Page 2 of Taken By My Grumpy Pakhan

The music resumed but this time, it sounded more like mockery than melody. His body was rigid and his eyes stayed glued to the door, barely acknowledging my presence.

The tension was almost palpable and the silence pressed against me from every corner. He didn’t say anything but that didn’t mean it was all good. I could feel his displeasure rolling off him in waves.

Eventually, I succumbed to the crippling anxiety.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know—” I barely got the words out when his eyes cut to me, effectively silencing me with the heat in them.

I should keep quiet. Pray the elevator moved faster and send an apology email the moment this was over but my brain was all over the place.

A late night elevator ride with my boss who also happened to be my single unattainable fantasy was hardly in my itinerary for the night and the risk of losing my job was greater than the subtle hum of electricity beneath my skin.

“It was a mistake, really.” This time, his head turned in my direction and before either of us could say a word, a heavy clang rocked the cab, flickering the lights and pushing me against him as I struggled to find my footing.

“Blyat.”

“Sorry.”

The words collided in the air between us as I registered the elevator had stopped moving. I pulled away from him like he was on fire, putting as much distance between us as the elevator could allow. A moment passed but the elevator remained still.

Kazimir brought out his phone, no doubt making a phone call but the following loud beeps confirmed what I already knew. There was no service in the elevators.

His fingers tapped rapidly on the screen, probably sending an SOS but I knew even that wouldn’t go through.

I overheard some of the guys in maintenance talking about the elevator being serviced over the weekend and the reception being a problem as a result of the thick heavy bulletproof steel used in building it.

“It won’t go through,” I blurted before I could stop myself.

One perfectly carved brow arched in question.

“The guys from maintenance said something about servicing,” surprised at how steady my voice came out despite my nerves being all over the place.

“I told them to hold it off.” The annoyance in his voice could not be mistaken.

I’ve heard Kazimir speak before. I’ve heard him dish out single word orders and religiously watched his interviews on repeat but this was my first time listening at a close range and I was not prepared for the way his voice washed over me.

It was almost as distinct as he was, a chaotic mix of accents fighting over each other but somehow coming out in the smoothest, finest blend with a hint of smokiness.

It flowed through me like it was injected into my veins and not my ears, taking my response with it.

Another string of curses, followed by more flickering lights grounded me to the present.

He pulled up the sleeve of his suit jacket, revealing a gold watch. I wasn’t surprised when I saw him tapping on the screen. He ran the most elite and ironclad security firm in the world, of course his watch was a hidden device and his shoes levitated when tapped three times.

But the scowl in his face proved another futile attempt.

“It’ll work soon,” I said, knowing damn well I was reassuring myself more than I was informing him. “It does that sometimes.”

“How long?”

I blinked. “Sorry?”

“How long has this been happening?”

“Can’t say. I’m limited to the front desk. I just occasionally hear colleagues mention that the elevator has broken down before.”

He studied me briefly before dismissing me like I wasn’t worth his time.

The silence settled again, this time heavier without the music or knowledge of an oncoming exit.