AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Likewise, Mr. Stepanov, and please, call me Michelle.” He wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me in closer.
“Will do, Michelle. You are the spitting image of your mother.” I stepped back a bit and smiled at him. It always felt good to hear people compare me to her.
“Thank you. I wish my mother were here with me right now.”
“She was a lovely woman, Michelle, as are you. I can see where you get your grace and elegance, and based on what my sons have told me, where you get your cutthroat business disposition.” All three of us laughed, although I had to lower my face to the ground. It was hard to be confident in front of a man like Alexander Stepanov.
“My father taught me well,” I said.
“You’re not a bullshitter, and I respect that about you. I cannot stand time-wasters. People who just sit around and wait for things to happen. You and your father run one hell of a company.”
“We try to,” I said, wishing he’d hurry up. Nico and Hugo watched as I spoke with their father, occasionally chatting with each other. I couldn’t hear what they were saying, though. The party was getting quite loud, and I was hoping that we'd be eating soon.
“They told me that you ran the meeting this morning,” he said. I nodded and swallowed the rest of my champagne. “That’s impressive for a woman.” Usually, I’d put a man in his place for saying such a thing to me, but Russian mafia members surrounded me, so I kept quiet.
“She’s just like Chase Harrington,” Hugo said, sensing that I was uncomfortable.
“When your mother was alive, they used to come to Russia and stay right here in my mansion. We always said that one day we’d do business together, but of course, things got in the way over the years. Your father had several extramarital affairs with some Russian women, so your mother forbade him from doing business with our country. She wanted him to cut ties with me.”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing, although the more I thought about it, the less surprised I was that my father had cheated. If he viewed marriage as a business contract, then why wouldn’t he have a wandering eye?
“Well, we’re ready to do business now, Mr. Stepanov.”
“While you’re in Russia,” he continued, “make sure you find some time for yourself, dear. I’m sure there are plenty of Russian men who would love to show you a good time.” I looked up to see a huge, much older man sitting at the table and eyeing me as though I were a piece of meat.
“I’ll keep that in mind,” I said.
“If you’ll excuse me, I’d like to greet some more guests before we all sit down to dinner.” He kissed me on each cheek again before walking away.
“Well, your father is quite the man,” I said while searching for a waiter. My champagne flute was in desperate need of a refill.
“He doesn’t sugarcoat things,” Nico said while flagging one down. After the waiter filled my champagne flute up, I held out my hand and asked him to wait. I swallowed it within a few gulps and then held it out for more.
“It’s good champagne,” Hugo said with a smile on his face. It was fantastic champagne, but I was only drinking that much to calm my nerves.
All three of us walked over to a small sitting room nobody else was in and sat down on the couches. The champagne was hitting me hard, and the woman in me wanted to fool around with them again. Luckily my business side kicked in.
“So guys,” I said, “where are we with the project?”
“We’re hurrying things along,” Hugo said. “You know how these things are, though.”
“Do you know what the hold up is? I mean, you guys had all day after our meeting.”
Nico looked a bit nervous, and I started to feel a bit guilty. They seemed like good guys, and I didn’t want to be a bitch about it, but I had to keep it professional.
“The legal team is reviewing all of the paperwork, but they know the project has a tight deadline. We told everyone working on the project about the meeting, so it's moving forward.”
“We completely understand your situation,” Hugo said.
Before I could reply, my phone rang. I took one look at the caller I.D. and knew that I had to take it.
So I put one finger up and walked away, letting them know that I’d be right back.
