no urgency of anything. When I got up, I had to shake the feeling of those grey eyes as I still felt like I was in the dream where he was standing just in front of me, looking down at me. It was the first time I was having this fascination with someone of opposite sex. I have experienced a few kisses here and there since I ran off from home but I didn’t feel this kind of magnetism for someone like I felt for him from just one look. But may be then, if I happen to kiss him like the other men I had in the past, my mind will instantly go to that dark horrible place, where the monsters were standing around me while the despicable and most horrendous of them touched me. And that was an end of my fantasy about that handsome stranger. 

I stood up from the mattress bed I was sleeping in, and made my way to the stairs. Jaha was already sitting behind the counter, he wished me good morning and asked, “Slept well?”

I nodded. “Yeah. For the first time in years.”

“There’s food and bathroom and tv, whatever you need.” He said, gesturing behind me at the door to his house.

Jaha's house was simple and cosy with a very warm look to it. The bathroom was just near the entrance and further into the apartment there was small area with a couch, a love seat and a small coffee table with a tv on the far wall and on either side of that wall were two doors. When I peeked through one of them, I found it was a kitchen and I automatically deemed the other one as his bedroom. 

I decided to do as he had suggested and the prospect of a shower was appealing, so was the thought of breakfast. By the time I came out of his apartment with the last of my bagel in one hand, I was feeling human and chipper, almost.

“What are you upto now?” I heard Jaha speaking to someone in Russian.

And then another, feminine voice replied, “What does it look like…”

When I stepped from behind the row of shelves, I saw her, may be nineteen or twenty, but she looked even younger than that. “I wanted to go, I promise, but I heard the rumors. They say he is the devil.”

Jaha scoffed. “Try something different, Milly. The last time you used the same excuse, in those same words.”

She made a hum and then said, “What about the fact that he's so handsome and beautiful and sexy…” She trailed off on a sigh.

Jaha made an irritated sound. “That's not an excuse.” He said, sounding exasperated.

“Oh, but it is..” The girl stood up and then I saw the boxes, she was unpacking. New clothes for the store. And jewelleries. My eyes went to her as she said, “What if I fell in love with him and come home being pregnant. Then you’d have to save just not only me from my parents but the little malysh too.”

My brows arched up, my eyes went to Jaha, who was trying hard not to smile. Then, he shook his head and pointed at the box she was unpacking. “What do you have there?”

I stepped closer to the pair and they both turned to look at me. Jaha instantly smiled up at me. “I see you’re settling in.” He pointed at the forgotten piece of bagel in my hand. 

“Oh, yeah. Thank you.” I quickly finished it and turned to the girl.

Jaha introduced us to each other. “This is Lexa. And Lexa, this is Mila. My new tenant.”

“Hmm… “ She hummed and then stepped closer, circled around me then held out her hand. “Hi… And I’m not just Lexa, I’m his darling. Don’t try to take my place and we are good.”

I smiled and shook her hand. “No problem. “

I turned to Jaha and said, “I am going to find a job for myself. Do you have any advice or suggestions?”

He looked at me for a long time and then turned to Lexa. “Milly, if you’re not going to that job… Is there any chance that she can have it?”

Lexa pursed her lips and then bent down to pick up her purse. She fished out two cards from it and gave it to me. “One is to enter the building and another is your proof that you came from the agency that hired me… that will be you..”

I was a little hesitant to take the cards from her. “Won’t they recognise me?”

She tsked and shook her head. “I got the job, my interview was done yesterday. Today was my first day and there’s separate parking space and café and elevators for everyone that works on the top level as same as the boss.”

“I don’t know… what if they know I’m an imposter.” 

She shrugged. “Suit yourself. You’d have to just walk into the elevator, which would dump you on the top floor and then slave for nine hours for the devil and then come home.”

I swàllowed. It appeared too good to be true. I looked at Jaha, for some reason, I felt the need to have his reassurances. “I don’t think there’s any harm to it.”

“What if I can’t do the job, and I’m not qualified enough?” 

“There is nothing to know. As I said, you just have to be there to follow his orders, he’ll let you know what he wants done.” She looked at Jaha as she said, “All the assistants that agency hired for him, came running back in days, they complain about how much he orders them around like they are their slaves. And it’s not even about their knowledge or meetings, it’s more about the number of coffees he orders and the way he orders them.”

“I am sure Mila can handle a demanding man, won’t you, Mila?”

“I hope so, it’s ten thousand roubles a month.” Lexa replied off handedly.

“Kakiye?” 

“What?!”

Jaha and I exclaimed at her announcement.

“He increases the salary every time someone walks out.”

“I’ll do it.” How much demanding a man can be? Not more than an Italian capo to his daughter, and if I could handle that then I’d handle him too.

Lexa smiled widely. “Good.” She took my hand and placed the cards in it. And then looking at her wrist watch she said, “Oops, you’re going to be late. You start at ten because it’s your first day and from tomorrow it’s eight o’ clock.”

I looked at the clock on the wall, it was already half past nine. “I have to be there in half an hour!?” I questioned. She nodded her head, unapologetically. I frowned.

Jaha made a soft groan and then took her hand and pushed her toward me. “Help your new friend in getting ready for her new job, tell her everything you know and select whatever she should wear…”

Her body collided with mine. I didn’t like that I needed someone’s help. But it was that or I would be running around like a headless chicken. Lexa turned to Jaha and said, “Who said she is my friend!”

Jaha replied, “I did. Now off with you two.”

She turned to me. “I am doing this because I love him. He’s my only true love.”

“Totally noted.” I said.

To Be Continued...

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P.s. If there are any mistakes in Italian or Russian, pls do forgive.