Chapter 03

Mary

I opened my eyes when I heard the ringing of my phone sound in the darkness of my room, the only light coming from the screen of the device.

I swear this time I'm going to kill him.

"What do you want? " I murmured still drowsy, hearing the voice of the Russian sound natural.

Doesn't he sleep?

"Marianne, could you bring me a cappuccino with cinnamon tomorrow?

"It's three o'clock in the morning, Peter," I growl," Couldn't you have waited to ask me that?”

"I thought I'd wake you up too soon," he justified himself, making my exasperation rise.

I sat on the bed, yawning.

"Peter, you woke me up now," I took a deep breath.

"But you can go back to sleep now," I felt a smile in your voice.

"I'll turn it off," I murmured.

"Good night, Marianne," he wished.

"You'll have a lot of whipped cream in your coffee tomorrow, Piatri," I've rolled my eyes.

"Please let's keep Peter," he scoffed before ending the call

I threw my phone on the bedside table, falling on the bed again. It's been a year since I've been working with Pyotr,and I can swear this crazy Russian is going to drive me crazy at some point.

He, though still insisting on calling me Marianne, had shown himself to be a good boss. We're not exactly friends, after all I don't know much about his life, unless he's Russian and has three sisters. I can't even pronounce your name the right way. In the end, we came to an agreement that I would call him by the Americanized version of his name, but whenever I wanted to annoy him, I'd find a bizarre new way of trying to pronounce 'Pyotr'.

My father also told me that he came to the United States to go to college, getting a student visa that turned into a work visa when he graduated and was hired by Navruz Publications. He grew up fast at the company after that, Omar said it was the best decision Elena made, after all, he takes Book Review to the next level.

That was all I had gathered about the Russian in a year, I mean, about his story. About his personal tastes I've learned a lot. He is not a fan of whipped cream, likes his drinks extremely hot, prefers white chocolate to any other.He has an incredible passion for reading, so much so that he has made it his bread and butter. He hates going to meetings alone and always ends up dragging me along, taking advantage of the fact that no one has the courage to bar me for being the heiress Navruz.

And he has an inexplicable habit of calling me at dawn for a variety of reasons. Confirm that I have dispatched a document, contacted any writers, ask about meetings, and apparently, order a different coffee for the next day. These calls happened about two times a week, and I always ended up taking my irritation out on someone the next day.

I tried to go back to sleep, but after more than an hour of trying, I realized that my sleep was gone for good. I got up, taking a long shower, at least I could get ready calmly. 

I wore a white social jumpsuit, black sneakers — which I would trade for a pair of flowery scarpins as soon as I got to the publishing Company — and I let my hair down.

A little earlier than I used to, I left home, determined to walk to the Navruz Publications building. It wasn't a long journey, if I walked slowly I'd be here in 20 minutes.

I managed to get the empty Starbucks by some miracle, bought the cappuccino with cinnamon and asked to put a lot of whipped cream. That Russian will have to deal with my irritation today. After getting a vanilla Latte for me, I crossed the street towards the building, where one of the security guards greeted me in a friendly manner. I tried not to take my temper at him, the poor guy wasn't to blame for my boss being a complete lunatic!  I got in the elevator and when the doors were about to close, Halley rushed in.

"Good morning," she looked at me curiously “It's early for you, isn't it?

"Well, that's what happens when I've been up for more than three hours," I muttered.

" Another phone call?" Halley asked with amusement.

"I swear he doesn't sleep! " I exclaimed "This time it was to change the type of coffee.”

"So he's in trouble," she hummed following out of the elevator.

"You have no idea," I smiled on my way.

Pyotr hadn't arrived at the office yet.

Of course he’s not... He wakes me up to order a cup of coffee and he's not even here to drink it.

I put the thermal paper cup on his desk and went back to my living room to pick up some books he had won.

I took the box into your office and put it on the floor in front of his bookcase. It's better to take advantage of the fact that the place is empty and get to work. I put on headphones and turned on my phone to some random music, just to pass the time.

“They say I'm really sexy, The boys they want to sex me. They always standing next to me, Always dancing next to me” I humming with the music, letting my body move with the rhythm as I lowered myself to pick up another book  “Trying to feel my hump, hump, looking at my lump, lump…”

I noticed a movement with my peripheral vision, I turned quickly to find Pyotr leaning against the door stop, watching me with an eyebrow raised.

Since when is he standing there?

"Peter... " I took the headphones off in a hurry, trying to stop myself from blushing," I didn't hear you come in.”

Did my boss really catch me twerking in his office?

"Am I interrupting? " He asked making me blush even more.

I watched him for a moment, he was very handsome today. He wore a black suit with a white shirt with the open collar without a tie. Her hair was combed back with care. Very sexy.

"I will finish it later," I opened my eyes as I realized the course of my thoughts, causing the man to frown and to get away from the door stop.

"Do you need help? "He approached when I lowered myself to pick up the box that still had some books.

“No, no, no, no" I exclaimed rising with the box in my hands "I mean, I can do it. Where's your tie, Piotre?”

"I forgot at home, and you know it's not how it's pronounced," He took a deep breath before taking the box of my hand “Give me this, I'll do it myself.”

"I can do this, it's my job," I protested.

"I decide what your job is. Where's my coffee?” he put the box back on the floor.

"On the table " I indicated the paper cup trying to escape from there.

What's wrong with you, Mary? It's just Peter! You're mad at him, by the way. So what if he caught you singing and twerking in his office?

"Mary, there's whipped cream here” The Russian's disappointed voice caught my eye as I was leaving the room.

Did he call me Mary? I turned once more towards you and had to control myself not to laugh at your expression.

"Couldn't you just drink without opening the cup, like everyone else does? "I approached your desk.

"How did you get it wrong this time? They don't put whipped cream in cappuccino” He complained.

"It was a special request from me” I pised on him, forgetting the embarrassment of moments ago  “I warned you that I would punish you for waking me up at dawn.”

I crossed my arms waiting for his reaction. He was thoughtful, probably wondering whether to complain to me or not. But deep down, he knows he deserved it.

"Do you have a spoon? "He asked at last.

"Is this serious? " I've rolled my eyes," Peter, you don't even know what it tastes like, why don't you try it?”

"I know what it tastes like," he stared at me, "It's sweet.”

"You know what else is sweet? White chocolate. And yet, you love it” I stared at him “ ok, I'll be right back, I'm going to get a spoon.”

"I thought you wanted to punish me," he reminded me.

"Consider it a reward for calling me Mary," I smile," who knows how you get used to it.”

I followed to the small kitchen it had on the floor, getting a spoon on a counter.