Mrs. Cheng, would you be so kind as to explain what this miracle in feathers I found today in my waiting room? - instead of greeting, I ask the chief personnel officer of my company a question.

- And a good day to you, Mr. Barrett. If you're talking about Miss Lewis, then this is your new secretary.

- And without you I already know what's new. I'm wondering where my old one went and why the admission of an employee to MY reception took place without my knowledge?

- Your beloved Rose turned out to be a lover of strong psychotropic substances. Plus, she lost her fear. I wanted to visit you before the weekend, leave the payment plan for the next week, and she is lying on the floor. And next to it is a syringe with known contents. She was taken to the hospital without attracting attention, and I had to urgently look for a replacement.

Fucked up. And how did you not notice?

- I don’t understand one thing, was it really so difficult to call?

Karen looks at me like I'm a child.

- And what would you do? Would you have broken off from the negotiations that you had been trying to achieve for six months and rushed here? Everything worked out, so calm down and accept it. By the way, instead of sitting here and being offended that they didn’t ask you, poor thing, would you be going to the hospital. Our dope queen is finally able to talk, and it's in your best interest that she doesn't blurt out too much. The press is not yet aware of the situation, but you know them. If your name comes up in the same sentence with drugs, these pit bulls will take out the door for us and roll on like that - you will never wash off. Get her statement of your own dated Thursday. We will do everything in hindsight so that by the time she overdose she had nothing to do with us.

Karen is the only person here who is allowed to act like this. If it wasn't for her, nothing would have happened. The law knows like the back of its hand, and knows how to break it in order to stay clean. And you shouldn't argue with her. If he wants to, he won't leave a wet spot. Thanks to his brains, he has such connections that I never dreamed of.

- Understood. And thank you, Karen, I sincerely thank you. In business, you have to keep your ears open. One wrong step, and everything that you have achieved flies into hell. But you should still find someone else.

Since childhood, I have not liked the smell of hospitals, but it's pretty good here. Again Karen did her best - they won't wag their tongues here. I find out from the girl at the front desk which room Rose is in, and under a gaze in the back, I step in the right direction. Lips involuntarily stretch into a smile. It's nice, damn it, at thirty-seven to still attract female gazes.

Surprisingly, Rose took the news of her dismissal calmly. She even apologized. When asked why she began to use it, she replied that she just wanted to, and she did not regret anything. It's sad that people choose this path. The path of self-destruction.

After such a busy day, I decide to pop into a bar and have a glass of whiskey. I don’t allow myself more, yet alcohol is also not particularly good for health.

Okay, Theo, hold out for a week, and then Karen will find someone.

With these thoughts, I fall asleep. And I wake up, by the way, too. In place of yesterday's irritation comes pity for the girl. After all, she's not to blame for what happened. And the fact that she brought the wrong coffee, she didn’t know what kind I drink. Maybe we can even work together.

When I get to the office, Ashley is not there yet. While there is nothing to reproach her with, there is still half an hour before the start of the working day. By the way, she comes even a little earlier. I understand this by the characteristic slam of the door. The clatter of heels is not audible, so I decided not to take risks and not break my legs. Commendable.

When the clock shows eleven, I remember that my friend, as well as the commercial director of the company, Sergio, was supposed to come to me. Gouging, of course, noble, but his bowler cooks. It just got lost somewhere.

And then I remember that a pretty girl is sitting in my waiting room, by whom this womanizer cannot pass. As soon as I open the door, I am convinced of my guesses. Ashley is huddled in front of the printer, and my friend is hovering over her like a kite over a piece of fresh meat. However, this is not far from the truth.

- Didn't interfere? I interrupt their privacy.

The girl with incredible speed bounces to the side and begins to dig in a large box.

- Eh, prevented, buddy, prevented. Let's talk some more, bellezza.

A friend enters the office, and Miss Lewis is in no hurry to move. So he stands with a cartridge in his hands and looks at me in fear. I expected that after the words of Sergio, she would begin to refuse, but no! This suggests that I really interfered with them. So, you decided to ignore yesterday's instructions?

I notice that today she is wearing a knee-length skirt. So, after all, she listened to me yesterday, only took note selectively? I involuntarily slide my eyes lower, noting that her legs are long, which makes yesterday's phrase meaningless. There is something to see there.

- Bring us two coffees. And print yesterday's letter from the post office. From "Machine Service" or whatever they are, it comes out too harsh, but in general, she deserved it. Found someone to flirt with! With Sergio, his mother! Already cringes from her stupidity.

I slam the door shut just as quickly as I step inside. This Italian grandfather sits cross-legged.

- What was it now? I ask, sinking into my chair.

- What, amico? *

- You're flirting with my secretary.

- So this is your new secretary? Damn it, I envy you. And where, - with his hands shows the fourth breast size, - this one? Rose, right?

Oh, buddy, don't remind me.

- In the hospital. Treated for an overdose, spitting out every word.

- Overdose? Overdose of what?

Yes, he is teasing! And so sickening, yet he deliberately blunts.

- Candy, dammit! Why are you asking nonsense? Not small.

The door to the office opens, revealing Ashley with a tray and a piece of paper tucked under her arm. Very "neat"! The door opens again without knocking. But I decide to keep the barbs to myself, I will still stumble from nerves.

- Oh, you're right, not small. Not even very small.

Hard case. Sergio is only three years younger than me, and the development and jokes remained at the level of fifteen years. At such moments, I feel Spanish shame for my Italian friend.

Ashley sets cups of coffee in front of us, handing me a letter with the equipment request prices. There is already a blush on her cheeks. She, too, is embarrassed by Sergio's words. I mentally make a note to tell her to return the pants back, otherwise this bulldog will drip all over the floor with saliva.

When Sergio tells Ashley that she mixed up the coffee, I want to laugh. How can you be so unlucky? Only now the fun ends when a friend grabs the girl by the wrist, rubbing the skin with his thumb. No, he's completely pissed off. Fortunately, Ashley still has a conscience, so she pulls her hand back and leaves the office.

I like this one more than the previous one.

He said he would stumble. Maybe there is some damage to it?

- She's a miracle. Give it to me, will you?

Yes, now he's gone. Until a replacement is found for her, the point will sit here.

- So that you take her to a hotel a couple of times, and then fire her? No, my friend, look for another one.

- Well, why just a couple of times? And why only in a hotel? The table in my office, for example, is very durable - how can his cheeks alone withstand so much smiling? There, already a couple of deep wrinkles lay.

"Shut up," I shake my head, not wanting to hear about his plans for this girl. - Please shut up.

A friend suddenly opens his eyes sharply, and then squints conspiratorially, leaning towards me and whispering:

- Aah, amico! I understand everything, - nods at the door. - Did you notice it yourself?

- Fuck you, amico. She's still a child.

Sergio leans back into his chair, smiling contentedly.

- The fact that she works here refutes these words. She is at least an adult.

- Have you seen what she looks like? The fact that her age in her certificate is twenty years does not mean anything. Yes, there is nothing to hold on to!

The friend looks offended. As if I hurt his tastes.

- Well, if she has nothing to do, then she will hold on to me.

- No, Sergio, - I cut. - I won't give it to you. I've got a lot of work to do myself, so an extra pair of hands won't hurt me. And I won't let you beat her either. Until I find a new secretary, I need her. Let's get to the problems, - I hold out a letter from Machine Service, - did you see what prices they broke? A month ago, the amount was half that. Check out how the FTC is doing.

- Do you think they put pressure on hopelessness? Sergio reads the numbers.

- Well, or they are just complete idiots to be so grumpy.

For about an hour we discuss business, while chatting about our own. In all my life, I can only call Sergio a friend. The rest are acquaintances, colleagues, people with whom you need to be friendly. Well, who else can get on a plane to another city in the middle of the night, because his friend got drunk on drool and drunk off to the other side of the country?

It sucked for me then. The company has just started making money. Not one that simply does not go into a minus, namely income. So that buying a new car is not a problem, so that if you wish, you can travel around the world. So he traveled, it's called.

I was then twenty-five years old. Yes, while building a company, I saw a lot of shit and bathed in some. But all the same, faith in a bright future was in full swing in me. Getting ready for the wedding. Well, I think, then it’s clear what went wrong? A banal story: the groom returns early from a business trip, hurries to his beloved woman, collects all possible fines along the way, and his beloved is not bored at all.

I don't know how I didn't kill them both then. Just two words got rid of this bitch and her boyfriend.