I involuntarily shuddered, experiencing a keen desire to crawl behind Lisa. But dozens of pairs of eyes, as if on cue, stared at me. It’s good that they didn’t point a finger and didn’t say out loud.

But the bull was in no hurry to go to me. He approached the girl, who literally pressed herself into a corner, trying to merge with the wall, and kicked her in the stomach with a sweeping kick. I closed my eyes, but it did not help: the sounds of blows, the crying and groans of the girls tore my eardrums. And when the sound of footsteps began to inevitably approach, she almost screamed, instinctively shrinking in anticipation of a blow.

Are you a monkey?

A huge paw covered my face, squeezing my cheek, a finger pressed on my lips, forcing me to open my mouth. Numb with horror and losing all my courage, I opened my eyes. Met with the ruthless, tenacious look of dark eyes in the slits of the balaclava and could not stop the attack of panic trembling.

Like a clear ... I would give you a reward to suck my lollipop, but let the boss deal with you.

I did not even have time to understand the meaning of what was said, as Lizka, a provincial fool, rushed forward, pushing me aside, placing her bound palms in the gorilla's groin area.

Fuck her, not me? Are you blind?

The man's lips twisted into a blood-curdling smirk. Only the redhead, who imagined herself a fatal seductress, either did not notice her, or perceived her as a manifestation of sympathy. I wanted to kick her in the back, warning her against a rash step, but I didn't have time.

The impact threw Lisa against the wall. It all happened so fast that I didn't have time to recover. She watched how she was beaten, dragged by her hair, squinted from screams. Fortunately, it didn't last long.

I myself choose who to pull, you carrion! - Finally, the gorilla stamped and left, making us all flinch at the sharp clang of the door.

Like the first time, none of us could recover for quite some time. Lizka moaned and cursed, promising to pull out the offender's Adam's apple along with his penis. The last thing I wanted was for that asshole to come back and shut her mouth, so I moved closer and tugged on her bound wrists.

Stop it, he's gone. Get up. What were you thinking anyway?

Groaning, Lizka took a sitting position. Outwardly, she was not hurt. That's right, no one was going to spoil the goods, that is, us.

I would snatch the barrel from him, save everyone ...

Stop flooding! - I felt disgusted that she was trying to cover up her own stupidity and the desire to curry favor with pathos noble intentions. - Tell me already as it is, I decided to improve my situation by sucking off the guard. Only tattooed blowjob did not help!

Lizka gave me an evil look:

And yes, I would suck! But he, along the way, Pindos. And you give thanks, otherwise now you would be swallowing to the very tonsils instead of "thank you"! Along the way, did you think that there was a blue light? Vika, wake up. These are hairy gold dealers! We'll all be sent to a brothel until we get a break from the abundance of customers!

Where does such knowledge come from? - I asked, trying to suppress the wave of horror that threatens to carry away the mind. I wanted to howl from Lisa's words - I understood that she was right.

Yes, this is not the first time they have tried to scoop me up. Either a model or a nanny in Turkey. And then, damn it, I got it. A friend, a bitch, writes - she thundered into a hospital bed, fly a hostess at a party instead of me to work. I flew in, and I was immediately in the locker room - a bag over my head, and here ... if I could only think!

None of us could have imagined where such a fate awaited him. I wanted to tell Liza that with her appearance - bright red hair that did not know dyeing, and big eyes, she was a tasty morsel for the peasants, but said nothing. Which of the girls with high external data does not think about hundreds of broken hearts or at least wallets, but about the fact that they will definitely be kidnapped by traffickers?

How old are you? - now, when she was knocked down, Lisa seemed almost a teenager.

Twenty will be in November. And you?

I involuntarily glanced at the girls. The rest looked even younger. How did I, your mother, get here?!

Twenty five. And don't look at me like that, she's in shock.

We looked at each other in silence for about half a minute. Liza - incredulously, intently, as if trying to find the first signs of aging on my face, and I was surprised - at the age of twenty I was afraid to be the first to approach a man, let alone climb into his trousers! The redhead seemed more experienced and broken for half a life compared to me.

Yes, how are you? They retire after twenty-five. But you don't look your age. I thought peers.

I don't understand myself. Wrong, probably.

Vic, I didn't pass out while they were taking me to that fucking shed. Heard them calling somebody, many times. I thought the address would slip through or some other clue, or maybe they’d stop at a gas station and I’d give a damn ... so, you know what they called me? "Red lot". The customer was mentioned. And they weren't just talking about me. There was also a Deflorator Lot and a Red Light Lot. I did not understand the last, but during the conversation I guessed that they were talking about girls. That is, there are no accidents, you know? Each of us received an order. It is unlikely that they were mistaken, rather, someone ordered an older specialist with your appearance. And you know, we're kind of in a better position.

In a better position? How can it be the best?

We will not be put under everyone in a row in a cheap brothel. Save for customers.

And tattooed? She was not particularly sorry.

And who will know about it? She, perhaps, will be released during this time and just like a new one, they will put her in a bed with that moneybag. We don't know what and how. But to hell with him. How did you get here? Okay, they lured me, they also covered themselves with a friend.

I smiled mirthlessly. Probably, at that moment, having thrown off panic and shock, I finally realized who exactly and how helped me to end up in this rotten place ...

Victoria, it's a crime to look so gorgeous every day! - the boss's voice made me flinch and miss the "start" button. Fax received only the third time. Pull yourself together - generally from the fourth.

Good morning, Valery Tarasovich, - I raised my head and felt hundreds of butterflies fluttering in my stomach. Butterflies love flowers. Especially such cream roses as in a bouquet. If only they gave me one like this...

This is for you. Today is exactly half a year since you became an adornment of the company and my personal assistant. It's a pleasure to work with you, Victoria.

The waiting room swam before my eyes, with pleasure I barely had time to extinguish the happy smile of an enthusiastic girl who had received the attention of a beautiful man. She looked into the bright eyes of her boss, unable to look away, and lost the remnants of self-control.

When exactly six months and two days ago I appeared in the personnel department of the largest company engaged in the jewelry business, I did not believe that luck would smile and I would be hired. It seemed to me that mere mortals were forbidden to go here. Either relatives and friends of the bosses get a job, or those desperate ones who are ready to shell out an amount in the amount of their annual salary for the opportunity to work in such a cool place. Then I found out that there were enough of both of them here. I, although I was fluent in English and German, knew the basics of office work and could safely apply for the position of crisis manager, was only one of the majority of applicants. Graduates of more criminal universities with hundreds of business trainings behind them fought for this position, moreover, with such an appearance that only a blind person could ignore them. And I don't know

By the way, it was a hell of a job. Irregular working hours, sometimes no opportunity to have lunch, a huge amount of work, the need to quickly delve into the course of the matter, because no one was going to wait until I figured out the principles of work. But it was not in vain that I dreamed of the position of a crisis manager, therefore, sometimes exhausted, I did my job and studied the structure of departments, their interactions, main problems - everything that should have been useful. It will come in handy when I provide my boss with a plan to eliminate the shortcomings and a number of optimal decisions regarding the internal structure of the campaign.

But even this was not the main argument for me to endure an exhausting schedule. Fate rewarded me with the boss that all secretaries dream of without exception. Young, stylish, handsome, even very tactful and fabulously rich. True, not so long ago, but already hopelessly married, but still ...

“Report,” his slightly ironic, pleasant voice brought me out of my thoughts. So unobtrusively and tactfully Valery Tarasovich interrupted my flight in the clouds. I nodded, chasing away the embarrassment.

Kovalev confirmed dinner on Sunday. Ivanenko-Stotskaya asks for an audience in the coming month. Guryev wanted to discuss further cooperation. At ten you have a meeting with the heads of departments, at 18.00 - a selector with the head of the board. Anniversary of marriage at the deputy prosecutor Litovchenko, his wife's name is Svetlana.

Because of how concisely, clearly, without hesitation she outlined the working moments, my heart became warm. At such moments, I felt like an impeccable business lady, forgetting about the condescending label of "secretary" or "errand girl." Imagination drew a rapid career rise, the admiration of the higher authorities and pleasant bonuses from the new position.

Fine. What else?

And now I had to play all-in.

Due to an oversight of the logistics department, a batch of platinum blanks went to Donetsk instead of Alma-Ata ...

The chief's lips formed a hard line. I hastened to complete the report:

I took the liberty of coordinating Sergei Pavlovich with the Department of International Agreements. The buyer agreed to pay for this type of goods, so there was a double shipment. Issue resolved.

My voice trembled slightly. For six months of work in the company, I knew that I could be both praised for showing initiative, and ridiculed, scolded, or even punished. But I was obsessed with the desire to one day leave the position of assistant manager behind and take on a more significant one. The same crisis manager, whom they talked about almost enthusiastically, but did not know where to find, since we have so far had no such personnel reserve at all. I wanted to believe that one day they would notice me.

Valery Tarasovich smiled. The tension was gone from his bright eyes.

Vika, you are not a referent. You are a treasure.

I seem to breathe a sigh of relief. Another step closer to the rise has been overcome. Down with fear. Who does not take risks does not drink champagne.

Prepare me black coffee and call Ira Gurova. Do not connect with anyone until after the meeting. And further. You look great, Victoria. My working day starts off great.

I watched him disappear behind the doors of his office - dark oak doors with a golden table: “Valery Tarasovich Ivleev. Board of Directors". A stately figure, a solid business suit, a smile that made everything inside tremble ... no one could resist his charm, and, apparently, did not want to. I did not escape this fate.

Refraining from humming to myself, I walked over to the coffee machine, placed my cup, and selected the espresso setting. I called the internal line to the analytics department, calling the boss to Ivleev. Then she filled a vase with water, involuntarily admiring how beautiful the roses became in a transparent glass cube. She inhaled their fragrance, closed her eyes, imagining how the petals fall on the silk bedding, and Valery's fingers untie the Windsor knot of his tie to ...

The ringing of the phone did not allow fantasies to carry away beyond the point of no return. After listening to the interlocutor and connecting him to the right department, I involuntarily thought: why the hell is such an intelligent, ambitious, enterprising girl like me still working as an answering machine?

Call again. I suppressed a sigh. It's early, the work day has just begun.

SkyLux Company, Victoria. Listen to you.

There was a rustle in the receiver, then a rough female voice:

I'm listening to you. Connect with Ivleev.

Well, sadly, the majority of such individuals - for them the secretary is something akin to a waitress, or even a whipping girl. How many insults, pompous statements, and moralizing I have heard during my work at my post! It's impossible to get used to it. The referent is the shield of her boss, she takes the first wave of negativity upon herself. That is the law.

Excuse me, how can I introduce you?

For a moment, there was a feeling that the handset was shocked by contempt on the part of the subscriber.

What? Introduce?! Beloved woman, Katherine!

Wife of Valery Tarasovich. There was gossip about his young wife in the women's team, which I never wanted to believe. And now, for the first time in my entire career, I hear her voice. Manners, to be sure, not the best. And now there will be another round of neglect ...

Katerina, I'm very sorry, but Valery Tarasovich categorically forbade connecting him with anyone. He will contact you after the meeting, or you can call him on his mobile...

Guess without you! - Ivleeva's beloved woman hissed angrily, hanging up. Before that, I heard a selective mat.

The mood threatened to slip into a minor after such an incident, but if I was aiming for the position of a crisis manager, I had to immediately neutralize the effects of stress. So I ran my fingers over the rose petals and then took the coffee to the chef. She said casually that his wife called, and was insistent, but he only nodded. I did everything that depended on me - he decides whether to talk to her now or even at home.