A wonderful helper for the monster by Victoria Svobodina. Victoria Svobodina - A wonderful helper for a monster (SI). Read for free A wonderful helper for a monster

Give me a tablet? - the middle-aged woman asked sympathetically, in her eyes I see understanding. And also sympathy. It seems that for Anna it is no secret what is going on behind the doors of the office of her immediate superior.

No thanks.

Then why don't you go home? Do you live in the west, outside the city? Here, take the papers, take them to the fourth branch, it's probably not far from you, and you can be free. Pavel Dmitrievich, if he asks where you are, I will explain that you were not feeling well, and I asked him to help me with the papers.

With shaking hands, she grasped the heavy folder that was held out to me.

Thanks, I'll go.

Go, Lerochka. And you know... be careful with Pavel Dmitrievich. Remember Olga? The one that went on maternity leave? So, her boss promised a lot of things. She kept walking around with her nose up, thinking she would become a big boss. Well, he didn’t fulfill a single promise, and he didn’t recognize the baby either. Okay, not fired. The tick was still there. She has a really bad story. They fired her, and without benefits, with an unpleasant record in the labor. Rumor has it that Pavel Dmitrievich knocked wedges to Larisa, but broke off - she had connections at the highest level.

They say that Larisa has a lover among the management of the company, but who is unknown.

The secretary is just a storehouse of gossip.

Came home in a disgusting mood. Now I would close myself in my room and think about how to get out of this situation, but not fate. Not only my father was at home, but also his new wife and my "sisters". So I wonder why my father and I work alone? And then, dad sits more and more in his studio and sculpts paintings, which, of course, are brilliant, but are not understood by contemporaries, and therefore are sold poorly. And before, after all, dad was much more popular, there were exhibitions, and grants, a lot of private orders, and until he got married, Natasha did not begin to sing to him about his exclusivity and genius, advising him not to listen to the "lower classes" and give advice on how you have to paint pictures.

She appeared, - Natalya frowned - in fact, the wife of the pope. Sitting at the table, a woman with regal grandeur eats such an expensive seafood dish. Probably ordered food from the restaurant again. No, I'm not angry, I just got sick and have a bad day. - Why so early?

The documents were sent to the branch to take away. It's usually a long time, but the one I went to isn't that far from here.

It's clear. Then the bills came for the house. They are on the desk in your room. You have to pay.

Of course, this is your house with your father, you have issued it for two on credit.

Is it okay that you live in this house and to a much greater extent use all the benefits of civilization in the form of electricity, heat and water? By the way, your father chose such a large house specifically for your requirement - prestige, after all. And the loan was issued to me and my father, as the only working people in this family.

Girl, everything worked out for you before. What fly bit you? - funny stepmother rolled her eyes.

What kind of girl am I to her, huh?

Just tired. Father is exhausted trying to earn money to pay off the loan, and all you do is spend everything and live in a big way, although we can’t afford it for a long time. We already have penalty interest on the loan for non-payment. We extinguish the loan practically only from my modest salary, and this is not enough. Do you want the collectors to pursue us?

Lerochka, is that what you are deceiving? I know you're good with money. Instead of giving money to the family, you save it in the bank, and give only a small part for a loan.

Exhaled. Calm down.

I won't talk anymore. We still speak different languages.

Lera, where are you? Wait, we didn't agree! Why are you rude to me? I complain to my father...

She ran up to her floor and slammed the door to her room. I looked around. Again sisters climbed with me. Things are not in their places. Everyone wants to find the password for my bank card. Will not work. I immediately burned all the pincodes and keep the numbers in mind. Anyway, after my mother’s beautiful gold earrings were stolen from me, I don’t keep anything valuable in the room anymore.

I fell right on the carpet and looked thoughtfully at the white ceiling. What to do?

Lera, open immediately, or I'm going to my father! - Natalia knocks demandingly at me. - What did you close there? You still need to clean the house! You've been dodging your duties for a whole week!

Victoria Svobodina

Runet Star. About loveAssistant #1

Who does not take risks does not drink champagne, right?

I don't like champagne and I'm not inclined to take risks. A quiet, calm position without career prospects and with a small salary has always suited me perfectly. And in general, everything is fine with me. Was.

To help my father get out of the credit hole (damn this mortgage) and get rid of the head of our department, who began to harass me, you have to take a chance and go into the clutches of the monster, becoming his personal, obedient and very executive assistant.

Modern fairy tale for adults.

Based on the fairy tales "Beauty and the Beast" and "Cinderella".

Victoria Svobodina

A great helper for a monster

© Victoria Svobodina, text

© AST Publishing House LLC

“A monster,” my friends sigh languidly and at the same time sadly, following one of the founders of our company with their eyes.

She also looked at the man. Beautiful, can't take it away. Admiring from afar is a pleasure, but it is better only from afar. It was not in vain that the nickname Beast stuck to Victor Gaine. But I have no time now to reflect on the monstrous character of this tycoon. I am tormented by problems much more mundane.

- Lerochka, why are you some kind of taciturn and sad today? - Oksana, the main gossip in our department, looked at me carefully. Just waiting for the opportunity to profit from new gossip and sniff something out.

“Yes, I broke my nail,” proudly showed Oksanka her index finger.

“Ah, I see,” the colleague said sourly and again buried herself in her cup of coffee.

After lunch, the girls and I returned to our jobs. She sat down in her nook, opened the reports, a recently found article about the atrocities of collectors - this may soon become relevant: dad is something too careless about his loan obligations. She yawned ... and opened a book with a detective on top of all the windows. I will read only a couple of pages - there is not much time left before the finale. The main thing is that these "several" pages do not grow into a hundred.

“Ler, your boss calls you,” said Marinka, my colleague, passing by.

Here you go. Disappointed again. It wasn't until after lunch that things got better. Again he. How can?

Wandered to the boss, where to go.

- Lerochka, - a balding short paunch smiled at me lusciously - my boss Pavel Dmitrievich. - Why don't you come in? I've been waiting for your last sales report for a long time.

Yeah, well, I know what he's waiting for.

- The report is not ready yet, Pavel Dmitrievich.

- Very bad. Lerochka, lately you have completely ceased to please me.

The man stood up and walked towards me, who was modestly slumped in a chair. No-o-o! Just not this.

Stop! I order you! Hundred-oh-oh!

Alas, I'm not a psychic, so the mental suggestion didn't work. The boss came close to me, shaking his belly against my shoulder. She moved to the very end of the chair.

- Lera, stop playing these games with me already. We are both adults.

The man puts his hand on my shoulder and starts stroking. Everyone, stop tolerating it!

She jumped up from her seat, giving the boss a hand.

- Pavel Dmitrievich! I do not like you. Stop pestering me!

“Lerochka,” the man turned out to be unimpressed by my attack and stood up so that he blocked my exit from the office. - Let's be honest. You are not much of yourself professionally, and there are hundreds of applicants for your place in such a successful company.

- What are you implying?

“Nothing, Lera. I also made inquiries in the finance department - you have obligations on a mortgage loan, and losing your job can be very sad for your well-being. Is not it?

- What do you want, Pavel Dmitrievich?

This same Pavel Dmitrievich came up to me, dousing me with the cloying smell of his perfume.

- Lerochka, you are a very attractive girl, but you don’t use it at all. You are lack of initiative, you have no desire to break through to the top. Sit at your computer all the time. Very in vain. Soon I'm going to be promoted, I could recommend you to your place - you have a good education, experience, again, is already sufficient, you know the work of the department.

The man took my hand and began to stroke my palm. I almost felt sick. She snatched her hand away and moved away from the annoying boss.

- What do you want, Pavel Dmitrievich? I repeated my question.

- I want you to make the right decision for yourself, Lerochka. In two weeks, I'm leaving for a business trip to China for a month and I can take you with me. Think about it, few people get that chance. During the trip, I will train you at the same time so that you can become a worthy head of the department.

Is that what it's called now?

- In general, Lera, you still have time to think. As long as you can go. But you know, I really don't want to fire such a good girl, but you have to prove to me that you are ready to take the initiative.

The chief looked at me with a greasy look and perhaps did not lick his lips.

She fluttered out of the office like a bird released from a cage. Horror.

– Lerochka, why are you so pale? You feel bad? Anna, Pavel Dmitrievich's secretary, asked anxiously.

- Yes, I ... feel bad about something. My head hurts.

- Can I give you a tablet? the middle-aged woman asked sympathetically, in her eyes I see understanding. And also sympathy. It seems that for Anna it is not a secret what is going on behind the doors of the office of her immediate superior.

- No thanks.

"Then why don't you go home?" Do you live in the west, outside the city? Here, take the papers, take them to the fourth branch, it's probably not far from you, and you can be free. Pavel Dmitrievich, if he asks where you are, I will explain that you were not feeling well, and I asked him to help me with the papers.

With shaking hands, she grasped the heavy folder that was held out to me.

Thanks, I'll go.

- Go, Lerochka. And you know... be careful with Pavel Dmitrievich. Remember Olga? The one that went on maternity leave? So, her boss promised a lot of things. She kept walking around with her nose up, thinking she would become a big boss. Well, he didn’t fulfill a single promise, and he didn’t recognize the baby either. Okay, not fired. The tick was still there. She has a really bad story. They fired her without benefits, with an unpleasant record in the labor. Rumor has it that Pavel Dmitrievich knocked wedges to Larisa, but broke off - she had connections at the highest level.

- They say that Larisa has a lover among the management of the company, but who is unknown.

The secretary is just a storehouse of gossip.

Came home in a disgusting mood. Now I would close myself in my room and think about how to get out of this situation, but not fate. Not only my father was at home, but also his new wife and my “sisters”. So I wonder why my father and I work alone? And then, dad sits more and more in his studio and sculpts paintings, which, of course, are brilliant, but are not understood by contemporaries, and therefore are sold poorly. And earlier, after all, dad was much more popular, there were exhibitions, and grants, many private orders, and he had not yet married, and Natasha did not begin to sing to him about his exclusivity and genius, advising him not to listen to the "lower classes", and give advice how to write

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- She appeared, - Natalya frowned - in fact, the wife of the pope. Sitting at the table, a woman with regal grandeur eats such an expensive seafood dish. Probably ordered food from the restaurant again. No, I'm not angry, I just got sick, and it's a bad day. - Why so early?

- The documents were sent to the branch to be taken away. It's usually a long time, but the one I went to isn't that far from here.

- It's clear. Then the bills came for the house. They are on the desk in your room. You have to pay.

- Of course, this is your house with your father, you have issued it for two on credit.

- Is it okay that you live in this house and where you use all the benefits of civilization in the form of electricity, heat and water to a greater extent? By the way, your father chose such a large house specifically for your requirement - prestige, after all. And the loan was issued to me and my father, as the only working people in this family.

“Girl, everything was fine with you before. What fly bit you? the stepmother rolled her eyes funny.

What kind of girl am I to her, huh?

- Just tired. Father is exhausted trying to earn money to pay off the loan, and all you do is spend everything and live in a big way, although we can’t afford it for a long time. We already have penalty interest on the loan for non-payment. We extinguish the loan practically only from my modest salary, and this is not enough. Do you want the collectors to pursue us?

- Lerochka, is that what you are deceiving? I know you're good with money. Instead of giving money to the family, you save it in the bank, and give only a small part for a loan.

Exhaled. Calm down.

I won't talk anymore. We still speak different languages.

- Lera, where are you? Wait, we didn't agree! Why are you rude to me? I complain to my father...

She ran up to her floor and slammed the door to her room. I looked around. Again sisters climbed with me. Things are not in their places. Everyone wants to find the password for my bank card. Will not work. I immediately burned all the pincodes and keep the numbers in mind. Anyway, after my mother’s beautiful gold earrings were stolen from me, I don’t keep anything valuable in the room anymore.

I fell right on the carpet and looked thoughtfully at the white ceiling. What to do?

- Lera, open immediately, or I'm going to my father! Natalya knocks demandingly at me. - What are you doing there? You still need to clean the house! You've been dodging your duties for a whole week!

- Clean it up yourself.

“This is your house, you have to put it in order!” Lera! You're making fun of me again!

She covered her ears with her hands. And you will not run away to your friends, as before. Everyone has had families and children for a long time, it's inconvenient.

The next morning I wandered sluggishly back to work. It is almost half a kilometer to the bus stop, then for about an hour, if without any special traffic jams, to shake in transport overloaded with passengers to the metro, and by metro for about an hour.

I don't want to work. And I don't want to go home. At home, Natalya with her nasty voice, from which the head boils, and at work, Pavel Dmitrievich with his greasy looks and "accidental" touches. It's time for a change, but I'm bound by obligations.

At work, I sneak into my seat unnoticed. I threw away all papers and books. I'm looking at apartment rentals. Expensive. Especially if you rent an apartment closer to work. No savings will be enough. And if I get fired soon, I should save money.

Marina approached me.

- Ler, Pavel Dmitrievich calls you. Somehow he is unhappy.

It doesn't get any easier from time to time.

I go to the chief's office. Is it just me, or are my colleagues looking at me sympathetically?

- Valeria! - the chief began menacingly, as soon as I entered and closed the door behind me. Why did you leave yesterday without asking my permission? Anna is not your boss to send you as a courier with documents. You get reprimanded and fined!

Here it is ... there are simply no words.

- All right, Pavel Dmitrievich.

Then the man suddenly changed his anger to mercy.

- How quiet and calm you are, Lerochka. Not a word across. No initiative. But I can cancel your punishment.

The man unexpectedly quickly approached me and took me in a vise, pressing his massive belly against the door.

- Let go! I will scream!

- Lera, stop breaking already, - one hand of the boss reached under my skirt, and the second man began to paw me, getting to his chest. Pavel Dmitrievich puffs excitedly into my ear like a locomotive.

Strongly clamped, it's not easy to get out. Tears gushed from his eyes. I have never experienced such humiliation.

She slapped the boss with all her might and pushed his massive bulk away from her as best she could. With trembling hands, I open the door and run out, and dissatisfied rushes in my back:

- Get ready for dismissal, Lerochka.

I stand near the window in the corridor farthest from the office and try to calm down. The soul of sobbing, it turns out badly. I quit. Today I will write a statement, and I will no longer work here. I don't see any other way. But then you won’t be able to move out of the house for a long time.

When I ran out of the boss's office, covering my face with my hands, only Anna seemed to see me. He will probably tell everyone about this episode.

I hear two women walking along the corridor, laughing and talking, and sit on the sofa not far from me, continuing to chatter cheerfully. I carefully wipe away my tears and try not to sob anymore. She took out her phone and allegedly wrote something there. They should have left already.

- Oh, can you imagine, the Beast brought his assistant again. And he didn’t last three days, so he won’t get much. The forty-eighth assistant since the appearance of the Beast with us! Unheard of! Where are the directors looking?

- So it seems that Victor Gaine is a shareholder, so they won’t tell him anything. Assistant vacancy re-opened. It seems to me that this time no one else will dare to go into the clutches of the Beast.

- Well, maybe one of the newcomers. You know the pay is good. And for those who last a month, a solid bonus is paid, and prestigious positions are offered in other departments - only exceptionally talented and hardy people with an incentive to slave labor from dawn to dusk are detained at the Beast. True, of the three people who lasted a month, none of them wanted to continue working for the Beast. And this despite the salary, increased four times from the initial.

And I completely forgot about this entertaining show hosted by the Beast to the delight of our entire company! But this is a chance for me. Previously, I would never risk exposing myself to public ridicule, but now I have nothing to lose. You can try and earn money, and change jobs. I will move to another department if I work for a month, and Pavel Dmitrievich cannot put a spoke in the wheel and put pressure on me with his influence, no one will believe him that I am a bad worker without initiative.

Literally got the idea.

How can you last a month?

So, first, ask those who have already worked for the Beast. Requirements, how he leads, what he presses on, what he loves and what he does not like.

Secondly, you must definitely rent an apartment a stone's throw from the office for this month - they say the Beast is very demanding and can cause

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to work at any time of the day or night, as he is a workaholic.

Thirdly, I have many acquaintances and girlfriends in different branches, I need to talk to everyone and ask them to help “my people”, that is, me. As far as I know, the main problem of all candidates for the role of assistants was that they were literally torn in assignments.

Now I'm going to apply for a transfer to Victor. I will have about a week to prepare - this is how long the application is being considered and papers are being prepared for the transfer of an employee within the company.

I went to the personnel department. Made a splash. Already in an almost good mood, I returned to the workplace, because it is still far from the lunch break. She crept behind her desk. My colleagues cast sympathetic glances at me, but now I don’t care - it doesn’t matter how the news about my transfer reaches here, they will forget about the rest.

Marina approached me. She put a stack of paperwork on the table and said softly:

- Don't worry, Pavel Dmitrievich left for an off-site meeting. He will not have much time before a business trip to appear in the office. Got up, right? Don't worry, he has already approached almost all free girls. The faster you give it to him, the faster he will lose interest in you. Male. It's been a week without a year in our department and I haven't missed almost a single skirt. I didn’t pay much attention to you before - you’re quiet, you almost don’t show up because of the computer, but you made out in the end. Probably when there was a corporate party.

“I didn’t know before that he hit on a lot of people.

- Where are you going. You always hover in your world, you miss all the gossip by your ears.

She shrugged and looked at the monitor. The case is unrelenting. At least not to see the boss's nasty face until the transfer itself. So he will be surprised that his “initiative” worker pulled off such a feint. The most important thing is not to expose yourself to the general ridicule and stay with the monster longer. I will probably be the most prepared assistant to Victor Gaine.

I returned home only late in the evening and by taxi - I went bankrupt on him, because I needed to pick up and transport things. Already in the afternoon I went to the new building next to our building, looked and rented a one-room apartment there. Paid for this month and the last. In general, two months I will have personal housing. The apartment is completely empty, the decoration is minimal. But from work - I counted - seven minutes on foot through the park. And on the second floor, so you don't have to wait for the elevator, wasting precious time. The house is elite, with protection. The rent cost me a very substantial amount, but I hope these costs will pay off after the first week at the Beast - the salary of his assistant is very solid. In addition to transporting things, you will also need to buy a mattress in order to sleep on something. I don’t worry about food - I agreed with a private restaurant, they will deliver ready-made food to me early in the morning and late in the evening. What I don't eat, I throw away.

– Where are you going? - Natalia is watching my training camp with surprise.

- I'm moving.

So it pulls to answer in rhyme. Restrained.

- To a new life. Don't worry, I'll be fine...

Who will pay for the house? Did you decide to run away and leave your father in trouble? Nicholas! - Natalya squealed loudly, for the whole house, calling my father.

“I will transfer the money, as before, so there is no need to shout like that,” I answered calmly. Natalya likes to arrange scenes.

I wanted to go up to my dad alone and explain everything, but it would not work.

- What's happened? What are we making noise? - after some time, my dad appeared in a stained apron. I wonder if my father ate today or got carried away with work again, and no one took care of him?

- Dad, have you eaten? – concerned asked.

- Yes, bunny, don't worry.

- Nikolai! Your daughter is about to leave! Do you think this is normal?!

- Well, in general, Valeria has long been an adult adult girl. And free to do as she sees fit. Bunny, but why didn’t you say anything and are you going so abruptly? You're offended?

“No, dad, it’s just…

- Found a man and move out to him! Admit it, it's true, shameless?!

- You can say that. I found Chud… a wonderful man to whom I want to dedicate myself in the near future.

Natalia precipitated, which I expected. My stepmother itches me all the time that I am an old maid and will not find a man for myself.

"Don't you want to introduce us to him?" Dad frowned.

She walked up to her father and hugged him, whispering in his ear:

“Dad, I was joking about the man. It's just time for me to be independent. I'm sorry, but I can't live here anymore. I rented an apartment near my work. As soon as I settle down, I will definitely invite you to visit. Are you not offended?

- No, dear. In some ways, I understand you, here, at times, it was not sweet for you, Natalya is temperamental, I'm sorry that I left you in her care. I must be a bad father.

“You are wonderful, dad.

I kissed my father on the cheek, walked away, took up the bags, but dad took the things from me, taking them himself.

- Kolya! Are you just going to let her go? Natalya, who was watching us, was indignant, and my sisters, Anya and Tanya, appeared at the noise of voices.

- Mom, mom! What, Lera is leaving?! Did she find someone?

“Yes, I’m leaving,” I answered instead of Natalya. The sisters, as usual, ignore my presence, pretending that I'm not there. We haven't been friends for a long time. And at first they were all friendly, and Natalia was affectionate. And as my father got married and bought a house, that's how it all began.

The whole family took me to a taxi. You should have seen the lean faces of relatives. It seems to me that Natalya has not yet fully recovered from her surprise at my sudden departure, and therefore does not make a scandal.

“Leave the address,” the woman grumbled. “And then all of a sudden something happens. We don't know where to look for you.

Yep, now. So that my sisters and Natalya herself begin to constantly visit me? And then after all, to go far from the city after the next party, and they will have to sniff out about my personal life and where the money for expensive housing in the center comes from. Then I'll tell my father a secret ... maybe. And then it will hurt. I know dad.

In the end, she kissed again and hugged her father. She got into the car. The door slammed, the engine roared. I watch how the house, which I hoped would become my home, is moving away, and my father and his family. No matter how my life turns, but here I will try not to come back. If only to visit for a couple of hours.

I take a deep breath, trying to calm my excitement. Now my first meeting with the Beast will take place.

The last few days have been very stressful. I was preparing with might and main to take on a new position, avoiding meetings with the now former boss, negotiating with guys from different departments, agreeing in various ways on help. Surprisingly, they actively supported me. Before that, more often one of the newcomers or those who were of a higher rank climbed into assistants - still such a jackpot. And no one agreed to help, whether out of ignorance, out of pride or out of a desire to do everything on their own. Don't know. And I am "a native of the people", also my own. No, there were people like me, simple employees of the company who wanted to try themselves, but they also did not show initiatives like mine.

Yesterday, after all, the boss found out about my departure - surprisingly, despite the fact that gossip at our work spreads with incredible speed, he learned about everything at the last moment and from me, when

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brought a formal statement of transfer for signature. Formal, since I have already been accepted to the Beast, which means that everything has already been decided, and no one will ask permission for my departure from such a small fish as Pavel Dmitrievich.

How he was furious - that's something. It was useful to dissolve my hands again, but this time I was prepared. Right in front of him, I took out my phone and sent a record of his ora and threats to me on the Internet. She threatened that if she climbed again and somehow interfered with my life, I would post the record on the official website of our company. There, of course, there is nothing of the kind, just the boss is rude, yelling and threatening, but even this will be enough to create problems for Pavel Dmitrievich. It would be possible to continue to write down how he would pester, but I would not have survived the touch of this man.

Passed through the reception area - if the first interview with the Beast goes well, this large spacious room will become my workplace. Not everyone can stand the first conversation with Victor Gaine. It often happened that they flew out right after the meeting. Either the Beast kicks them out, or they themselves write a letter of resignation. I took a sedative beforehand, but something doesn't help much.

I enter the office. I thought the reception room was spacious, but no, this is Heine's office, in fact. Probably half the size of a football field and mostly empty. Panoramic large full-wall windows - the view of the sky and high-rise buildings in the neighborhood is simply gorgeous. And if you approach, for sure the whole city is in full view. I climbed high. She used to work on the fourth floor, but now on the seventy-fifth. It would be nice to stay here longer.

I walk down the aisle to my new boss's desk and look anywhere but at Victor Gein. I'm incredibly worried.

I stopped a couple of steps from an expensive modern curved table. Everything, I got together. The back is straightened, the chin is raised, a look at the boss, or rather at his nose. Looking into the eyes is not recommended business etiquette. I have nothing to be ashamed of, I just recently checked in the mirror - the gray suit fits well, the white blouse is ironed perfectly. Hair is styled in a neat bun, hair to hair. Discreet makeup and manicure. Knee-length pencil skirt. Shoes with a comfortable low heel.

- Hello, Viktor Eduardovich. Valeria Nikolaevna. Your assistant, - my voice does not tremble. Surprisingly, now I am completely calm. Burnt out?

By the way, my boss's nose is gorgeous. Straight, thin. As they say in the books, aristocratic. Rumor has it that among the foreign relatives of Heine, aristocrats, moreover, with high titles, wormed their way into the ancestors. At first, our gossips even called Victor Lord, but this nickname was quickly forgotten when the story with assistants began.

- Hello. I won't question you for now. Later, if, of course, you manage to cope with all the tasks by twelve. So, your tasks for the first half of the day ... - I quietly turned on a small voice recorder hidden in my sleeve, and I stand calmly, with a sweet office duty smile. One of the features of the Beast. A man gives instructions mostly verbally, not on paper or through the mail. Many fall asleep at this stage. The monster speaks quickly, they do not have time to write down everything in a notebook, it is difficult to remember, unless you have a unique memory.

I continue to stand quietly, and I am, to put it mildly, shocked by the number of tasks, and the Beast keeps talking and talking ... I began to have some doubts that I could handle everything before twelve.

- Do you understand everything? my boss asked dryly. He did not address by name, apparently, he does not consider it necessary to remember. Bad sign.

- Yes, Viktor Eduardovich.

“Then you can be free. If anything else is needed, I will call you.

I turn around and walk out the door on shaky legs. There is no desire to even look closely at our monstrously beautiful Gaine. I quietly panic.

Went out the door.

Exhaled.

I can handle.

I run out of the waiting room, where a whole team of girls meets me.

- Well! How? Passed the interview? My friends and acquaintances jumped on me right away. Our quiet, lanky and dearly loved by all of us admin and programmer Zhenya even got into a flock of girls.

- Postponed. Non-standard scheme. He told me to do the job first.

- Wu-u-u! So you don't even want to talk? Nothing, let's go! Come on, let's help!

“You are my godfathers, fairies,” I grunted and took out a voice recorder, pulling out roller skates from a bag left next to the door as I went. - So, now I will transfer the record to the Internet. Sort out the tasks, everything needs to be done before twelve. We communicate through the network. Write what is done and what is not. I’m going to the deputy director of finance now, I’ll take the signed documents for the Beast from him - I have to do it myself, because if someone else comes, they won’t understand, and only a personal assistant can have the authority to take such documents.

- Oh-oh-oh, I'm just flying away from the voice of the Beast! So low, hoarse, sexy. I have photos of the Beast, but I have never heard the voice. I'll save the recording and listen to it before going to bed! - emotionally exclaimed Margarita, our lover of powerful men. My friend has already accessed the Internet via her phone and opened the file I sent. Wow, but I didn’t pay attention to Gaine’s voice - I was too worried, apparently.

“So, I’m taking the second task, with checking the execution of the monstrous documentation that hung in the mail,” adjusting the glasses on her nose and pulling the earpiece from the phone out of her ear, Anastasia enlightened - the most serious and responsible girl in our cheerful company.

“And I take the one where the Beast said to contact the admins about cleaning and setting up the base,” Zhenya said contentedly.

Didn't listen any further. Rollers already on. I crossed my fingers at random and drove to the elevators. Our building is big. Until you get from one part to another, it will take a lot of time. I saw how employees of hypermarkets go on roller skates. Right now it's more important for me to keep the place than the reputation, so go ahead.

When I got to the elevators, I turned on the recorder and made a verbal note to myself. The skirt had to be changed before roller skating. Tomorrow I will come in trousers. If everything succeeds.

Adrenaline surges. The excitement is incredible. At first, the corridors were deserted, but then I got out of the elevator three floors below, and it began - the financiers are always crowded. They turn around in surprise, ask me something, but I don’t answer, I rush forward and apologize if I accidentally ran into someone.

I found the right office, knocked, and entered. The secretary looked at me with round shocked eyes.

- Roman Alekseevich at home?

- Yes, but who are you?

- Assistant to Viktor Eduardovich Gaine, Valeria Nikolaevna. I need to pick up documents for my boss, - a timid hope woke up in me. Are they already signed?

- No, the documents are in the hands of Roman Alekseevich. Since you are from Viktor Eduardovich, you can ... drive by and ask to sign them now, if it is urgent.

This is very urgent.

I stopped by Roman Alekseevich - the uncle is sitting at the table quite ordinary, in particularly scandalous rumors I personally did not notice. Balding, round all so, tired. It seems that the man did not even notice that I was on roller skates.

- What do you want? the man asked

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- Documents with your signature are needed. For Viktor Eduardovich.

The man looked at me more attentively and interestedly.

- Another assistant?

- Yes, Roman Alekseevich, - I impatiently squeeze the handles of the bag I took with me. Mentally pushing the financier.

- So-o-o. Interesting, - the man took papers out of the drawer and deliberately slowly began to sign them, while having time to carefully examine me.

- You are a beautiful girl. And why only climb into the jaws of a shark? Fell in love, apparently, with the Miracle ... gum Viktor Eduardovich? My advice to you is to drop this. Victor Gaine does not start novels at work, everyone knows this. Many girls have already tried to follow your path, and they did not succeed. Just spoil your nerves, mark my word. And so, when you leave the assistants, you can go in. We have an eternal shortage of enterprising hardworking personnel in our department,” Roman Alekseevich said, looking at the area of ​​\u200b\u200bmy chest, which was securely covered by a jacket. Now, if it weren’t for the recent situation with Pavel Dmitrievich, she wouldn’t even pay attention to where the financier is looking. All the men ... look in one direction, apparently.

“Thank you, Roman Alekseevich,” I said dryly.

She left the office only fifteen minutes later. The man, it seems, signed everything for a long time, finding entertainment in my face.

“Thank you,” she pulled out a chocolate bar from her bag and put it on the table in front of the secretary. Here's who to contact. “I will probably come here often from now on. And your name is...

“Galina,” the thin girl smiled contentedly, hiding a chocolate bar under the table. Do not pamper her here, or something, sweet?

She left the office. So what's the next task?

I looked on the Internet. The girls have already written out all the tasks in a separate list. Something has already been done, but there is still a lot left. Now I’ll move out, it’s still not far away, into the cadres, I’ll take my personal file and a few other employees. I guess the Beast wants my case simply because he didn't even bother to find out who his next assistant would be, and therefore didn't conduct an interview. So, the last item I will leave to serve the boss coffee, just at twelve. Double, strong, no sugar. We must remember the tastes of the authorities.

Here we go!

Two minutes to twelve. I stand in front of the waiting room, surrounded by my volunteers. I'm shaking with tension.

- Faster Faster! - My friends are fussily grumbling while I take off my roller skates. One of the girls hurriedly pours coffee from a thermos into a mug. - One task was not completed in time - Olga was strained in the archive, maybe she will have time yet. If so, we'll send you a message. Pull the time.

- Okay, I went. Maybe he won’t notice at all that one task has not been done, ”I answered, putting on my shoes, and took a mountain of folders with papers in my hands. From above, on the folders, they put a steaming cup of coffee for me.

- Stand! our beautiful Marina suddenly cried out. - Are you going to go like that? Your hair was out of your hair and your mascara was smeared.

- No time.

- Thirty seconds.

The girl, armed with a comb, wet wipes and a powder box, jumped up to me.

- All is ready! Don't hold back. Hit him in the heart and avenge all the broken female hearts of our company!

- Hmm. Well ... okay, - apparently, Marina has something personal.

Went. The door to the reception room was carefully opened for me, but then I had to move on somehow by myself. The review folders are closed, and this cup is also ... extreme in its purest form.

The cup clanks alarmingly against the saucer at every step. Or maybe it's the spoon clinking on the cup. I can not see. I'm balancing. Why only put a spoon if there is no sugar? Or is there? Then confusion.

The door was unceremoniously kicked open. And not even ashamed.

I walk carefully controlling every step. Silence.

She reached the table and carefully placed the folders on the table. The coffee didn't spill. She looked at the Beast with pride. The man froze in a thoughtful pose, looking at me appraisingly. He looks like he saw it for the first time.

Yet she glanced for a moment into the eyes of the Beast. The eyes are the color of steel. Not grey, no. It's steel. Victor Gaine is brown-haired, with carefully styled and combed back hair. Like lips, clearly defined, not thin. Such a "masculine" correct oval of the face. Ideal in everything. Too perfect. And it's scary. It seems to me that I will not be able to match such ideality and perfection.

- Everything is done, Viktor Eduardovich. Waiting for your further instructions - well, why not show off a little and not tease the Beast?

- Valeria Nikolaevna, then? - remembered! - Give me your personal file.

Now it's scary again.

She pulled out the desired folder from the pile. The cup of coffee still stands on the pile of documents I brought. Changed your mind about drinking coffee?

- Here you are.

Viktor Eduardovich took the folder, opened it and slowly began to read through my profile.

- Good education. Just like our profile. International relationships. Good university. So, judging by the copy of the diploma, you also studied well - more than. - They got into our company by distribution for practice. We have remained, and in a very modest position not in the profile. For five years you worked quietly, without making any attempts to get into another department, no one nominated you for a promotion. And here is the question. Why did you suddenly decide to change everything so drastically? a sharp look at me.

Do I need to answer something? Don't talk about the boss. Or complain about life? Lack of money? No. We are proud. Yes, and do not give leverage pressure on yourself.

“There comes a time in every person’s life when you need to change something, that’s it. And she seemed to answer and did not really say anything.

I can see from my eyes that the Beast did not satisfy my answer, but the man did not say anything, continuing to study my profile. Watching Victor Gaine. I admire a man as a perfect picture. Surprisingly, the appearance of the boss does not touch me at all. Apparently it's all about fear. I am so afraid of losing this opportunity and job that I perceive the Beast not as a man and a living person in general, but as a kind of object. A kind of time bomb that I need to defuse and that can explode at any moment if I do something wrong.

Viktor Eduardovich, leafing through papers, suddenly stopped suddenly. Something carefully studied, then raised a surprised look at me. The first living emotion of the chief. I was again carefully examined with disbelief, and after that the man again delved into the papers.

She craned her neck in an attempt to look at what kind of paper there so surprised the boss. It turned out that not paper, but a photograph in my case. Now it is clear. The photo I have there is old, five years ago, there I am still a green student, a shaggy, cheerful brunette with no credit behind her and the need to comply with the office dress code. I remember taking this photo the morning after graduation party. Yes...it was a good time.

The boss slammed the folder with my case closed and looked at me with a heavy, unblinking look. Yes, yes, I myself am surprised that I am standing here, and I do not understand at all what I am doing here and where I am going. Well, this is not my level. However, I don't really have a choice. Either I will endure, or I will lose my job and make Pavel Dmitrievich happy.

I made my face as neutral as possible. A sort of amateur poker face. Ready to answer any questions

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but they did not sit.

- Fine. Now I want to see how you coped with my tasks.

Let's see, Viktor Eduardovich.

This is where the whole monstrous nature of my boss began to manifest itself. Pedant, and what. The boss, as it turned out, perfectly remembers every order given to him.

Checked everything. I was not even too lazy to call the accounting department and a couple of other places to find out if I was there and if I did everything that he asked. Fortunately, I correctly chose the tasks that I had to do myself, and so far I have not revealed a catch with voluntary assistants to Heine. It seems that the man is stubbornly looking for a reason to refuse me a job. Somehow the Beast didn't like me. Or is it my paranoia. Even the way the boss took and meticulously examined the coffee. And with what face he took the first sip ... as if it were not coffee, but poison in its purest form. I even held my breath as the boss tasted the drink. And I also promised myself that from now on, if I stay, I will prepare the drinks myself, to be sure that everything is in order and no one put an extra piece of sugar.

It was the turn of the only unfulfilled task.

- So, what about reports from the Chinese stock exchange? Have you prepared a short review?

This is generally cool. I've never done anything like this and probably would have spent half a day with the task. She hesitated. Viktor Eduardovich crept up rapaciously, his eyes of the color of steel, it seems, were already prepared to dissect my soul. Will have to confess.

Phone vibrated. She threw an apologetic look at her boss, quickly took out her gadget and glanced at the screen.

“I did everything. Print, you know, did not have time. The review file was uploaded to our forum. I hope it's not too late. Good luck. Olga".

The soul soared to heaven.

- Viktor Eduardovich, please tell me your mail. I will now send you the file via phone. You did not say that the review is needed in paper form, but it seemed to me inappropriate to print in terms of time and paper.

Like this. I could have time to print, but I know the concept of time management. Appreciate what kind of assistant you have, Viktor Eduardovich.

The boss silently handed me a business card with his data. Well, that's all, sent. I'm waiting for the Beast's verdict.

Heine thoughtfully studies the file I sent. Here's someone who knows how to control himself perfectly. I can't figure out if the boss likes the way the review is done or not.

The man looked up at me. Immediately she began to look at the bridge of his nose, but then she could not stand it and lowered her eyes to Victor Gaine's hands. The sound caught my attention. The boss thoughtfully taps his fingers on the surface of the table.

“So you want to work for me, Valeria Nikolaevna?”

- Very much, Viktor Eduardovich.

- You will have a very hard time. Maybe you should save your nerves and time? I'm surprised by your zeal, but I don't think you're the right person for the job. Let's do it. I pay you a week's salary and a bonus for a successful attempt, and you quietly leave here now, return to your department and share impressions of your little adventure with your girlfriends. If you refuse, then if you cannot work for me for a month, you will be fired from the company.

Hard. But that's why Victor Gaine was nicknamed the Beast. But the man does not know that I am already familiar with other local monsters, and, in fact, I have nothing to lose.

She made up her mind and looked directly into the eyes of the color of steel.

- I want to be your assistant, Viktor Eduardovich.

- Well, it's your decision. Valeria Nikolaevna Belova, you have been accepted.

Fluttered out of the office of her now definitely boss. I experienced a similar joy when I found out that I entered the university, and even on a budget. It's lunch now, the Beast let me go, but he didn't give me the standard hour, he demanded that I come to him in half an hour.

There was no one in the corridor. Dinner is sacred. Got the phone. I unsubscribed on the forum that the interview is over, and now I’ll go to our cafe.

I was immediately bombarded with excited messages asking about the result. I keep the intrigue, I do not answer. I want to see the faces of my friends.

And so I go into a cafe with a sad look. All my fairies sit together, moving several tables.

- What?! Didn't accept? Here's the bastard! Lerka, just don't worry! Everything is for the best, - friends began to chatter in several voices.

She smiled broadly.

- Accepted! In general, Gaine, in my opinion, was shocked that everything had been done. Didn't know what to complain about.

The cafe resounded with a friendly victory cry and laughter. They put me on a chair and surrounded me.

- Come on, tell me in detail how it all went. Order champagne? Will we celebrate?

It's too early to celebrate, it's a victory in battle, but not in war. Refused.

I was literally tortured for about twenty minutes, and then I quickly chewed the ordered lunch and rushed back to my new workplace. They wished me good luck and asked me to hold on. Still would. We also have a corporate underground sweepstakes on the company's unofficial website. There have long been taking bets on how long the next assistant of the Beast will last. I, if I am not fired during this day, will already win a tidy sum. The stakes were low for me. Only I, my friends and some of my acquaintances and colleagues put on myself.

I went to the reception. This time I look around the room with a different, masterly look. The seat is chic - a very comfortable light beige leather chair. On the table is a white compact laptop of the latest model of a well-known brand. The top of the table is glass and illuminated at the edges. Beautiful. Numerous cupboards crammed with stationery, folders and documents are built into one of the walls. I need to review it when I have time.

A beep sounded on the radio.

- Valeria Nikolaevna, have you come? Come to me immediately.

- I'm going, Viktor Eduardovich.

I feel that the Beast will not give me a descent, and I will almost have to spend the night at work now. And take your computer with you.

I trudge home, barely moving my feet. In general, I wanted to roller-skate through the park, but I no longer have the strength. It's dark outside, it's getting close to midnight. End of August, already quite cold at night. I tightly grip the pepper spray in my hand. There is not a soul around, despite the fact that there is a busy road nearby. I have quite a bit to go, a small dark area.

The monster was atrocious and tested me all day for strength. The tasks he gave were already more adequate and commensurate with the fact that I was still in a single copy. The boss let me go, as expected, very late.

Luckily, it arrived without incident. I enter the protected area of ​​my new home, greet the security guard, go into the entrance and ... I run into my boss.

- Valeria Nikolaevna The man frowned and looked at me suspiciously. - What are you doing here?

“Yes, I suddenly remembered that I forgot to sign one document for tomorrow’s mailing to the departments, I decided to catch up - in fact, I am also surprised that the Beast is here, but still smaller than Heine himself.

- Valeria Nikolaevna, you ... - Victor Gaine finds his words with difficulty. I managed to discourage my boss. He probably thinks I'm not right in the head.

- Diligent and diligent? I know. So? Sign?

Okay, I admit, I overdid it, Gaine is already looking at me as if

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- Yes, I live here, Viktor Eduardovich, - she turned away from the leader and trudged to the elevators with the same snail's pace. Now I can hardly even go up to my second floor.

She pressed the call button. My boss stood next to me. I don’t look at the boss, but I feel that Heine himself is carefully studying me.

There is a small elevator. Getting in. Gaine snorts in surprise when I press the second floor, the man himself presses the last button. Got high again. The roof of the house is unusual, glazed and with extensions in the form of castle towers. For sure, Gaine's apartment is huge and with exits to the roof.

Here is my second floor. I want to go out, but Gaine blocked my way.

- Tell me, Valeria, is this a way to get into my bed? Where do you get money for such housing? Your salary was quite modest, and a loan was issued in your name, and it is also indicated in your personal file that your actual address of residence was completely different. And then you suddenly abruptly change jobs and move closer to me.

My boss has a persecution mania and an inflated ego. The latter is not surprising, many men have problems with this, and Gaine also has every reason to turn up his nose.

- No, Viktor Eduardovich, you are mistaken. I do not perceive you as an object of desire and so on. Exclusively as a boss - what kind of object of desire is there. Heine is monstrously perfect and as cold as a marble statue, and I never wanted to have a relationship with art. What I really feel for the boss is fear, and the boss is really sometimes very frightening, awe - I worry, no matter how I drive it away, and admiration - Gaine is very smart and rightfully takes his place in the management of the company and among its shareholders.

- Well, if so, Valeria Nikolaevna. I'll warn you right away. You can't rely on personal relationships. And if there are actions on your part that I will regard as attempts at seduction, you will be immediately fired.

No, on the one hand I'm glad. This boss of mine will definitely not pester me and make indecent proposals. On the other hand...

- Viktor Eduardovich, how can I understand what you regard as an attempt at seduction? If I bend over for a dropped pencil, will you fire me right away?!

- Do not distort. I'm talking about unambiguous and obvious actions. Good night.

Victor Gaine moved away, giving me the opportunity to get out of the elevator.

Finally at home!

She slammed the front door shut and leaned wearily on it. I have never been so tired, not only physically, but also mentally.

I walked along the corridor along the clothes, hung out, like on special long hangers in stores. Everything hangs very neatly in protective cases. I bought and prepared ten suits with shoes. There wasn't enough money for more. Another seven sets were selected from the old wardrobe. For every day, a new clean and ironed shirt or blouse, jacket and trousers, well, or a skirt. Depends on mood. Shoes turned out a little less, at the rate of one pair every two days. The shoes are almost the same in shape and type, I chose the best and most convenient option for myself. I just decided this month to save my time as much as possible, not thinking about what to wear or have time to prepare from clothes. Hopefully when the clothing sets run out, I'll still be working for the Beast. Then I'll either get an advance and bribe myself with more clothes on the Internet, or, if I have time, I'll take the dirty one for cleaning. Yes, I spent, but nothing. The clothes will come in handy for me in the future.

I quickly washed up and threw today's clothes into the dirty laundry bin. Then she padded into the kitchen and ate what was left of breakfast, as she forgot to pick up dinner from the concierge due to an unexpected meeting with her boss. Too lazy to go down, and I have no appetite.

Despite being tired, I went online and took my today's winnings in the sweepstakes. I got through the day. The amount turned out to be quite decent, which is good, because now with all this preparation I am at zero, and the salary is not soon.

Made a couple of new bets on myself. For tomorrow and on the last day of the working month at the Beast. Every day, while I work for Victor Gaine, the stakes will only increase.

Half past five in the morning. Call to mobile. The number is unknown.

- Valeria Nikolaevna, I urgently need you in the office. I'll see you in fifteen minutes.

- Valeria Nikolaevna, can you hear me?

- Yes ... Viktor Eduardovich. I will soon.

- Don't be late.

Horns. She cursed and jumped out of bed. Good morning, happy new day. It was necessary to score yesterday in the contacts of the chief. Everything was once.

I've never been so fast before. I just washed my face, put my hair in a bun, got dressed and ran to work. I have eleven minutes left to get to the boss. It's bad that now the Beast knows that I live nearby - that's why he sets such conditions. Although it is possible that the time would have been the same if he believed that I live outside the city.

And it’s also good that it’s summer and you don’t have to pull on a lot of clothes. The skates were left in the waiting room, and it would take a long time to pull them on, so now I'm running briskly in sneakers, clutching my shoes under my arm. For the future, you need to buy yourself a scooter for such cases when you need to get from work to home or back very quickly, and it will come in handy at work. Or even buy a bike. With a monster, you have to be ready for anything.

The security at the entrance to the building of our company did not detain me with questions, why did this employee come running at such an inopportune time, and they didn’t even ask me for a pass, they only wished me luck and rewarded me with grins. Apparently, they already know who the Beast's new assistant is.

Before entering Victor's office, she caught her breath a little. It's been fourteen minutes since the boss called. She straightened her jacket, changed her shoes, tucked her stray hair, and only then, with an imperturbable look, knocked, entered.

- Bring me coffee, Valeria Nikolaevna, - it seems that Gaine has just the same morning and not a good one. He sits at his desk, surrounded by papers, looked up at me, but quickly returned his attention to the documents. My boss urgently needed me in the morning just to make coffee?

She returned to the reception. I approached the monster called the coffee machine. How many unfamiliar buttons are here, I'm afraid that while I figure everything out, Gaine will boil. But surely the boss needs a good coffee. And the cafeteria, where you could order a ready-made drink, has not yet opened.

You'll have to take risks.

I threw my things in one of the closets yesterday. There I seem to have a few bags of instant coffee.

Gaine will kill me.

A few minutes later (I managed to extract boiling water from the same coffee machine - after all, I’m not such a wild person) I carried the drink ordered by him to the boss.

She reached Gaine, put a cup in front of him and froze, holding her breath. It will kill for sure.

The monster looked up from his papers, looked at me, at the coffee, back at me, and… didn't touch the coffee. It seems to me that he suspected that I could spit there, for example. I am not like that. But the boss doesn't know about it yet, fortunately.

– Valeria, I need a selection of financial

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reports on the purchase of electronics from the Chinese over the past three months. And prepare the meeting room to receive our partners. The Chinese will arrive at eight o'clock. That's all, you can be free for now.

While free?! Quietly I panic, but I keep my face. She turned around and left. In theory, it would be necessary to ask clarifying questions about what kind of electronics - our company buys a huge range of products in China and sells it in Russia. From small things and clothes to household appliances. If you take all the reports on electronics, you need to drag a whole archive of papers from the financiers. But that's okay, I have some ideas about how to find out exactly what the Beast needs. It would also be nice to know where I can find a reception to prepare for the guests, and how best to do this. On the last working day, I realized that it was useless to ask Gaine anything. The boss's policy is this - since I got a job working for him, it means that I am a professional, and I do not need to explain anything.

First of all, I contacted the financiers, as expected, there is no one at the workplace yet. I began to call a friend from this department, I hope she will not curse me for such an early call and a request to come to work early ... for a couple of hours.

Hell of a job. But there is nowhere to retreat, the bridges are not burned, but are burning. My former boss is waiting on one, my stepmother and sisters are waiting on the other, and in no case do I want to step back, so forget about self-pity and start completing tasks. The monster is sure that I will break soon, because I do not have a decent incentive - he probably did not believe that I was here not only because of his majesty.

By eight in the morning I feel like a squeezed lemon, but I smile affably, with bows, seeing off the Chinese and the boss to the reception.

An interpreter is already waiting at the reception. Having learned about the rules of such meetings, I realized for myself that the “preparation of the reception room” also includes equipment in the person of an interpreter. It's good that the assistant to the shareholder of our company has quite extensive powers, and I have the right to call early in the morning with a demand to urgently come to work to a fairly wide range of people, up to the heads of key departments.

The monster, passing by me, stopped, looked around the waiting room, leaned towards me and said quietly:

- And I see that you continue to persist, Valeria Nikolaevna.

- Of course, Viktor Eduardovich, the work is very interesting and eventful, - she could not resist sarcasm. When I wake up early, a bad mood still breaks out.

Victor looked at me with interest.

Is this a challenge, Valeria Nikolaevna?

- What are you, Viktor Eduardovich, - she lowered her gaze to the floor. From the very beginning, my boss arranged a marathon with tricky tasks for me, and, I believe, the boss’s fantasy in terms of bullying assistants is inexhaustible. I heard that Heine could drive even his most persistent and morally stable assistants to hysterics.

I stayed in the meeting room, because the boss or the guests could urgently need something at any moment.

I was surprised to learn that Gaine, it turns out, speaks Chinese. Moreover, in my amateurish opinion, he speaks this language very well, even a translator was not needed.

All the time of the negotiations she sat on pins and needles, expecting any trick from the Beast, but it did not follow. I was only asked a couple of times to bring various little things.

It's really bad that I don't know Chinese. When I came to work for the company, I started teaching, but then I abandoned this business as unnecessary, my work had never intersected with the need to know languages ​​before. And now I'm sitting and feeling stupid, I wouldn't know what the negotiations are about, but I understand only some words that do not give any information.

When the meeting was over, and after seeing off the Chinese with all honors, I returned to the reception. Heine called me to his place, and it all started in the second round. A huge number of tasks. Again, you will have to fly like crazy all over the building on roller skates and amuse the people, and also call friends and acquaintances with requests for help.

Victor suddenly stopped abruptly in the middle of a sentence, while I was thinking about my fate for today.

- Valeria Nikolaevna, why don't you write anything down? Do you have such a good memory?

– My memory is far from perfect, Viktor Eduardovich.

The man looks demandingly, obviously expecting a further answer, and I really don’t want to put my cards on the table, but it’s better for the boss not to lie.

She took out a voice recorder from her sleeve and put it on the table. Heine raised an eyebrow, rather dryly, but still showing surprise. I once again managed to impress my boss. Can you be proud?

– Yes, you really prepared well, Valeria Nikolaevna. A creative approach to business - this is Gaine still doesn’t know about commercials, ready-made costumes in my apartment, and the fact that I rented the apartment itself only for the sake of this work. Otherwise, I wouldn't have made such an expensive purchase. "Maybe you'll get the hang of it."

Oh you! Is this a compliment from the Beast himself!

“Take it,” Victor pushed the recorder back towards me with the tip of his pen. - Let's continue.

I now accepted the further loading of various assignments much easier. I worked for wear and tear all day, and closer to ten o'clock in the evening the boss called me to his place and ... arranged a dressing.

So, Valeria Nikolaevna. Let's start with the fact that you absolutely do not know how to make coffee. Now for the other, much more important skills: you fill out forms for reports incorrectly, you don’t know how to properly meet our main partners, you obviously have poor knowledge of business etiquette, you cannot compose an adequate selection of company news, stock reports you tell me not provided at all today. Further, you do not know Chinese, although, applying for such a position, you should have understood that this is necessary here. And yet, the deputy director of finance complained to me about you - you move on roller skates and so appear at the heads of departments. It is unacceptable. Also, I receive reports from your former boss with complaints and claims regarding your unworthy behavior, laziness and lack of performance. From all this, I conclude that you are not suitable for the role of my assistant, - Heine finished dryly and looked at me sharply, obviously watching how I would react.

To be honest, I am in shock, but ... if I had decided to fire, I would have fired, and would not tell what I was wrong about. So this is another test. Wants to see my reaction, criticism. In any case, I hope so.

So no tears and no begging to keep me at work. Well, no reciprocal indignations and scandals, respectively, too.

“No one can know and be able to do everything,” I answered calmly. - I will improve in those moments that you indicated. About rollers. You provide non-standard requirements for a personal assistant, I am looking for non-standard solutions. Looked at the articles of association of our company. It does not say anywhere that an employee cannot move around the office on roller skates or on any other vehicle. Moreover, the terms of employment for this position stipulate that the assistant is endowed with special powers and may not follow the general conditions for company employees if circumstances so require. I figured out which is more important

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fulfill your orders on time, rather than meet other people's requirements.

What about your former boss? - it is not clear how Viktor took my speech. The man showed no emotion.

She shrugged vaguely and said nothing. I can not. If I start to explain, I will burst into tears, and this Beast will only be glad that he found my weak spot. In general, I don’t want to tell anyone about my former boss and then see either pity or false sympathy. What difference does it make what I was before? Even if it was the way Pavel Dmitrievich describes me. For Heine, after all, my current behavior should be important.

- Go. Come to work tomorrow at seven.

She turned around and, forgetting to say goodbye, went to the exit. I feel incredible relief. The legs are like cotton, and the hands are trembling. I didn’t even realize how stressed I felt when the threat of dismissal hung.

“Valeria Nikolaevna,” she stopped and slowly turned around, internally preparing for everything. What else do you want, Beast?

- Can I give you a ride? It's already quite dark outside.

– No, thank you – to spend some more time in the company of Heine and comfortably get home quickly? Never! Yes, better on the night of a meeting with criminal elements.

When she returned home, having not met, by the way, a single criminal element, she wearily sat on the floor. Legs give way from fatigue and experienced excitement, or else there will be.

A single tear rolled down her cheek. So, get together, nothing irreparable happened. But Pavel Dmitrievich is still that bastard. Now I can’t post a recording with his harassment - I don’t need scandals, yes, in principle, I never needed them, so I’ll leave the compromising evidence until I am fired. Or rather, if they fire me, I will leave, slamming the door loudly.

The second day is even harder than the first. All that was enough for me was to have a quick dinner and transfer money from the winnings in the sweepstakes. The amount is more than pleasant. For tomorrow, the rates that I'll be fired have doubled. Again she put herself on it.

Dad called today, but I didn’t have time to answer, but now I don’t have the strength, okay, tomorrow I’ll try to find time for myself.

She collapsed into bed, where instead of a bed there was only a mattress, and instantly fell asleep.

Jumping over one step, I jump out of the entrance. A sandwich is clenched in the teeth. I overslept. I forgot to set an alarm on my phone. But, fortunately, not very much, if I run, I can be in time by seven. No, you definitely need to buy yourself a scooter.

She was in such a hurry that when she ran across the road, she did not look around. There was a sound of sudden braking. I was almost run over by a shiny black tinted car, very presentable and expensive looking. It was lucky that the car did not have time to accelerate, just leaving the yard.

She made an apologetic face to the gray-haired driver and wanted to run further, but then the back door of the car opened, and out of it came ...

- Valeria Nikolaevna! - that's when a car almost crushed me, I didn’t even choke on a sandwich, but now I’m ready to fall through the ground.

She hid the half-eaten sandwich behind her back. As far as possible in this situation, she made an independent, calm face of a super assistant.

- Good morning, Viktor Eduardovich.

- Valeria Nikolaevna, why don't you look around and are you late for work? The monster came up to me.

I'm late, but I'm not late yet. Will I run, Viktor Eduardovich? And I don't want to be late.

Gaine looks at me strangely.

“You have crumbs on your lips,” she wiped her hands as quickly as possible, embarrassed, and took a step away from her boss. “I didn’t let you go, Valeria Nikolaevna.

The man went to his car, walked to the door, turned to me and made an inviting gesture.

- Sit down.

- I don't ask.

She walked in and got into the car. I couldn't throw the damn sandwich away - there's nowhere to go, and the boss is watching me intently.

I appreciated the beautiful beige leather seats, so comfortable. If it weren’t for the boss who sat down next to me, I probably would have fallen asleep here, but I’m sitting on pins and needles, continuing to hide my unfortunate sandwich.

“You can finish your breakfast,” the chief said calmly, picking up a tablet and, it would seem, completely forgetting about me.

Yeah, what's there to eat. I can't get a lump in my throat next to my monstrous boss.

- Viktor Eduardovich, can I leave a little earlier, before entering the parking lot?

- Why?

- Security will see on the cameras and at the entrance that we arrived together.

- Various gossip will go, you probably know that special attention is paid to newcomers to the position of your personal assistant.

- Valeria Nikolaevna, remember. As long as you work for me, I can exploit you day and night, at work and outside of work. Everyone has long known that my assistant's schedule is irregular, and I pay well for it. If something bothers you, I don’t detain you at my place, you can apply for dismissal, ”my boss replied coldly.

"I can exploit you", well, well. What did I just sign up for?

I’m sitting quietly, otherwise I’ll really fire you.

Everything turned out to be not as scary as I imagined: when they entered the foyer and passed through the security post together with the chief, the guards did not show the slightest surprise, they greeted each other on duty. Maybe there really is nothing like that in the joint appearance of the boss and his personal assistant in the morning together? Be that as it may, but with such joint comings and goings, it’s still better not to part.

Then everything is as usual. The boss gave me a bunch of tasks and told me to make coffee. In general, it’s harmful to drink a lot of coffee, so why shouldn’t Gaine switch to ... good Chinese tea? Moreover, suppliers continually send large batches of tea to the head office of our company for testing, for sale and as a gift. In our country, every employee at least once received a pack of tea for the holiday, however, more often than not, the expensive one ends up with the authorities.

I just overslept due to the fact that I woke up at night in a cold sweat from a nightmare - Gaine again did not approve of my coffee and arranged a dressing. I surfed the Internet and found a manual for the coffee machine of the brand that is in the reception. I figured it out for two hours, not having a living example before my eyes, so I didn’t get enough sleep, forgetting about the alarm clock.

After lunch, the boss called me to his place, checked how well I was fulfilling his instructions, and gave me a new task - to take the papers prepared by Viktor to the general director of our company. Some projects and proposals based on the results of negotiations with the Chinese, as I understood, sticking my curious nose into the papers.

At the same time, Heine warned that it was absolutely impossible to go to the general on roller skates, but I already understand this very well. I have to go to the most important person of our entire company and its founder in one person.

The knees give way. Just a couple of weeks ago, I would never have believed that I would be so close to such sharks of our business.

I went through the reception room, no less spacious than mine, to the office of our chief. She paused briefly at the door, gathering her courage.

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greeted me very friendly and immediately said that he was betting on me, and for the second day I bring him good luck.

She knocked for formality and entered.

Oh, the office is larger than that of my boss, and earlier it seemed to me that more is simply impossible, but this is the general!

She walked over to the table, behind which sits a gray-haired fit man. Aged, but still looks very good. The steel-colored suit on the big boss sits just fine. Previously, I had never seen the general at all - in the places where I used to live, such birds do not fly.

The man raised his head from the papers, looked at me ... and smiled affably, which caused wrinkles to appear in the corners of his eyes that do not spoil him at all - those people who smile often have such. Light blue eyes look at me warmly and at the same time with a smile.

- Hello, German Olegovich. My name is Valeria Nikolaevna. I am Viktor Eduardovich's assistant, he ordered me to give you these papers.

She put the folders with documents on the general's desk.

Thank you, Valeria Nikolaevna. Already heard about you. Does our Beast offend you? the man asked in a friendly way.

I was embarrassed. It's one thing when we call Gaine the Beast among ourselves, and another thing when the CEO himself speaks about it. Maybe a check?

- I don’t understand who you are talking about, German Olegovich.

– Hmm, you will go far, Valeria. I'm talking about your boss, Viktor Eduardovich.

- No, it doesn’t offend, - I feel like a princess and a pea: “Was it convenient for you to sleep with a pea under the mattress?” Very comfortably. In general, life is wonderful.

- Yes? And I often hear complaints that Viktor Eduardovich drives his employees and brings them to a nervous breakdown.

- I know about this, but I knew that the schedule would be irregular, and that my boss was very demanding. It suits me just fine. And so, while Viktor Eduardovich has shown himself to be a very calm, balanced person and a professional in his field, - and most importantly, he does not do meanness on the sly and does not solicit. I don't need more.

It's nice to hear such an opinion about your friend. Well, thank you for bringing the documents, Valeria, I hope we see you not the last time. I will cheer for you.

- Thank you.

She retreated from the general's office and only breathed a sigh of relief in the waiting room. The tension is just huge.

Anatoly winked at me and offered to have a cup of tea with him. What's the tea? Run back, otherwise the boss will urgently need me.

Tea, by the way, I have not yet decided to offer Gaina. I'm afraid he won't like my initiative. Later, when I find out about the preferences and reactions of the boss to this or that action and proposal, maybe I will try.

But the Beast clearly approved of my today's coffee, in any case, by eight o'clock in the evening, Gaine had already drunk eleven cups.

Needless to say, I'm just incredibly tired? Still, this is the third day at such a frantic pace. It's not easy to get used to.

She shuddered when the signal for a call to the chief's office rang out.

- Did you call, Viktor Eduardovich?

- Yes, Valeria Nikolaevna, - the man pushed me an impressive bundle of papers. The top sheet is all dotted with columns with small numbers. “These are recent sales reports for new equipment. I need you to read the report and use form four, which you have on your computer, to analyze sales. This is urgent and I need it by tomorrow.

“Ah…” I have no words. Yes, there is work, for sure, for six or seven hours, no less, and you won’t ask anyone to help your colleagues with this - everyone has already dispersed.

– Will it be possible to stay? It's just that I don't know if the security will kick you out if they meet one of the employees at night in the building.

“Don’t worry, Valeria Nikolaevna, this is a normal practice here, there will be no complaints against you, work as much as you need, but try not to stay too long,” the chief said all this, getting up and starting to collect papers on the table. Heine himself was obviously about to go home, and my answer and labor enthusiasm did not impress him.

- All right, Viktor Eduardovich, - all right, Viktor Samodurovich Monstrous.

Fifteen minutes later, I was alone. Heine politely said goodbye, closed his office and calmly left.

I need coffee. And a cigarette. Although I do not smoke and have never tried it, I feel it is time to start.

As it turned out, it is not necessary to drive numbers into tables according to the form. The analysis will be performed automatically. But this is such a ... process that requires perseverance and patience. The main thing is not to confuse the numbers.

Because of the small print, my eyes quickly hurt. And I also want to sleep so terribly, but everything must be done by tomorrow morning.

Fortunately, I managed to do everything not in six hours, but in just four. I drank six cups of coffee during this time and finished my morning sandwich, which I forgot to throw out, leaving it in the built-in refrigerator next to the coffee machine. New note for the future. Fill the fridge with a snack for such occasions.

Everyone needs to go home.

It's so dark outside, and the chair is so comfortable...

She fell asleep without noticing it herself. She probably didn’t even fall asleep, but just passed out. But I had such a glorious dream, as if I was sitting on a cloud, eating marshmallows, drinking coffee. It smells so nice around, something like that ... I don’t even know ... but the smell is really very pleasant, similar to men's cologne for some reason. The wind pulls my hair and ruffles, a playful bird flew up to me and began to fawn like a cat, tickling my face and neck with its feathers.

A loud bang made me jump. I look around, sleepily blinking my eyes. It turns out that the Beast slammed the door as he entered the reception room.

- Hello, Valeria Nikolaevna, I see you are already at your workplace. It’s commendable,” Gaine said dryly and, without looking at me, went into his office.

Coffee! Urgent coffee! To smoke, so be it, I will not, once.

She glanced at her watch. Six in the morning. He is a monster. However, this has long been well known to everyone.

Yawning so much that she almost twisted her mouth, she went to the coffee machine. I feel disgusting, my body is numb and aching. Unpleasant sensations in the mouth, I didn’t get enough sleep, my head started to hurt, I really want to eat, but there’s nothing, now even the eateries adjacent to our building are closed, and I’m too lazy to come up with and look for other options where to get food.

You need to bring spare clothes to work, a toothbrush, slippers, a blanket ... yeah, even a mattress, a shower and you can move to the waiting room.

Now I'll have a cup of coffee and go to the bathroom to clean my feathers.

Washing herself in the sink, for the first time she carefully examined herself in the mirror. I haven't looked at myself this closely in a long time. With this crazy preparation for a new job and the work itself, Gaine somehow didn’t feel like looking.

A very thin, tired brunette is looking at me, her light brown eyes look reproachfully - they say, you see what you have brought us to. Yes, I see everything, I know everything, but nothing can be done, you just have to endure for one month. Even less now.

But I lost weight with all these worries really strongly. I won’t say that I used to be plump, but no one would call me skinny either. Sedentary work and delicious lunches in a budget

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corporate cafe did their dirty work.

So, you can also find pluses in the minuses, if it weren’t for Pavel Dmitrievich, I wouldn’t be a girl who has lost a lot of weight and started playing sports (rollers, jogging through the park in the evenings and mornings) now.

So, I'll cover the circles under the eyes. The clothes are wrinkled, but what is there. At lunchtime, instead of dinner itself, I run home to change. That's it, I'll order a scooter for myself tonight.

She loosened a bun on her head, which overnight turned into don’t understand what. Hair sticking out in different directions. Surprisingly, as soon as Gaine did not notice my untidy appearance. The chief must have been in his own thoughts.

Dark, slightly wavy, shiny hair covered her shoulders with a thick waterfall. Yes, my hair is my pride. My mother had the same ones, as my father told me.

Dad. Completely forgot! Dad called me five times yesterday afternoon, there was no time to answer, even Natalya tried to get through to me a couple of times. I wanted to score in the evening, but Gaine with his task unsettled me, and I didn’t even remember about my other plans.

Already going into the waiting room, I dialed my father.

- Hi, Dad.

- Valeria! Why don't you pick up the phone for the second day?! I don’t know what to think anymore, - dad’s voice is sleepy, I completely forgot that it’s early in the morning.

“Sorry, dad, I just twirled. Everything is fine?

- Yes. Lera, don't disappear, please, we're worried.

- We? I snorted. If my stepmother and sisters worry about me, it is only as a lost work unit at home. - Let Natalia not worry, I have already made a transfer for my part of the loan.

- Lera, why are you so ...

- Dad, don't.

“Valeria Nikolaevna, come to me,” she jumped up on the spot. I forgot to turn off the connection with the boss's office! Heine heard my conversation. However, okay, there was nothing criminal.

Disconnected and got up.

“Sorry dad, I have to go.

Appeared before the bright eyes of the chief. Victor Eduardovich examined me meticulously, but did not say anything about my appearance, it was simply amazing.

Has the analysis been done?

- Yes, Viktor Eduardovich, - she handed the chief printed tables with analysis and papers that he gave me yesterday.

- Fine. At eight in the morning there will be a meeting of shareholders, today you are preparing a reception and are present there as a secretary. Why didn't you bring me coffee? Make coffee and call the logistics department, find out why the last batch of household chemicals from China was delayed and when the problem will be fixed. All. Go work.

And now I'm panicking again. These receptionist preparations make me very nervous. And what do you mean I'm there today as a secretary? An urgent need to call the assistant general - Anatoly, ask for advice. I hope that today the man bet on me, which means that he will not refuse to help.

Anatoly gave the impression of a friendly and quite adequate person, so we had no problems in communication. Fifteen minutes later, Tolya and I met in the meeting room, where the man enlightened me in detail about the rules for holding such meetings. There is no separate person to prepare the receptionist, so every day personal assistants to the shareholders take turns attending these morning activities. It's also my turn.

Nothing, in principle, is difficult. Stock up on paper, stationery, various drinks, wipe the dust off the long conference table. To be ready at any moment to submit something, bring it on, turn on the projector, record someone's clever thought if asked, and then remove everything.

Yes, it’s not difficult, but when at least twenty shareholders gathered in the hall, and I’m the only one for everyone ... and also, all our shareholders, it turns out, are men. Purely male company, and me.

The general sat at the head of the table, on his right hand, Heine.

I walk along the table with a cart of drinks, wondering who to pour what. I feel like a flight attendant. They mostly ask for juice and water. They look at me with great curiosity, and sometimes with purely male interest. Hmmm, my suit is wrinkled in some places, and my eyes are red, either from lack of sleep, or from the fact that yesterday I sat at the computer for a long time and tried to make out small numbers.

Involuntarily, she straightened her back, lifted her chin, and forced herself to look more confident. I'm a pro, I don't worry.

We must give the men their due, while they only look at me, without discussing or weighing any jokes.

Overpraised.

One of the shareholders, whom I had almost reached with my cart, suddenly spoke loudly and cheerfully. German.

She looked at the man. Very young. Probably the youngest of all present. Hair is light brown. The hairstyle is stylish, and in general it looks like ... a dude. Appearance also did not let us down. The face is very, very pretty. A wide turn of the shoulders, I can only see the back, but I think the man is well built, and everything is in order with the figure and height. I even guess who it might be. Andrey Alexandrovich Radov. Favorite and dream of almost all our women in the company. If not for my boss, then Radov would have been the undisputed leader in the battle for the sympathy of workers, but the Beast, despite the fact that it is a real monster, still excites our women’s hearts with its ideality, impregnability and mystery no less, if not more.

But Radov, according to rumors, is a very sociable person ... especially in terms of the female sex, so many employees can boast of a personal and very close acquaintance with Radov. And for some reason, this individual has never come across to me on the way. They did not intersect, although Radov, as they say, does not disdain to look at the lower floors and communicate with the people.

Meanwhile, the alleged Andrei Alexandrovich continues to speak, addressing my boss, but now and then looking at me.

Yes ... it's good that German, unlike Chinese, I know perfectly well.

– Heine, again you have a new assistant. All of you will not calm down in any way. And yes, it's so tasty too. Look, the ass is appetizing, and there are breasts, and a waist. Sweet girl. Admit it, have you already tested it for professional suitability? I'm starting to envy you. I also want to change assistants like gloves, but no, only you can get away with that. And I would take only young ambitious girls to myself. Like this one, for example.

- Don't be jealous, Radov. As far as I know, you already have a lot of admirers,” the boss replied coldly. - Yes, and ... there is a helpful assistant.

- It's one thing for a fan, and another thing when two in one - and coffee will bring and ... a relaxing massage. My assistant is already tired of me. Listen, come on, maybe you will send yours to mine for a couple of days for practice and exchange of experience?! Your assistant and I ... what is her name there? Let's train. I guarantee you will be satisfied.

“Your jokes are not funny, Radov,” Gaine replied coldly.

“Well, I won’t say that this is such a joke,” Radov said, again looking predatory in my direction.

I felt so disgusted. The men around me are also laughing, also starting to pay much closer attention to me. How did these self-confident males endowed with power get it. Do they think that if the position is high, then everything is possible?

It's good that my immediate supervisor did not support Radov with his ideas and generally looks at the young shareholder with contempt. A general

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frowns displeasedly.

Keeping an impenetrable face, she reached Radov. Politely asked:

- What drink do you prefer?

“Juice, orange,” the shareholder casually threw and began to watch with pleasure how I put a glass in front of him, leaning over with a decanter ... and also commenting on everything in German. - Come on, baby, bend harder, lean on the table ...

How do they keep such a vulgar thing here? At least put in place b. Is money everything? Or is something like this approved? I didn’t even get very angry, because personally for me now Radov looks and behaves funny.

She “stumbled”, by accident, of course, and poured all the juice from the decanter onto Radov. Will the Beast fire me for this?

The doused Radov immediately jumped up with an indignant cry.

- Yours ... - oh, he spoke Russian.

- Excuse me, please! - with a guilty face, I hastily take out napkins and hand them to the indignant shareholder.

“Baby, it will cost you dearly!”

- I'll pay for dry cleaning. Sorry again. I don't understand how it happened.

"What the hell is dry cleaning?" You will work for me differently!

She looked back at her boss. For the first time I saw how Gaine smiles, however, carefully hiding her smile. But the general is not going to hide his fun.

- Andrey, calm down, the girl said that it was an accident, and she apologizes. Probably just looking at you. You are well aware of how your appearance affects the female sex. Valeria was at a loss for the first time in our company, and we will forgive her this mistake this time, right? Go clean yourself up and come back.

“Ahem,” Radov glanced at his colleagues with displeasure, but in his indignation, the man was supported only by one stocky uncle, who was sitting next to the young shareholder, while the rest smiled, looking at me approvingly. It looks like I'm not the only one who doesn't like Radov.

The man who had been doused with me left, slamming the door.

After a couple of minutes I finished my drinks, they looked at me with caution, apparently fearing that I would accidentally spill something again.

“Well, let’s start the meeting,” the director announced after a while, and I sat quietly in a corner.

- Tell me, Valeria Nikolaevna ... - when the meeting ended, and everyone began to disperse, I was taken into a vice by Heine and German Olegovich Brenner. The general did not grab it under the elbow. My boss is talking to me. - I read your resume, and there, if my memory does not fail me, it is indicated that you know English and German.

Looks like I'm going to have to repent.

"That's right," she lowered her head. - Dismiss? - I feel very uncomfortable when two such sharks walk on the sides of me.

– No, but, to be honest, I didn’t expect such… initiative from you.

She shrugged. After Pavel Dmitrievich, I will now react painfully to all manifestations of male lust and rudeness for a long time.

- Yes, with a twinkle you have a new assistant, although you won’t say so. I recently heard that you, Valeria, have introduced a new fashion for moving around the building. Rollers are original. I myself sometimes want something like that. Perhaps it's time to buy us at least a few Segways from China and present them to distinguished heads of departments. What do you think? Our building is large, the novelty will obviously have time.

She nodded in agreement, no matter what the authorities were amused by ... let him ride on self-propelled scooters, maybe they will become kinder.

- Gyro scooters are also not bad, a budget option, - I modestly remarked.

- Here, also proactive! Victor, when you stop torturing Valeria, I'll probably take her away from you. Anatoly has long asked for someone to pair with him. How do you look at this, Valeria?

I don’t know what to answer, because after working with Gaine, I definitely didn’t plan to become someone’s personal assistant again - even these few days were enough for me to understand that this position was not mine. If it works out, I’ll work for a month at the Beast, and then they’ll tear me off with my hands anyway - I’ll choose a warm, calm position without nerves and exploits.

Heine answered for me:

“You shouldn’t lure my people away from me until I myself decided that I would fire them,” Victor grabbed my elbow and moved me to the other side of him, so that now I’m not walking between two big bosses, but only next to Gaine. What was it now? “Do you need such a cow yourself?” Well, on the part of German Olegovich, this is such an obvious provocation. I just noticed how the general squinted derisively and smiled slyly.

- Of course, of course, but remember, Valeria, my offer stands.

She nodded gratefully. If Gaine suddenly wants to abruptly fire me, he will have somewhere to go, it’s already good.

- Yes, and do not worry about Andrei Alexandrovich. He is like that with us, he is not restrained in his language, but in principle he is not evil. And here it’s not about you, it was Andrei Alexandrovich who wanted to hook our Viktor Eduardovich and challenge him to a dispute, everyone knows this very well. However, Viktor has not reacted to these provocations for a long time and does not enter into controversy.

I didn’t hear anything else of particular interest to myself in the conversation between the general and my boss. Is it only that German Olegovich invited Gaine to sit together in a bar in the evening. The powerful of this world, it turns out, can also drink beer and sit among the people, however, for sure the bar is such that you can hardly meet anyone from the common people there.

In general, this day passed for me without much shock. The monster again overburdened me with tasks, but not daunting, but simply exhausting, well, my friends and acquaintances still don’t refuse to help me, because they place bets on me and just sincerely get sick. The boss himself left work at six o'clock for a "business meeting" with the general. Yes, that's what it's called now. I was ordered to work, answer calls and not leave work until I completed all the tasks.

I tried really hard and got everything done by eight. The fourth day of my work can be considered closed. I can be proud of myself, because most of them did not even last such a long time.

Today I will go to the supermarket, buy myself something tasty, and when I get home I will also order a scooter for myself and collect the necessary little things for spending the night at work.

I called the supply department before leaving and placed an order in the name of the boss. Tomorrow they promised to deliver several varieties of elite Chinese tea. I will experiment. If the Beast sends me away with this tea for a long time, it doesn't matter, I'll take it for myself. And so, tea is healthier than coffee, some varieties have a calming effect on the human nervous system, and some, on the contrary, invigorate.

She closed the reception and slowly left the building. By this time, almost everyone had already left, so I didn’t run into any of my acquaintances. I calmly reached the ground crossing, I was about to cross the road, when a cool black-and-orange sports car stopped near me, loudly creaking its brakes. I noticed the car even when it quickly left the parking lot of our business center and headed along the road in my direction, I was just thinking of skipping it and crossing.

The front window went down, and I saw the face of a white-toothed smiling Radov.

- Hey, beauty, give me a ride?

The first thing she did was to open her purse as discreetly as possible and fumble for a pepper spray. If this individual attacks or tries to shove it into the car, I will spray the contents of a small

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balloon without hesitation.

She glanced longingly at the park across the road. If I don’t have time to run, this drenched one will crush him earlier. And if Radov suddenly decides to personally run after me, then the park is not the best place to stay alone in the evening with a man with suspicious intentions.

Thanks, no, what should I do? If he doesn’t get off, I’ll go, as I planned, to the supermarket, only to another one. It is safer in a public place, and there is a chance to leave unnoticed or ask someone to walk home.

- Why? Sit down, baby. I found out that you live far from here, and I will take you with the breeze.

Well, if there are no traffic jams, Radov is not in a helicopter. It's good that my new address is still not indicated in my file, it is impossible for a man to find out about it. Now I'm really scared. And back to the company there is no point in running, there Radov is the king.

- I'm not in a hurry. Goodbye.

I did not dare to go out on the road. I moved along the sidewalk in the direction of the nearest supermarket, far from it, and I was not at all on the way. I just thought to relax, and now, after all, I drew myself. However, it's her own fault. There was nothing to show off with this juice.

I walk, there is silence behind me. The nerves failed. I turned around.

A black-and-orange car quietly creeps behind me, like a predatory beast.

“I am persistent,” Radov, who had come closer, commented on what he saw. The man opened the door, got out and leaned on the car from the driver's seat. - Sit down already. I won't leave. But I don't hate it either.

It seems that we need to change tactics and go to the subway - it is closer than a supermarket, and there are almost always a lot of people there, it's easier to get lost. I’ll drive one station, get out and either walk or take a taxi to get home.

“I’m also persistent,” she moved forward again, faster now. Five minutes to get to the subway.

My stalker swore and said something obviously bad about me, but quietly, I did not hear. The man got back into the car, slammed the door and followed me.

I walked calmly for a couple of minutes, but at the next pedestrian crossing, no longer as wide as the first one, the car again blocked my path.

“So, that’s it, enough of these games,” said an angry Radov, got out of his car, loudly slamming the door and moved in my direction, bypassing the car.

She didn’t wait to find out what this persistent man was going to do, she rushed with all her might towards the metro, fortunately, she was not far away.

- Hey, where are you? - Radov was really so surprised that he stood with his mouth open, watching me run around his car and rush on.

I couldn’t admire the shareholder’s face anymore, I ran, without turning around, on albeit small, but heels, to the metro, saving my breath.

She turned around only when she entered the doors of the subway. Radova did not notice, well, good. Probably, he decided that it was not worth messing with such a strange girl.

As planned, I drove one station, got out, already calmly reached the house and even, as I wanted, looked into the supermarket. The rest of the evening passed quite peacefully.

Friday morning started at half past five for me. The boss called, demanded to come to work in half an hour. Well... it's easier now, not like last time.

I was in a hurry to get back to work. She appeared on time, as always professionally smiled at her boss, without showing discontent or fatigue, and received her new batch of tasks. I was surprised.

- This is all?

- Yes, something does not suit you, Valeria Nikolaevna?

Why are there so few assignments?

– Do you want more?

- No! I mean… yes. More precisely, if necessary, I will do everything.

- I have no doubt, but during these days you have already redone everything that is possible, I'm already tired of inventing tasks for you. Keep up with the daily routine. And get ready, after lunch you will go with me to an off-site meeting with our business partners.

- Do I need to take something with me?

- Yes, some documents, I already told you to bring them to me, a computer and writing utensils. Contracts will be signed.

Wow. The monster, it turns out, can speak normally and answer questions. Miracles.

She worked her time until lunch. Gaine wore cups of coffee, tea did not dare to offer - first you need to decide what kind, how to explain such an initiative, so as not to seem intrusive.

I didn’t go to the dining room for lunch - there was no time. Although the Beast gave fewer tasks than usual, it still took a lot of time to complete them.

As a test, I brewed tea delivered by the courier directly to the reception and took out the pies bought yesterday in the supermarket. Warmed up in the microwave. The divine aroma of muffin immediately floated through the room. It was probably not worth warming up, the brains completely refused from hunger.

The monster rarely leaves his office at this hour - according to the schedule, he has work with documentation, so the visitors do not come in, they know that Gaine is busy, and it's lunch time.

Blissfully closing her eyes, she took the first sip of fragrant tea.

The door slammed. I look at Gaine, who has left the office, Gaine is looking at me. Looks bad.

- What is it, Valeria Nikolaevna?

- What, Viktor Eduardovich?

Why don't you have lunch in the cafeteria? The man came up to my table.

I decided to save time. The reception area has all the appliances for a quick warm-up, I thought it was not forbidden - I know, a weak excuse.

- Remember, you can warm up something here only on my personal instructions, or at hours when all employees have already left their workplaces. What if someone comes in here now?

She dutifully lowered her head.

- I understood, Viktor Eduardovich, this will not happen again.

- I really hope so.

Right in front of my eyes, Heine grabbed a couple of pies from a plate and went back to his office. Already at the door the chief stopped, turned to me and said:

And bring me some tea.

Wow! It turns out that my steel infallible boss also eats something sometimes. Maybe even sleep occasionally.

While she was making tea, she was quietly glad that she didn't have to invent something herself in order to offer Gaina a drink. I bit a bun a couple of times and went to take the tea ordered by the boss.

Victor nodded to indicate that he noticed me and the offering. I was about to leave...

- Valeria Nikolaevna, I did not let you go.

“Something else, Viktor Eduardovich?”

- Yes, have a seat. Since you've saved so much time, I'll check how you improve in the areas that I recently pointed out.

I was thrown into a fever. I almost never improve. No, with what I had to deal with daily, everything is fine. Understood. But I didn't learn Chinese. There was no time, no strength, no desire. Business etiquette was also safely forgotten by me in the turmoil of recent days.

village. With anguish, I watch how Gaine slowly, obviously savoring, drinks tea. I've probably already eaten the pies. But not me.

Viktor Eduardovich began with the same etiquette, asking me questions. Heine frowned displeasedly if I answered incorrectly, and each time I held my breath, expecting that after another incorrect answer, the boss would say: “You are fired! I don’t need such an incompetent employee, ”but so far nothing has happened. In general, one of the most nervous dinners of my life.

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know the features of the exchange device and the conditions for successful sales? I'm actually a personal assistant, not a business woman and a company shareholder.

- Bad, Valeria Nikolaevna. If you really want to become a successful person, no matter what position, you must be competent and understand many areas of knowledge, constantly learning, comprehending new things. So, now for the languages. You know German, it was already checked yesterday.

Heine spoke to me in Chinese. I almost didn’t understand anything, but judging by the demanding intonations, the man ordered me something. I act at my own risk.

Smiling, she got up, silently bowed and took the tray with the drunk tea. Went to the exit.

The monster didn't say anything to me. So I guessed right. Lunch time ended, and I was sent in Chinese ... to my workplace.

The last check is generally, probably, something from the category: "The monster is joking like that." If I also know Chinese perfectly, then no one will keep me in the position of personal assistant, even if it is fabulously paid.

She had just gone into the reception area and sat down at the table when the first afternoon customer appeared. Threw the already cooled pies in the trash.

About an hour later, my boss warned us that it was time for us to leave soon.

In the parking lot, the Beast's driver gallantly opened the doors of a car I knew. Already in the car, Gaine warned that the drive would be at least an hour and a half, turned on the tablet and seemed to have forgotten about me.

I just looked out the window for a few minutes, relaxing, and then opened the computer, found a folder with files about business etiquette and plunged into reading. Something, but I like to read, however, more and more detective stories and something historical.

We drove even more than an hour and a half - due to traffic jams, it turned out almost two. The body requires food, but no longer spiritual, it’s good that so far it doesn’t give out the corresponding sounds. Now I really regret that I showed labor enthusiasm and remained in the workplace. Victor taught me a lesson.

When I saw where we arrived, I completely forgot about food. This is a construction site.

Why are we here, I didn’t ask Gaine, I’ll find out soon anyway.

Almost at the very car, the chief was met by a whole delegation of people in business suits and helmets. On the way to a large building under construction, Gaine and I were also given a white helmet each.

It turned out that this is a new shopping center being built, and we came to choose rental areas for shops with our products at the construction stage.

How polite and courteous the founders of this shopping center were with Heine cannot be conveyed. They fawned so much, as if the president had come to them. I understand that our company will be the largest tenant in the future shopping center.

I also received a portion of attention and respect from those who met me. They even wanted to give me a present in the form of a beautifully designed basket with expensive alcohol, but I refused. Apparently, they were counting on a male assistant. I can’t imagine how I would drag this heavy basket and with what eyes Gaine would look at me. Although the boss himself did not refuse the present and ordered to take the gift to his car.

We walked around the construction site for at least two hours, then we finalized preliminary agreements in the office. The procedure also turned out to be very long, so when we returned back to Heine's car, it was already dark outside. My boss is an iron man, he doesn't look tired at all. But I'm falling down, I really want to sleep and eat, and I'm not sure which is more. Legs are buzzing. Hell of a job. Although it was interesting, and I gained considerable experience in just one such business trip.

In the car, as soon as I sat down and warmed up on a comfortable leather seat, I immediately turned off without noticing it myself.

Gaine woke me up personally.

- Valeria Nikolaevna, wake up, - through a dream, right above the ear, the voice of the boss was heard. Very close.

Reluctantly, she opened her eyes. For the second time in a week I fall asleep while sitting, although this has never happened to me before, and personally for myself I considered such an uncomfortable position for sleeping to be impossible to use.

I'm still in the car. I looked out the window. The place is unfamiliar. Not a house and not our company.

- Where are we?

- Arrived at the restaurant. I think you and I need to have dinner.

I have absolutely nothing against food. It seems that a little more, and the stomach will eat itself.

The restaurant that Victor brought me to turned out to be very pretentious and expensive. When they gave me the menu, I looked at the prices and realized that with my current budget, I would only order water at most.

Okay, I won’t be greedy, I want to eat something, I’ll order an unreasonably expensive salad.

The waiter came to take the order. Victor was the first to speak, he ordered a lot of things, judging by the names, very tasty and meaty, and also a bottle of dry red wine, and he specified that two glasses were needed. It's my turn. As I decided - water and salad.

Victor frowned and asked the waiter not to go far.

- Valeria Nikolaevna, why did you order so little?

So what should I say to the boss? What am I on a financial diet? Or maybe Heine decided to pay for me? This is exactly what I don't want. I will feel uncomfortable, especially since I still have not been able to move away from the story with Pavel Dmitrievich. I do not want to be indebted to my boss, even in a small way, and I depend on him so much.

- Why are you silent, Valeria Nikolaevna? As you wish, and I order you more food, and that they eat at least a third of everything ordered.

- Not worth it. I really don't want to buy a lot of food and then leave it behind.

Victor raised his eyebrows in surprise and looked at me strangely.

- Valeria Nikolaevna, why did you decide that you would pay for yourself?

- What's the matter? I can pay for myself - we're not on a date, and in general, maybe I'm a supporter of feminism.

- This is unacceptable. I invited you here, you are my employee, which means that I have the right to pay for your food in case of such overtime work.

- All. And do not even try to argue, otherwise I will regard it as disrespect to me. Will you order your own food or should I do it? Take at least three main dishes.

Okay, if the Beast wants to pay for me that much… why don't I run out of the restaurant because of this?

When they brought the food, I almost choked on saliva, everything smelled so delicious and looked wonderful. With difficulty, she controlled herself in order to eat decorously and nobly.

I didn’t touch the wine, although the bottle shows that this drink is also very expensive and probably costs as much as one of my monthly salaries.

“Tell me, Valeria Nikolaevna,” when the Beast and I quenched our hunger and I personally began to have tea with dessert, Victor apparently decided that it would be nice to have a little talk. What made you want to work with me anyway? I already realized that it was not a personal sympathy for me. Money? Good enough motivation, but not strong enough for this position. As a result, those who came to work for me because of money understand that health is more expensive. So what makes you persist?

The man thoughtfully turns his glass of wine and hasn't even taken a sip yet.

- Valeria?!

Behind him came the voice of his stepmother. Natalya, Anya and Tanya are standing and looking at me in stunned. I thought about what my relatives do in such an expensive restaurant. Dad is already having a hard time, and someone is chic again. I have already talked to Natalya about this - this woman believes

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that a man should support his lady and protect her from any problem. Well, and, accordingly, these are the problems of a man, where to get money in order to provide a standard of living corresponding to the habits of a lady.

“Hello,” she greeted dryly and turned away from her relatives. Here it is. If they do, it will be terrible. But Natalya will definitely start asking for one table right now - her daughters need to be attached, and here such a seemingly chic male specimen is sitting, even without a ring. And it doesn't matter what happens to me.

- Lera, what are you? - the stepmother approached our table with Gaine. - You disappear abruptly, saying goodbye dryly, do not call, do not write, your father is worried, and now you are pretending that we are not relatives. You've been acting very ugly lately.

I think I'm ready to strangle Natalya now. Mentally I beg my stepmother to leave as soon as possible and not to disgrace me even more in front of Gaine.

- Natalia, I'm sorry, I'm busy. Let's talk later, I'll call when I'm free, that's all. I have nothing more to say. This woman is also not amenable to hypnosis.

I looked at the boss, who was examining my relatives with a strange interest - as if he had seen some unusual animals in the zoo.

“Ahem, Lerochka,” the stepmother changed her tone to an affectionate one. "Aren't you going to introduce us to your companion?" Yet you are so secretive, you don’t tell anything, you don’t introduce you to your friends, and you are like a daughter to me, and I really worry. Do you mind if we sit down? It’s so rare to see Lerochka, - saying this, my “mother” and her sisters brazenly sat down at the table, pushing free chairs from the adjacent tables.

Ready to cover your head with your hands and howl. What will Gaine think of me?

I look at the petrified, clearly disgruntled boss. Catastrophe. I try to express my apologies for my relatives with facial expressions.

“Valeria Nikolaevna, we are leaving,” my boss said calmly and very clearly. A chill ran down my spine from the man's tone, and I wanted to immediately get up and not leave, but run away. Away from relatives and the boss.

She could hardly contain an inappropriate chuckle at the sight of her mother's ridiculously bulging eyes and the embarrassed sisters.

Heine called the waiter, quickly said something to him and stood up. She got up from her seat after the boss.

They left in deathly silence. My relatives did not utter a sound. But the shock is temporary. I am sure that soon they will start calling me with demands to tell me what kind of man this is. Despite Victor's reaction, Natalya certainly liked this type of "powerful brutal man". That's what's good? For me, life needs someone softer, more caring. Like my dad, for example.

But Gaine is definitely a good fellow, and now I enjoyed the sight of confused relatives.

We quickly returned to the car. Five minutes later - I don’t know what we were waiting for - the car started off smoothly, and in just ten minutes I arrived home.

We didn’t talk about anything with Victor, the man didn’t ask me a single question. Apparently, I finally fell in the eyes of my boss, and he decided that it was not at all interesting to learn something about me now.

On the way to the house, Gaine said:

“Tomorrow is the day off, so you can come to work later, by nine.

Thank you, Viktor Eduardovich.

I politely said goodbye to my boss in the elevator and in a minute I was in my apartment.

However, before I could get into the room, the doorbell rang.

I was very surprised. She looked into the eye. Outside the door is my boss's driver. The man is elderly, but you never know. I took a pepper spray just in case and only after that opened the door. I noticed a lot of bundles in the hands of the man.

- Valeria Nikolaevna, Viktor Eduardovich said to bring all this to you.

- What is this?

- I don't know.

- Okay, come on.

The driver went into the corridor, put down the packages and left the apartment.

- Wait.

- Yes, Valeria Nikolaevna?

- What is your name? The man seems to be surprised. I don't understand the surprise. What is it like to know the name of the person I will see, perhaps more than once.

- Igor Semyonovich.

“Nice to meet you, Igor Semenovich,” she closed the door. It makes no sense to invite for tea, since I don’t have a kitchen as such.

I looked into the bundles, I was surprised. In one of the large packages was the same beautifully packaged collection of expensive drinks, and in other bundles with transparent plastic boxes I found food from the restaurant and even the dessert that I had not finished eating, only new.

And where do I put this food? Yes, so many more. There is no refrigerator, I don’t want to eat anymore.

But in general, I am very pleased now.

Wonderful Saturday morning. The bright yet warm sun is shining, the park is quiet.

I'm in a hurry to work.

The yawning sleepy guards on duty didn't even look at me. The computer is stuck. They are probably watching a movie.

The corridors are deserted. I go without any crowding into the elevator, calmly going upstairs. And then, on one of the floors, the elevator stops to let in those who still want to go up.

Only one person comes in. Man. Already sadly familiar to me the man.

Here is the base.

- Oh, what a meeting! - Radov grins rather. The man stood up in such a way that he blocked all the possibilities for me to get out of the elevator in an emergency. The door closed softly and the elevator went up. - Well, now you've got it.

I am silent and hopefully look at the screen counting the floors. I don't have long to go, and then I'll think of something. Spraying pepper spray in an elevator is a bad option, and unlike juice, no one will forgive me for such an attack on a shareholder.

Radov gives me a satisfied look, and then slowly and defiantly brings his hand to the elevator control panel and presses the "stop" button.

My soul is gone.

The man, obviously enjoying the situation, folded his arms across his chest and leaned his shoulder against one of the walls of the elevator.

- Well, will you confess?

– In what? I ask cautiously.

- The fact that you know German and poured juice on me is not accidental. I looked in your personal file, you know for sure. What didn't she say? Pour juice immediately. Alright though. I admit. Did the right thing. This is how it should be done with presumptuous boors - cool with juice. So far, you are the first woman who has shown me such a protest. Others are just thrilled no matter what I say.

You need to take advantage of your temporary official position and remove all personal information from your file. True, it is also in the computer database of personnel officers - here we will have to give a bribe to our programmer Zhenya.

– I did not say anything because in that situation I considered it unprofitable for me to demonstrate my knowledge. Suddenly, at the next meeting, you would again decide to speak out, or someone else. Then I would know too. Yes, and what's the point that you would know - you want to say that you would be ashamed and ask for forgiveness?

- Of course not. But definitely, I would be impressed, although less than poured juice.

Radov smiled openly.

- I'm sorry for my words. It wasn't really about you specifically. The Beast and I have our own ... hmm ... in general, we communicate like this. World?

- You will also excuse me for the juice, Andrey Alexandrovich. Maybe press the cancel stop button already? I'm late for work.

“I don’t believe that you have forgiven me,” said Radov, not

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hasten to fulfill my request.

Why is this Radov clinging to me? Few women?

- What do you want from me, Andrei Alexandrovich?

- Phone number and agreement to have dinner together in the evening. If you agree, I will believe that I have forgiven. One evening in my company, and I promise, I will not impose myself again.

Sorry, I can't today.

- Tomorrow?

- So, either you agree to today or tomorrow, or we sit in this elevator until the technicians are missed, and on Saturday this may not happen for a long time.

– I really have no time, I have a very stressful job.

- It's true. Let's do it. I take over the monster, and on Sunday you will have a day off, we will meet in the afternoon.

How are you going to take it on? I ask cautiously.

It's not your problem anymore, baby. It won't affect you at all. So, are we sitting here until we're blue in the face and giving rise to rumors, or are you settling for tomorrow?

“Okay, but only for a short time.

- Well, that's how it goes.

The shareholder pressed the right button, and the elevator moved up again.

- I'll pick you up tomorrow.

- No need.

- Why?

"I'll meet you at work, okay?"

- But why?! Baby, you're weird.

- It's more comfortable for me. And if you don’t like something, you can disagree and forget about my existence altogether,” she looked hopefully at Andrei. It is hard to believe in a miracle, but what if.

– Uh, no, you won’t get away so easily, but you are really weird. I took it and ran away from me then. I couldn't believe my eyes when you rushed to the subway. I thought you were just adding value to yourself by refusing to sit down. Maybe someone offended you, why are you so afraid of men?

She held her breath. It seems that Radov shows himself as a fool, a joker, a boor and a womanizer, but it seems that he is much more serious than it seems, and almost immediately managed to understand more about me than I wanted to show.

She didn't answer as the elevator finally arrived at my floor. She flew out of the cabin like a bird out of a cage, and only when the elevator door closed, and Radov remained inside, was she able to breathe calmly.

She was exactly one minute late.

She glanced at her work phone. There has already been a call from the chief. Badly.

Get ready to start work as soon as possible. I made coffee and went to the boss.

The boss met me gloomily. Heine gave me a displeased look, looked at the cup of coffee that I put on the table - also, by the way, looked displeased like that.

- You are late, Valeria Nikolaevna, although I already gave you the opportunity to come later.

- I apologize, Viktor Eduardovich.

One more delay and you're fired. So, today's assignment.

I turned on the recorder on the machine, but I don’t listen myself. It's so scary now. I was on the verge of being fired for being a minute late. Now I will try to get to work at least an hour before.

Heine spoke for a long time, apparently deciding to load me with work all day and all night.

- And take the coffee, - Victor decided to finish the list of things for me. Bring tea instead. Same variety as yesterday.

Oh, and we also understand the varieties of tea, it turns out. Monster, not human.

She left really loaded with tasks. Today is Saturday, there is no one, so the work is only at the workplace with a personal archive and a computer, and of Heine himself. But that doesn't make it any easier. There is no one to help - you have to cope somehow.

I left work at nine today. And… yes, Gaine is indeed a monster. At eight I was released, handed over everything that was required of me from the documents to the boss, and was already hoping that they would let me go home, but that was not to be. Victor said nothing and did not give new assignments.

I then returned to the reception. Having nothing to do, I downloaded a Chinese tutorial. It is necessary to raise the level - I did not like that at the meeting with the Chinese I did not understand what was said there. I sat for an hour, gnawed at the granite of science, and then at two minutes to nine Gaine contacted me and told me to get ready to go home.

At nine, the boss himself came out of the office, closed his office, and turned to me:

Are you ready, Valeria Nikolaevna?

- Let's go.

I was perplexed about where and why I should go, but not for long. We came to the parking lot to Gaine's car. Victor's driver already habitually opened the car door for me.

– Where are we? - asked Gaine, who sat next to him.

- Why am I with you? I could have done just fine on my own.

- It's already dark outside. It is not safe.

Am I the one who spent an extra hour at work for my own safety? Moreover, at eight it was still not so dark.

I’m already driving in the car quite calmly, during my acquaintance with the new boss, I realized that there was no need to be afraid of Gaine, the boss would not pester, let alone flirt with me.

“Come tomorrow at nine too, Valeria Nikolaevna,” my boss told me instead of saying goodbye when we entered the entrance.

Hmm, it turns out that Radov did not negotiate with Viktor for tomorrow. Or didn't want to.

Arriving home, I turned on the phone, which I turned off when I came to work in the morning. The fact is that Natalya started calling me yesterday, I didn’t pick up the phone - I didn’t want to talk, but I couldn’t turn off the phone, all of a sudden the boss would call.

The result - forty missed per night from Natalia. It is surprising that my stepmother did not involve my father in getting me, but it is not yet evening.

Well, here's what I said.

On the revived phone, messages about a lot of missed calls were highlighted.

Eight calls from dad, twenty-three from Natalia and sisters, three calls from friends, and five calls from… Radov.

We need to change the number, definitely.

And so, before I had time to turn on the phone, and a new call. From the boss.

I accepted the challenge.

- Yes, Viktor Eduardovich.

- My plans have changed somewhat, Valeria Nikolaevna. I won't be here tomorrow. Come to work by ten, I'll email you a to-do list. I'll try to come, but if it doesn't work out, you can go home at four o'clock.

The chief passed out.

Still, Radov got his way. Maybe not for the whole day, but I'm free.

And almost immediately a new call. She didn't answer right away. I thought about whether to take it or not, but ... after all, it will still get it.

“We already greeted each other, Andrey Alexandrovich,” I answered dryly.

Why so formal? Just call me Andrew. Well, I fulfilled my promise - you are free tomorrow, we meet in ...

- I work tomorrow. Up to six.

- Come on?! Here is the beast. Okay, I'll pick you up at six then. Bye Baby.

The phone beeped. How fast. He probably switched off on purpose so as not to listen to my objections. It’s good that I added a couple of hours of odds to myself (I finish at four) in order to mentally prepare for the date, but with the filing of Radov, this is still a date, well, to relax.

Nothing, I will not become another victory in the list of this womanizer. Breaks teeth.

And ... a new call. How in demand I suddenly became. Natalia calls. I won't pick up the phone. And in general, let Radov take me “home” tomorrow. I will introduce the gentleman to my cheerful family. I'll kill two birds with one stone. And I’ll dare a shareholder from myself - after he looks at his relatives, he will probably decide that it’s more expensive for him to meet with me, or maybe one of my sisters will seduce him. I will please Natalia that she has brought such an enviable "groom", maybe he will also leave me behind and will not inquire about Gaine.

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Although ... if we compare the two men. Both are beautiful in their own way, but Radov is so lively and can be charming if he wants to, while Gaine still seems to me like a perfect statue come to life. Nevertheless, Viktor Eduardovich is a man with a capital letter. Solid, serious, responsible.

Had dinner, checked the money balance. The stakes on the sweepstakes dropped sharply during the weekend, and the amount won turned out to be insignificant. I hope that on Monday the excitement of the employees of our company will increase. Still, if for a week many still somehow held on (of those who did not drop out in the first two days), then starting from the second, the majority quit.

The next day without stress, I calmly worked my Sunday. Heine did not send so many assignments, which is surprising. Probably tired of inventing something again.

A good Sunday mood was slightly spoiled by the rain, which had charged since lunch, but by four o'clock the sun began to peek out, and the rain could already be called drizzling - that's good, I didn't take an umbrella with me.

She left the company building, rejoicing at a summer day that was quite warm, despite the bad weather, took off her jacket and slowly walked home. She exposed her face to raindrops flying from heaven and to the modest sun breaking through the clouds. How good.

Suddenly, I heard a barely perceptible squeak. She looked back at the road. Under the wheel of one of the cars lined up along the road, I noticed a small gray lump.

He screwed up his eyes tightly. It would be nice to sleep. Go to check the assistant, is she at the workplace, and at the same time re-check her for stamina and patience, or not?

Okay, let him live. Bye. But from Monday it is necessary to increase the pressure. This girl is unacceptably long holding on. What is surprising, much stronger men with huge ambitions could not keep up with her current pace.

- Viktor Eduardovich, so where now? Home or parking lot?

Today Igor and I are in a different car - for unofficial trips. Radov Sr. suddenly decided to arrange an informal meeting outside his city for his business partners, which is simply impossible not to attend - as a rule, it is at such meetings that decisions are made on new business projects and the composition of the founders.

This time I went unsuccessfully - I did not learn anything interesting for myself, all the new projects proposed by possible and current partners did not interest me.

- Viktor Eduardovich? - Igor reminded himself.

I decided to go home, but for some reason I'm still drawn to go to the office. See your stubborn assistant.

And why didn’t she live in her quiet, calm place?

I looked out the window and noticed Valeria. Looked at the clock. She worked until four. Now there is no point in getting up.

And what is she happy about? It is raining, and she is walking, smiling, twisting her bag in her hands, like a girl. Almost bounces when walking. But after this week, the girl should go loaded and unhappy. Apparently, I became unacceptably soft.

Suddenly, the girl stopped abruptly and looked straight in my direction, as if noticing that I was watching her. For a moment I held my breath, but immediately realized that she was not looking at me (especially since the car windows were tinted, and Valeria could not notice me), but somewhere down.

The girl approached the car and suddenly sat down. Igor and I stuck to the glass at the same time, the driver guessed to use the side mirror, using the button to turn it at the right angle so that you could better see what was happening there.

Valeria, squatting, is trying to lure someone. Someone who sits under the car.

– Igor, did you notice something when you were parking?

- No, - the driver answered in bewilderment, - the place was completely empty.

Suddenly, the assistant quickly grabbed something with her second hand and ... pulled out from behind the wheel a small gray and very dirty lump of wet wool, which also rested, trying to jump out of Valeria's hands. Wow. Kitty.

The girl stroked her find and wrapped the dirty, trembling kitten in her jacket, holding the resulting bundle tightly to her chest.

The assistant was about to leave when I decided to make my presence known. He opened the car door and got out.

So what should I do with this miracle wet?

I wrapped the foundling in a jacket, otherwise he was trembling so much, he was also trying to scratch me. Oh, so small, pathetic.

First, I’ll wash it, feed it ... I still need to go to the veterinary clinic. It’s a pity, but I won’t be able to keep the kitten - not with my current crazy schedule, besides, I don’t know where I myself might be tomorrow. Everything is too vague.

- Valeria Nikolaevna, wait.

Almost jumped on the spot in surprise. I turned around. By the car, from under which I just got the kitten, is Gaine. The car door is open.

- Viktor Eduardovich? Good afternoon.

- Hello. Are you home now? Sit down, I'll take you.

- I ... wanted to take a walk - I don’t want to sit in a clean expensive salon with my squeaky bundle. The monster probably won’t understand why I suddenly picked up a dirty and probably flea-ridden something.

- I think your find has already walked enough and wants to eat soon.

So, well, it looks like there's nothing to hide. Since Gaine has seen everything and wants to take part in the rescue of kittens, you can take advantage of a generous offer. I went to the silver-colored car and got into the salon, the boss personally closed the door behind me.

- Will you show me? - He did not order, but rather politely asked Gaine from me. Miracles, and nothing more.

She opened her jacket, revealing a kitten to our eyes. The kid no longer squeaks - he quickly warmed up and already sleepily closes his eyes. What color is not yet clear, but it seems to be gray.

What are you planning to do with it?

- I haven’t decided yet, but I’m unlikely to be able to leave it at home - I don’t have conditions, and I won’t have time to educate - such kittens need a lot of affection and care. For now, I will feed, wash, warm and look for the owner. Please stop at the supermarket - I'll go to the pet store for everything I need.

“Aren’t you going to take him to the veterinary clinic?” Gaine asked.

She looked at the man in surprise. Definitely, the boss opens up to me from the other side. Does Gaine really care about the fate of the kitten?

- A little bit later. First you need to find out where there is such a clinic nearby.

We got to the store. Gaine offered to leave the sleeping and obviously tired kitten in the car, and he went with me ... to the shopping center.

It begins to seem to me that I have not yet gone to work today and am still sleeping in my bed. The monster goes with me to the pet store to buy cat food and a toilet for a kitten picked up on the street - this can only happen in a dream.

She pinched herself hard enough. Not a dream.

In the pet store, Gaine waited until I, together with the consultant, took everything necessary for the kittens, he paid at the checkout and took the purchases.

- Tell me, Viktor Eduardovich, why are you helping me with the kitten now? I timidly asked the boss on the way back.

– And why did you pick up a dirty kitten, wrap it in your clean, probably not cheap jacket, thereby possibly ruining it irrevocably, and were going to take the kitten home?

She didn't answer.

We got into the car and in a couple of minutes we were at the house.

I took a kitten, Gaine packages, and the driver drove off

Page 18 of 18

park your car in the underground parking. At the entrance, I suddenly realized a terrible thought. The boss will come to my house.

Rise up to me. She stood at the door, not daring to open the door. I look questioningly at the boss in the hope that he will guess to give me the packages and politely leave. The boss looks at me no less questioningly. Silent scene.

- Do you want to say something, Valeria Nikolaevna? the boss asked.

- Viktor Eduardovich, don't bother yourself like that. Let's get the bags, I'll handle it myself.

“It’s not hard for me,” Gaine snapped and continued to stand still.

- I haven't got it.

- I don't care.

Here is the ambush.

I opened the door and went inside, after me the boss stepped into the corridor.

Read this book in its entirety by purchasing the full legal version (https://www.litres.ru/pages/biblio_book/?art=24721891&lfrom=279785000) on Litres.

End of introductory segment.

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Who does not take risks does not drink champagne, right? I don't like champagne and I'm not inclined to take risks. A quiet, calm position without career prospects and with a small salary has always suited me perfectly. And in general, everything is fine with me. Was. To help my father get out of the credit hole (damn this mortgage) and get rid of the head of our department, who began to harass me, you have to take a chance and go into the clutches of the monster, becoming his personal, obedient and very executive assistant. Modern fairy tale for adults. Based on the fairy tales "Beauty and the Beast" and "Cinderella".

A series: Runet Star. About love

* * *

by the LitRes company.

Wonderful Saturday morning. The bright yet warm sun is shining, the park is quiet.

I'm in a hurry to work.

The yawning sleepy guards on duty didn't even look at me. The computer is stuck. They are probably watching a movie.

The corridors are deserted. I go without any crowding into the elevator, calmly going upstairs. And then, on one of the floors, the elevator stops to let in those who still want to go up.

Only one person comes in. Man. Already sadly familiar to me the man.

Here is the base.

- Oh, what a meeting! - Radov grins rather. The man stood up in such a way that he blocked all the possibilities for me to get out of the elevator in an emergency. The door closed softly and the elevator went up. - Well, now you've got it.

I am silent and hopefully look at the screen counting the floors. I don't have long to go, and then I'll think of something. Spraying pepper spray in an elevator is a bad option, and unlike juice, no one will forgive me for such an attack on a shareholder.

Radov gives me a satisfied look, and then slowly and defiantly brings his hand to the elevator control panel and presses the "stop" button.

My soul is gone.

The man, obviously enjoying the situation, folded his arms across his chest and leaned his shoulder against one of the walls of the elevator.

- Well, will you confess?

– In what? I ask cautiously.

- The fact that you know German and poured juice on me is not accidental. I looked in your personal file, you know for sure. What didn't she say? Pour juice immediately. Alright though. I admit. Did the right thing. This is how it should be done with presumptuous boors - cool with juice. So far, you are the first woman who has shown me such a protest. Others are just thrilled no matter what I say.

You need to take advantage of your temporary official position and remove all personal information from your file. True, it is also in the computer database of personnel officers - here we will have to give a bribe to our programmer Zhenya.

– I did not say anything because in that situation I considered it unprofitable for me to demonstrate my knowledge. Suddenly, at the next meeting, you would again decide to speak out, or someone else. Then I would know too. Yes, and what's the point that you would know - you want to say that you would be ashamed and ask for forgiveness?

- Of course not. But definitely, I would be impressed, although less than poured juice.

Radov smiled openly.

- I'm sorry for my words. It wasn't really about you specifically. The Beast and I have our own ... hmm ... in general, we communicate like this. World?

- You will also excuse me for the juice, Andrey Alexandrovich. Maybe press the cancel stop button already? I'm late for work.

“I do not believe that you have forgiven me,” said Radov, slowly fulfilling my request.

Why is this Radov clinging to me? Few women?

- What do you want from me, Andrei Alexandrovich?

- Phone number and agreement to have dinner together in the evening. If you agree, I will believe that I have forgiven. One evening in my company, and I promise, I will not impose myself again.

Sorry, I can't today.

- Tomorrow?

- So, either you agree to today or tomorrow, or we sit in this elevator until the technicians are missed, and on Saturday this may not happen for a long time.

– I really have no time, I have a very stressful job.

- It's true. Let's do it. I take over the monster, and on Sunday you will have a day off, we will meet in the afternoon.

How are you going to take it on? I ask cautiously.

It's not your problem anymore, baby. It won't affect you at all. So, are we sitting here until we're blue in the face and giving rise to rumors, or are you settling for tomorrow?

“Okay, but only for a short time.

- Well, that's how it goes.

The shareholder pressed the right button, and the elevator moved up again.

- I'll pick you up tomorrow.

- No need.

- Why?

"I'll meet you at work, okay?"

- But why?! Baby, you're weird.

- It's more comfortable for me. And if you don’t like something, you can disagree and forget about my existence altogether,” she looked hopefully at Andrei. It is hard to believe in a miracle, but what if.

– Uh, no, you won’t get away so easily, but you are really weird. I took it and ran away from me then. I couldn't believe my eyes when you rushed to the subway. I thought you were just adding value to yourself by refusing to sit down. Maybe someone offended you, why are you so afraid of men?

She held her breath. It seems that Radov shows himself as a fool, a joker, a boor and a womanizer, but it seems that he is much more serious than it seems, and almost immediately managed to understand more about me than I wanted to show.

She didn't answer as the elevator finally arrived at my floor. She flew out of the cabin like a bird out of a cage, and only when the elevator door closed, and Radov remained inside, was she able to breathe calmly.

She was exactly one minute late.

She glanced at her work phone. There has already been a call from the chief. Badly.

Get ready to start work as soon as possible. I made coffee and went to the boss.

The boss met me gloomily. Heine gave me a displeased look, looked at the cup of coffee that I put on the table - also, by the way, looked displeased like that.

- You are late, Valeria Nikolaevna, although I already gave you the opportunity to come later.

- I apologize, Viktor Eduardovich.

One more delay and you're fired. So, today's assignment.

I turned on the recorder on the machine, but I don’t listen myself. It's so scary now. I was on the verge of being fired for being a minute late. Now I will try to get to work at least an hour before.

Heine spoke for a long time, apparently deciding to load me with work all day and all night.

- And take the coffee, - Victor decided to finish the list of things for me. Bring tea instead. Same variety as yesterday.

Oh, and we also understand the varieties of tea, it turns out. Monster, not human.

She left really loaded with tasks. Today is Saturday, there is no one, so the work is only at the workplace with a personal archive and a computer, and of Heine himself. But that doesn't make it any easier. There is no one to help - you have to cope somehow.

I left work at nine today. And… yes, Gaine is indeed a monster. At eight I was released, handed over everything that was required of me from the documents to the boss, and was already hoping that they would let me go home, but that was not to be. Victor said nothing and did not give new assignments.

I then returned to the reception. Having nothing to do, I downloaded a Chinese tutorial. It is necessary to raise the level - I did not like that at the meeting with the Chinese I did not understand what was said there. I sat for an hour, gnawed at the granite of science, and then at two minutes to nine Gaine contacted me and told me to get ready to go home.

At nine, the boss himself came out of the office, closed his office, and turned to me:

Are you ready, Valeria Nikolaevna?

- Let's go.

I was perplexed about where and why I should go, but not for long. We came to the parking lot to Gaine's car. Victor's driver already habitually opened the car door for me.

– Where are we? - asked Gaine, who sat next to him.

- Why am I with you? I could have done just fine on my own.

- It's already dark outside. It is not safe.

Am I the one who spent an extra hour at work for my own safety? Moreover, at eight it was still not so dark.

I’m already driving in the car quite calmly, during my acquaintance with the new boss, I realized that there was no need to be afraid of Gaine, the boss would not pester, let alone flirt with me.

“Come tomorrow at nine too, Valeria Nikolaevna,” my boss told me instead of saying goodbye when we entered the entrance.

Hmm, it turns out that Radov did not negotiate with Viktor for tomorrow. Or didn't want to.

Arriving home, I turned on the phone, which I turned off when I came to work in the morning. The fact is that Natalya started calling me yesterday, I didn’t pick up the phone - I didn’t want to talk, but I couldn’t turn off the phone, all of a sudden the boss would call.

The result - forty missed per night from Natalia. It is surprising that my stepmother did not involve my father in getting me, but it is not yet evening.

Well, here's what I said.

On the revived phone, messages about a lot of missed calls were highlighted.

Eight calls from dad, twenty-three from Natalia and sisters, three calls from friends, and five calls from… Radov.

We need to change the number, definitely.

And so, before I had time to turn on the phone, and a new call. From the boss.

I accepted the challenge.

- Yes, Viktor Eduardovich.

- My plans have changed somewhat, Valeria Nikolaevna. I won't be here tomorrow. Come to work by ten, I'll email you a to-do list. I'll try to come, but if it doesn't work out, you can go home at four o'clock.

The chief passed out.

Still, Radov got his way. Maybe not for the whole day, but I'm free.

And almost immediately a new call. She didn't answer right away. I thought about whether to take it or not, but ... after all, it will still get it.

“We already greeted each other, Andrey Alexandrovich,” I answered dryly.

Why so formal? Just call me Andrew. Well, I fulfilled my promise - you are free tomorrow, we meet in ...

- I work tomorrow. Up to six.

- Come on?! Here is the beast. Okay, I'll pick you up at six then. Bye Baby.

The phone beeped. How fast. He probably switched off on purpose so as not to listen to my objections. It’s good that I added a couple of hours of odds to myself (I finish at four) in order to mentally prepare for the date, but with the filing of Radov, this is still a date, well, to relax.

Nothing, I will not become another victory in the list of this womanizer. Breaks teeth.

And ... a new call. How in demand I suddenly became. Natalia calls. I won't pick up the phone. And in general, let Radov take me “home” tomorrow. I will introduce the gentleman to my cheerful family. I'll kill two birds with one stone. And I’ll dare a shareholder from myself - after he looks at his relatives, he will probably decide that it’s more expensive for him to meet with me, or maybe one of my sisters will seduce him. I will please Natalia that she has brought such an enviable "groom", maybe he will also leave me behind and will not inquire about Gaine. Although ... if we compare the two men. Both are beautiful in their own way, but Radov is so lively and can be charming if he wants to, while Gaine still seems to me like a perfect statue come to life. Nevertheless, Viktor Eduardovich is a man with a capital letter. Solid, serious, responsible.

Had dinner, checked the money balance. The stakes on the sweepstakes dropped sharply during the weekend, and the amount won turned out to be insignificant. I hope that on Monday the excitement of the employees of our company will increase. Still, if for a week many still somehow held on (of those who did not drop out in the first two days), then starting from the second, the majority quit.

The next day without stress, I calmly worked my Sunday. Heine did not send so many assignments, which is surprising. Probably tired of inventing something again.

A good Sunday mood was slightly spoiled by the rain, which had charged since lunch, but by four o'clock the sun began to peek out, and the rain could already be called drizzling - that's good, I didn't take an umbrella with me.

She left the company building, rejoicing at a summer day that was quite warm, despite the bad weather, took off her jacket and slowly walked home. She exposed her face to raindrops flying from heaven and to the modest sun breaking through the clouds. How good.

Suddenly, I heard a barely perceptible squeak. She looked back at the road. Under the wheel of one of the cars lined up along the road, I noticed a small gray lump.

He screwed up his eyes tightly. It would be nice to sleep. Go to check the assistant, is she at the workplace, and at the same time re-check her for stamina and patience, or not?

Okay, let him live. Bye. But from Monday it is necessary to increase the pressure. This girl is unacceptably long holding on. What is surprising, much stronger men with huge ambitions could not keep up with her current pace.

- Viktor Eduardovich, so where now? Home or parking lot?

Today Igor and I are in a different car - for unofficial trips. Radov Sr. suddenly decided to arrange an informal meeting outside his city for his business partners, which is simply impossible not to attend - as a rule, it is at such meetings that decisions are made on new business projects and the composition of the founders.

This time I went unsuccessfully - I did not learn anything interesting for myself, all the new projects proposed by possible and current partners did not interest me.

- Viktor Eduardovich? - Igor reminded himself.

I decided to go home, but for some reason I'm still drawn to go to the office. See your stubborn assistant.

And why didn’t she live in her quiet, calm place?

I looked out the window and noticed Valeria. Looked at the clock. She worked until four. Now there is no point in getting up.

And what is she happy about? It is raining, and she is walking, smiling, twisting her bag in her hands, like a girl. Almost bounces when walking. But after this week, the girl should go loaded and unhappy. Apparently, I became unacceptably soft.

Suddenly, the girl stopped abruptly and looked straight in my direction, as if noticing that I was watching her. For a moment I held my breath, but immediately realized that she was not looking at me (especially since the car windows were tinted, and Valeria could not notice me), but somewhere down.

The girl approached the car and suddenly sat down. Igor and I stuck to the glass at the same time, the driver guessed to use the side mirror, using the button to turn it at the right angle so that you could better see what was happening there.

Valeria, squatting, is trying to lure someone. Someone who sits under the car.

– Igor, did you notice something when you were parking?

- No, - the driver answered in bewilderment, - the place was completely empty.

Suddenly, the assistant quickly grabbed something with her second hand and ... pulled out from behind the wheel a small gray and very dirty lump of wet wool, which also rested, trying to jump out of Valeria's hands. Wow. Kitty.

The girl stroked her find and wrapped the dirty, trembling kitten in her jacket, holding the resulting bundle tightly to her chest.

The assistant was about to leave when I decided to make my presence known. He opened the car door and got out.

So what should I do with this miracle wet?

I wrapped the foundling in a jacket, otherwise he was trembling so much, he was also trying to scratch me. Oh, so small, pathetic.

First, I’ll wash it, feed it ... I still need to go to the veterinary clinic. It’s a pity, but I won’t be able to keep the kitten - not with my current crazy schedule, besides, I don’t know where I myself might be tomorrow. Everything is too vague.

- Valeria Nikolaevna, wait.

Almost jumped on the spot in surprise. I turned around. By the car, from under which I just got the kitten, is Gaine. The car door is open.

- Viktor Eduardovich? Good afternoon.

- Hello. Are you home now? Sit down, I'll take you.

- I ... wanted to take a walk - I don’t want to sit in a clean expensive salon with my squeaky bundle. The monster probably won’t understand why I suddenly picked up a dirty and probably flea-ridden something.

- I think your find has already walked enough and wants to eat soon.

So, well, it looks like there's nothing to hide. Since Gaine has seen everything and wants to take part in the rescue of kittens, you can take advantage of a generous offer. I went to the silver-colored car and got into the salon, the boss personally closed the door behind me.

- Will you show me? - He did not order, but rather politely asked Gaine from me. Miracles, and nothing more.

She opened her jacket, revealing a kitten to our eyes. The kid no longer squeaks - he quickly warmed up and already sleepily closes his eyes. What color is not yet clear, but it seems to be gray.

What are you planning to do with it?

- I haven’t decided yet, but I’m unlikely to be able to leave it at home - I don’t have conditions, and I won’t have time to educate - such kittens need a lot of affection and care. For now, I will feed, wash, warm and look for the owner. Please stop at the supermarket - I'll go to the pet store for everything I need.

“Aren’t you going to take him to the veterinary clinic?” Gaine asked.

She looked at the man in surprise. Definitely, the boss opens up to me from the other side. Does Gaine really care about the fate of the kitten?

- A little bit later. First you need to find out where there is such a clinic nearby.

We got to the store. Gaine offered to leave the sleeping and obviously tired kitten in the car, and he went with me ... to the shopping center.

It begins to seem to me that I have not yet gone to work today and am still sleeping in my bed. The monster goes with me to the pet store to buy cat food and a toilet for a kitten picked up on the street - this can only happen in a dream.

She pinched herself hard enough. Not a dream.

In the pet store, Gaine waited until I, together with the consultant, took everything necessary for the kittens, he paid at the checkout and took the purchases.

- Tell me, Viktor Eduardovich, why are you helping me with the kitten now? I timidly asked the boss on the way back.

– And why did you pick up a dirty kitten, wrap it in your clean, probably not cheap jacket, thereby possibly ruining it irrevocably, and were going to take the kitten home?

She didn't answer.

We got into the car and in a couple of minutes we were at the house.

I took the kitten, Gaine's packages, and the driver went to park the car in the underground parking lot. At the entrance, I suddenly realized a terrible thought. The boss will come to my house.

Rise up to me. She stood at the door, not daring to open the door. I look questioningly at the boss in the hope that he will guess to give me the packages and politely leave. The boss looks at me no less questioningly. Silent scene.

- Do you want to say something, Valeria Nikolaevna? the boss asked.

- Viktor Eduardovich, don't bother yourself like that. Let's get the bags, I'll handle it myself.

“It’s not hard for me,” Gaine snapped and continued to stand still.

- I haven't got it.

- I don't care.

Here is the ambush.

I opened the door and went inside, after me the boss stepped into the corridor.

End of introductory segment.

* * *

The following excerpt from the book A wonderful helper for a monster (Victoria Svobodina, 2017) provided by our book partner -

Rated the book

ㅤㅤ Hello everyone! "A wonderful helper for the Beast" - interested me on the site of Leater. I added the story to the "library", promising to finish it, but I couldn't. I abandoned the site and I don’t like to read in electronic form. And then on the Labyrinth I came across a familiar name and, without thinking, I bought it, which I was satisfied with later.
ㅤㅤ So, the story is as simple as daylight. She (Valeria) is all such a correct, inaccessible gray mouse in all respects (but in fact she is still that beauty), she cannot continue to endure harassment from her boss and runs away to another boss, who was nicknamed "The Beast" in the company for his difficult character and excessive work demands. The fact that he is a handsome man, all so serious, attentive and caring, I will omit. Outwardly, it seems like an impregnable block of ice.
ㅤㅤ Lera had no choice - the girl received a loan for a large house in which her father lives with her stepmother and her two daughters. The position of the monster's assistant promised a high salary and further prospects. Lera needed to hold out in his assistants for exactly a month, not to break down from the burden of overwhelming tasks. The reward for this is work in any company. The comrades tried desperately not to look at each other, however, feelings took over.
ㅤㅤ As a rule, in any fairy tale there are villains or insidious ill-wishers. This case is no exception. A stepmother with her daughters and a young shareholder who hates Victor are preparing a conspiracy against Valeria in order to denigrate the girl in front of the Beast.
ㅤㅤ Yes, I like these "soap operas" when everything is simple on the one hand, and romantic on the other. The Cinderella theme is one of my favorites. This is a book for rest, relaxation and some daydreaming. There were, of course, moments when I did not understand Leroux for my naivety and kindness. But it is, little things. On the whole, I liked the book.

Rated the book

Chaotic and trite to the gnashing of teeth. I read it and realized that I had seen this story somewhere. The main character has a stepmother and two sisters, doesn't it remind you of anything? Sisters and stepmother saw and ride it as they want. Our Cinderella (Lera) works in a cool company. Due to problems with the authorities in her department, she decided to transfer to the assistant to the Beast (Victor Gaine). A tyrant, a pedant and a perfectionist. There is a third element - Andrey, also a "boss" in this company. A spoiled child who also strives to snatch a piece in the form of Lera's attention. Yes, yes, we also have Lerochka Beauty, clever girl, just gold.
In principle, you can read, but a copious amount of stamps spoils the impression of the book. If the author had worked out the characters and the plot in more detail, it might have turned out to be worthwhile.

Rated the book

This is the first Russian cactus that I have gnawed.
Sometimes it was hard and I wanted to quit, because the plot did not arouse interest at all. But I did and I did! Counting how many times I rolled my eyes and did facepalms - anything - the main thing is not to see it - is simply impossible.

The book tells us a story not at all about Beauty and the Beast, but about Cinderella.
At the same time, Cinderella is not distinguished by a special mind, and you hardly believe in her story, if not at all.
We have Valery, who suddenly fell in love with her tyrant boss.
The book is so dynamic and interesting that I hardly remember anything. Surely this is an indication.

The characters are ordinary and empty, sometimes annoying. More can not even be said about them, since they are, well, no.
Gaine is a clichéd dark prince who has a good heart. This heart melts at the sight of Valeria, she is all so "different and not like everyone else."
But that, as they say, is half the trouble.

A very "rich" language of the author, which just ... pissed me off.
So inappropriate and stupid phrases that after reading them you don’t know where to go. Here you read and understand - a Russian author! And this gives out not even a beautiful and unique, not a translated syllable, but a Russified dialect, which turned me off a lot. Some sayings-grandmothers from the village or the notorious "my charm" were too conspicuous.

In many ways, I like to read modern Russian novels because I can visualize them and transfer the plots to our lives in the form of a sweet and beautiful fairy tale. (as it was with "Exception"). But when I see such dialogues or situations that seem completely stupid and “unreal” to me, my enthusiasm for imagining all this in real life disappears.

The book is as simple as two pennies (since we are talking about stupid sayings, I must give an example) and at a time. I'm glad I didn't buy the paper version and I hope to forget it as soon as possible.

P.S. – In case the author reads this review. I wish you inspiration and creative growth, you have already achieved a lot and this is not the limit. The entire review is just my feelings and thoughts from what I read. This is how I see and perceive your work. I also really hope for the understanding of the fans of this book.

Page 1 of 75

Draft

CHAPTER 1

A monster, - my friends sigh languidly and at the same time sadly, seeing off one of the founders of our company with their eyes.

She also looked at the man. Beautiful, can't take it away. To admire from afar is a pleasure, but it is better only from afar. It was not in vain that the nickname Beast stuck to Victor Gaine. But I have no time now to reflect on the monstrous character of this tycoon. I am tormented by problems much more mundane.

Lerochka, why are you somehow taciturn and sad today? - Oksana, the main gossip in our department, looked at me carefully. Just waiting for the opportunity to profit from new gossip and sniff something out.

Yes, she broke her nail, - she proudly showed Oksanka her index finger.

And, of course, - the colleague turned sour and again buried herself in her cup of coffee.

After lunch, the girls and I returned to our jobs. She sat down in her nook, opened the reports, a recently found article about the atrocities of collectors - this may soon become relevant: dad is something too careless about his loan obligations. She yawned ... and opened a book with a detective on top of all the windows. I'll only read a couple of pages - there's not much time left before the finale. The main thing is that these "several" pages do not grow into a hundred.

Ler, your boss calls you, - passing by, said Marinka - my colleague.

Here you go. Disappointed again. It wasn't until after lunch that things got better. Again he. How can?

Wandered to the boss, where to go.

Lerochka, - a balding short paunch smiled at me cloyingly - my boss Pavel Dmitrievich. - Why don't you come in? I've been waiting for your last sales report for a long time.

Yeah, well, I know what he's waiting for.

The report is not ready yet, Pavel Dmitrievich.

Very bad. Lerochka, lately you have completely ceased to please me.

The man stood up and walked towards me, who was modestly slumped in a chair. No - no! Just not this.

"Stop! I'm ordering you! One hundred - oh-oh!".

Alas, I'm not a psychic, so the mental suggestion didn't work. The boss came close to my chair, shaking his belly against my shoulder. She moved to the very end of the chair.

Lera, stop playing these games with me already. We are both adults.

The man puts his hand on my shoulder and starts stroking me. Everyone, stop tolerating it!

She jumped up from her seat, giving the boss a hand.

Pavel Dmitrievich! I do not like you. Stop pestering me!

Lera, - the man seemed unimpressed by my attack and stood up so that he blocked my way out of the office. - Let's be honest. You are not much of yourself professionally, and there are hundreds of applicants for your place in such a successful company.

What are you implying?

Nothing, Lera. I also made inquiries in the finance department - you have obligations on a mortgage loan, and losing your job can be very sad for your well-being. Is not it?

What do you want, Pavel Dmitrievich?

This same Pavel Dmitrievich came up to me, dousing me with the cloying smell of his perfume.

Lerochka, you are a very attractive girl, but you don’t use it at all. You are lack of initiative, you have no desire to break through to the top. Sit at your computer all the time. Very in vain. Soon I'm going to be promoted, I could recommend you to your place - you have a good education, experience, again, already sufficient, you know the work of the department.

The man took my hand and began to stroke my palm. I almost felt sick. She snatched her hand away and moved away from the annoying boss.

What do you want, Pavel Dmitrievich? I repeated my question.

I want you to make the right decision for yourself, Lerochka. In two weeks, I'm leaving for a business trip to China for a month and I can take you with me. Think about it, few people get that chance. During the trip, I will train you at the same time so that you can become a worthy head of the department.

Is that what it's called now?

In general, Lera, you still have time to think. As long as you can go. But you know, I really don't want to fire such a good girl, but you have to prove to me that you are ready to take the initiative.

The chief looked at me with a greasy look and perhaps did not lick his lips.

She fluttered out of the office like a bird released from a cage. Horror.

Lerochka, why are you so pale? You feel bad? Anna, Pavel Dmitrievich's secretary, asked anxiously.

Yes, I… feel bad about something. My head hurts.

Give me a tablet? - the middle-aged woman asked sympathetically, in her eyes I see understanding. And also sympathy. It seems that for Anna it is no secret what is going on behind the doors of the office of her immediate superior.

No thanks.

Then why don't you go home? Do you live in the west, outside the city? Here, take the papers, take them to the fourth branch, it's probably not far from you, and you can be free. Pavel Dmitrievich, if he asks where you are, I will explain that you were not feeling well, and I asked him to help me with the papers.

With shaking hands, she grasped the heavy folder that was held out to me.

Thanks, I'll go.

Go, Lerochka. And you know... be careful with Pavel Dmitrievich. Remember Olga? The one that went on maternity leave? So, her boss promised a lot of things. She kept walking around with her nose up, thinking she would become a big boss. Well, he didn’t fulfill a single promise, and he didn’t recognize the baby either. Okay, not fired. The tick was still there. She has a really bad story. They fired her, and without benefits, with an unpleasant record in the labor. Rumor has it that Pavel Dmitrievich knocked wedges to Larisa, but broke off - she had connections at the highest level.

They say that Larisa has a lover among the management of the company, but who is unknown.

The secretary is just a storehouse of gossip.

Came home in a disgusting mood. Now I would close myself in my room and think about how to get out of this situation, but not fate. Not only my father was at home, but also his new wife and my "sisters". So I wonder why my father and I work alone? And then, dad sits more and more in his studio and sculpts paintings, which, of course, are brilliant, but are not understood by contemporaries, and therefore are sold poorly. And before, after all, dad was much more popular, there were exhibitions, and grants, a lot of private orders, and until he got married, Natasha did not begin to sing to him about his exclusivity and genius, advising him not to listen to the "lower classes" and give advice on how you have to paint pictures.

She appeared, - Natalya frowned - in fact, the wife of the pope. Sitting at the table, a woman with regal grandeur eats such an expensive seafood dish. Probably ordered food from the restaurant again. No, I'm not angry, I just got sick and have a bad day. - Why so early?