The Russian's Stubborn Lover (The Fedosov Family Series Book 1) (6 page)

Julia escaped to her office as quickly after the meeting as possible. Taking the bottle of painkillers from her purse, she had just popped them into her mouth when she was interrupted, “Drugs may be okay in America, but here they will not be tolerated.”

Dmitry had seen her put the pills into her mouth and his fury was immediate. Stalking inside her office, he quietly closed the door, the action at odds with the emotions rolling through him. Walking closer, he pulled the bottle from her hand, feeling chagrined when he realized she had only been taking some aspirin. Giving her back the bottle, he stepped back a step and apologized, “It seems I was mistaken. I trust you are not ill?”

Julia took the bottle back and dropped it into her purse, feeling her hackles rise in anger at his audacity. “Was there something you needed?”

“Yes, an answer to my question. Are you ill?”

Julia started to shake her head, and then stopped, replying verbally instead, “No, just a small headache. Again, was there something I could help you with? I realize you’re angry over the report, although I don’t see why. I received compliments from several of your directors who stated the report was much easier to read than the old one.”

Julia stopped talking, watching him fist his hands and close his eyes.
He was angry over a report format?
Then it occurred to her why, he had designed the report. It was the only acceptable explanation for his anger. Sighing, she thought about apologizing again, but then stopped herself. He needed to learn when to be thankful when someone came along and improved part of his company.

Julia crossed her arms across her chest and leaned back against the front edge of her desk, not realizing that crossing her arms had tightened her shirt to the point that her cleavage was now fully visible in the vee of the shirt.

Leaning backwards only seemed to bring attention to the length of her legs, and Dmitry wasn’t blind to either. He felt his body respond and cursed softly under his breath, “
Derr`mo
.”

Julia started to ask for an explanation for what he had said, but seeing him close his eyes and take several deep breaths, she drew her own interpretation. He was frustrated with her for some reason.
If he knew we had a history together, he would be furious!

Opening his eyes, he deliberately raised his eyes to her face, keeping them from raking over her body. “Miss Thompson…”

Julia cut him off, “Please, call me Julia.” She was willing to make peace with him.

“Miss Thompson,” Dmitry started again, deliberately using her surname, “We have a standard that I expect our employees to maintain. Your activities last night go directly against that standard. I’m sure Mrs. Rusnik told you that the board is very conservative and any hint of impropriety would be looked at very poorly.”

Julia gaped at him in astonishment.
He was angry she had gone to the art exhibit? But, he had been there. Didn’t the rules apply to him as well?
Closing her mouth, she pushed herself off the desk, asking in a very calm voice, “So, let me get this straight. You’re not really angry at me for changing the report format. You’re angry I went to that art exhibit last night…”

“And then dancing and partying with some guy your model friend just happened to pick up last night.”

Julia couldn’t argue with the model picking up the strange guy last night; but what business was it of his! She wanted to accuse him of being that strange guy who tried to pick her up several weeks back, but held that thought to herself.  Deciding to deal with the events from last night and let the past stay in the past. “Were you not at the same art exhibit?” Julia asked calmly.

Dmitry shrugged his shoulders, “What I do is not important. It is what you do that matters.”

Julia exploded, “But that’s sexist and total unacceptable!”

Dmitry took a step towards her, “But that is the way it is in Russia! You will take care not to put yourself in any more compromising positions. Is that clear?”

Julia folded her arms across her chest and glared at him, refusing to answer him.
He might be able to tell her what to do while she was at work, but her free time was just that – hers. She would do what she wanted with it!

Dmitry saw that he was not going to get an answer and turned on his heel, leaving her fuming in the small office. She was going to be trouble and he didn’t need the distraction right now. The company needed his undivided attention and little Miss America had better get herself together and jump on board.

Julia counted to ten, and then twenty, finally reaching fifty before her temper began to cool down. The nerve of the man! Well, she had never been one for letting other’s push her around. Walking around her desk, she sat down and calmly picked up the phone.

When Antonia answered several rings later, she calmly made arrangements to go out with her again that same night. It was Friday after all, and Antonia was at loose ends. Vladimir, the young man from the previous night, had been a dud and Antonia had been looking for an excuse to blow him off tonight. Now she had one!

Julia arranged to have Sergei drive her to the center of town where Antonia promised to meet her and together they would go shopping and to a movie and dinner. What they did after that would depend upon whom they met while they were out.

Chapter 8

Dmitry entered his office, barely managing to refrain from slamming the door shut. The American woman was going to be trouble.
Maria Julia Thompson.
She was…

Dmitry stopped his thoughts midstream, remembering she had asked to be called Julia. As he replayed that in his head, something triggered in his memory and wouldn’t go away. He felt like he had met this woman before, but he couldn’t place her.

He had met many beautiful women while in the states, so it was possible that they had met at one function or another, but the feeling was too strong for just a passing ‘hello’ type meeting. He quickly pulled up her dossier, looking for something that would tell him what he needed to know.

When he found nothing, he pulled up his internet search program and entered the required information for a complete background check to be run on her. He wanted to know everything there was to know about the young woman who found it so easy to push his buttons.

                                                                                    *****

Julia left work precisely at 5 o’clock, anxious to escape before Dmitry cornered her again and looking forward to kicking up her heels with Antonia. Dmitry was already angry at the American woman who had come to work in his company, if he knew that same woman was also the woman he accused of leading him on outside the nightclub, Julia couldn’t even imagine what his reaction would be. It was better off just going on about her business and hoping that Dmitry never put things together.

She met Antonia and the two women had a wonderful evening, shopping in some of the boutiques that Julia would have never ventured into on her own. Antonia enjoyed helping Julia pick out several new outfits, and then she purchased several clubbing outfits of her own.

Antonia had been chosen for a local shoot and would be in town for the next several months, and Julia was looking forward to spending more time with her.  Antonia lived a rather fast lifestyle, but anything beat being stuck at the estate with her computer and the household staff each night.

After shopping for several hours, Antonia suggested they grab a bite to eat at a new restaurant that was just opening its door across town. She had been given a special invitation to dine there this evening with a date of her choosing. The restaurant was hoping to snap a few photos of her in their establishment to use in their advertising campaign. Since the meal was free, there was no reason not to take advantage of the offer.

The restaurant was located in an upper scale part of the city, one that Julia had not seen yet, and she marveled at how modern the buildings in this part of St. Petersburg looked. It could be any up and coming city around the world!

The two women were seated promptly with the owners chattering away in Russian while Julia looked on in amazement at how fast everyone spoke.

Antonia introduced her as her “American friend,” and the owners left and then returned sporting two American beers, still in the bottle. Julia laughed and gladly accepted them – anything was better than Vodka!

Antonia joined her, stating that she preferred beer with her meal, over hard liquor. The two women chatted and enjoyed the most delicious food Julia had eaten since landing in Russia.

The owners, a husband and wife team, were wonderful hosts and Julia watched as they flitted around their little restaurant, never missing an opportunity to touch one another, or steal a kiss as they passed in the hallway.

“They must really be in love,” she commented to Antonia as she watched them flirt with each other.

“Who? Peterik and Isaldya?”

“What did you say their names were?” Julia asked, amazed that these might be the same two people in the painting at the exhibit that had so moved her.

“Ah, I see someone must have told you they were the couple in the painting? Who, the man you were talking to?”

Julia nodded and then softly confided, “That man… he’s my new boss.”

“What?!” Antonia said, lowering her voice as Julia shushed her.

“Quiet! And yes, he’s my boss. But that’s not the worst of it.”

Antonia loved a good story and encouraged her to spill it, “Tell me.”

“Several weeks before I left America, I was celebrating at a nightclub with my friend and I met this guy. Anyway, the club was really noisy and crowded and so we left to go grab coffee next door at this diner, but we never made it that far.”

“Well, go on. Don’t stop now,” Antonia was sitting on the edge of her seat listening.

“Anyway, we kind of had this chemistry thing going on and before I knew it, I was backed up against the side of the building and things were getting pretty intense. Then I stopped him. I didn’t want him to think I was easy or anything…”

At Antonia’s look of horror, Julia cringed and slowly finished, “Uhm… well, he wasn’t too pleased that I wasn’t going to finish things and go back to his hotel room with him. He accused me of being a tease and I left.”

“And this guy is your boss, now?” Antonia asked carefully.

“Yeah. But the thing is, I changed my hair color before I came over her and got contacts, and… he doesn’t recognize me. Well, I mean he recognizes me from the art exhibit, but not from the states.” Julia hurried to finish in a rush, sitting back in her chair and wondering what words of wisdom someone with Antonia’s vast experience might have for her.

Antonia was thoughtful for a long while, “I don’t think you should tell him about meeting him in the states. If he finds out somehow, then you can deal with it, but otherwise, I’d let that sleeping dog lie.”

“That was what I was thinking too. I’m glad I told you. I’ve been dying to talk to someone about what’s going on and get a second opinion. Thanks.”

Antonia squeezed her hand, stopping suddenly as her face became a mask and she looked over Julia’s shoulder. When Julia made to turn around, Antonia stopped her, whispering, “Don’t. Don’t turn around. The man in question just walked in. He’s talking to the owners of the restaurant. Oh, no! They’re bringing him over here.”

Julia’s heart almost stopped beating. This was not good!

Dmitry was happy for his friends and looking at the line of people waiting outside to get in, their grand opening had been a huge success. Peterik slapped him on the back and Isaldya gave him a big hug before she hooked her arm in his and started leading him across the restaurant.

“I’m so happy you could make it,” she told him with a huge smile upon her face.

“I wouldn’t have missed it for the world. Things look like they’re going well.”

“Yes! Come this way, I want to introduce you to a celebrity who has blessed us with her presence. She’s letting us use pictures of her inside the restaurant for only the price of meal.”

“That’s wonderful. Who is it?” Dmitry asked, having his answer as he looked up and saw Antonia Padrov sitting at the table directly in front of him, her face a mask and looking like she had just tasted something sour.

Sitting across from her was a woman with golden honey blonde hair that could be none other than his newest employee, Maria Thompson.
How in the hell had this American made friends with the world renown supermodel, Antonia Padrov?

“Dmitry, I’d like to introduce you to Antonia Padrov and her guest, Julia Thompson.” Isaldya spoke in English on behalf of Julia.

Dmitry nodded his head at both women, “We’ve met. In fact, Julia now works for me as part of the exchange program.”

Isladya clapped her hands, “That’s so wonderful. Oh, Peterik needs help. I’ll be back in a few. Dmitry, pull up an empty chair and join the women.”

Julia wanted to protest, but there was no way to do so gracefully. Instead, she pasted a smile on her face, noticing that Antonia was now watching them both with curious eyes.

“Julia, I’m surprised to see you here. Antonia, I understand you’ve agreed to let Peterik and his wife use some pictures of you in their restaurant in the advertising.”

Antonia relaxed and nodded her head, “Yes. It was so sweet of them to think of me and I just love being able to help them out. They are such a sweet couple.”

Dmitry had a new appreciation for Antonia – it seemed she did have a heart and maybe something besides partying going on in that beautiful head of hers.

Looking at Julia, he noticed that she was refusing to look at him, and was merely pushing the food around on her plate. “The food is not to your liking?”

Julia looked up quickly, “What? Oh, no. It’s wonderful.”

Dmitry grinned at her and then asked, “So, how did you two ladies meet?”

Antonia hurried to answer, hoping to stop any further questions, “My mother is your mother’s housekeeper. When she got to know Julia, she decided that it would be nice if I showed her around a bit. Now that I’m going to be in St. Petersburg for a while longer, we’re becoming great friends.”