ALEXEI (Book 3 of the mafia series)

"What is wrong with you Rosie?!!!"

Looking out the window downtown New York combustion and its daily traffic, it feels good to be back in a city that never sleeps after such a long time. But slowly I regret coming back because my roommate from college won't let a sister have her peace. Like is that too much to ask?

"I just felt I should be nice, what did I do?" Walking away from the window to my desk switching on my apple desktop looking through my schedule.

"Oh Rosie, Rosie, Rosie." She groans clearly trying to calm herself down from strangling me through the phone. I bet she has her head low tapping her palm to it as she shakes her head in worry. "When will you ever learn? That man fucking left you for that brazilian booty call." Cringing at the remark leaving a foul thought in my head.

"No one calls it booty call again."

"Don't you dare change the topic." I chuckle rolling my eyes mouthing after her in mock silence while mimicking her gestures. "Look, you need to move on, its been fucking five years. Don't tell me you're not over him yet after leaving you high and dry?" It was fun while it lasted until she throws the bomb at me. "I bet he never made you cum," she really got me there rendering me speechless as my mouth gape open like a fish out of water. "oh my God, I'm gonna kill that fucker. I going to squish his balls so hard he will never know the meaning of fertility again, I will..."

"Okay bye now." Hanging the call on her but come to think of it, Bryan never gave me an orgasm not that I cared though. He was sweet, caring, attentive, handsome and all the girls back then wanted him but he came to me or that is what I thought until I caught him balls deep in our home fucking that brazilian skunk only to tell me it wasn't working anymore and he wishes me well.

What will you have me do? No, tell me?

So I carried my broken heart and mended it, even when I missed him I held myself back, when I saw him in campus, I smile like he never broke my heart with his words; I wished him well and hope I forgot about him. Guess what, I didn't which was why I left in the first place.

The very morning I came back to New York, I received an anonymous caller and guess who it was, Bryan fucking Thompson. My highschool sweetheart and famous heartbreaker. I thought we could be live the American dream, be the American couple, have kids and grow old watching them fall in love. It all came crashing down that day in our home. Maybe he's right, I wasn't good enough which prompted him to cheat on me in our home, on our bed!!! Calm down Rosie, taking deep breaths and expelling out deeply I move about my office admiring every decor of my favorite color playing so well in the room. Burgundy against the white walls. Gina is right, I need to drop him like a bag of sack potatoes or maybe she could just be wrong. If I had fought for him, begged him to stay or even apologise maybe my american dream would have become such a reality but no; I accepted defeated and watched from afar the man I did love waltz out of my life and worst part; I was fucking friendzoned. I couldn't be anymore pathetic.

But that old me is gone now, I made a pact while on air to New York that whatever I want I must have it. By hook or by crook. No man will play with my heart anymore; once bitten, twice shy. This is the new Rosie.

My phone goes off, groaning I answer the call without looking at the id. "Come on now, give me a break will you?" Saying exasperatedly.

"Rosie." The deep voice chuckles clearly amused causing my head to snap to my phone seeing the caller upon realizing.

"Oh, shit, hi Bryan."

"Hi Rosie, heard you back in New York." He laughs. Distant voices are heard in the background.

"Yeah, I kinda missed home besides work couldn't be anymore tempting."

"So I heard, major league clients knocking on your doors. I'm jealous you know. I'm quite sure they will be all over you now." If I didn't know better, I would have concluded he is a tad bit jealous or maybe it's my irrational mind playing trick on me. Playing it cool laughing off strutting to the coffee machine making myself a cup.

"A little flirt can hurt no one." Smiling, blowing the steam before taking a sip. It got eerily silent I begin to feel uncomfortable hearing just his breath mixed with the background noise. Did I say something wrong that hurt him?

"Hey, can we see for breakfast, brunch or dinner, whatever is in your table, let's catch up for old time sake." Okay, drawling internally enjoying my beverage. "Don't say no to me." He quickly interject hopefully making me chuckle, about to answer the sound of knock on my door distracts me.

"Miss Reyes, your 2 o'clock is here to see you." My secretary smiles at me, moving back to my table looking for the file of my client going through it.

"Oh thanks Linda." She nods closing the door taking my attention back to the caller on the end of the line. "Sorry Bryan, maybe a raincheck, I have a client now."

"It's okay, I will keep your word to that."

"Bye." Hanging up turning at the sound of my door pulled open without as much as a polite knock.

"Mr Ivanov?" Looking between the file in my hand and God forgive me, this man is sexy. I couldn't tell what his face looks like with him backing me and walking around my office like he owns the place in a leather jacket and black pants, literally, his whole ensemble is made of black which made my eyes itch to get a glimpse of what color is his eyes. They say the eyes are the windows to the soul and holy heaven's without seeing his eyes, this man is heaven itself. No pun intended.

Grinning barely glancing at me. "Alexei, call me Alexei." A slight Russian can be detected in his English accent as he says admiring the african tapestry on my wall. Okay, vague. I can deal with that picking up my cup of coffee and walking to my single couch watching him observe my office decor with keen interest. "The colors fits you, chic, poise, I like it."

"Burgundy just happens to be my favorite color. It speaks of me, strong, bold, powerful, beautiful." I reply looking about my office that creates a complete niche for my sanity.

"Benin 1964."

"Yes, it was gifted to me by a friend during a carnival I attended." He turns looking at me still yet far enough to not get a good look at his eyes. As a therapist, I learnt the best way to understand your client is the way the silently speak with their eyes.

Offering. "Do have a seat where you find comfortable Mr Ivanov." Seconds passes with him assessing my profile and I kid you not, inside me I am squirming like a tilapia fish but on the outside I am more than composed watching his reaction. Therapist or not, in life you need to understand you are the one in charge and everything follows behind even if that thing is a hot sex appeal, jaw drooling male in your office.

Moving on with the session, my head buried in the file on my lap pushing my glasses up out of impulse sipping my coffee. God, I love my job. Proud or not, I am good at it; the best even. "So I have your file right here with me, I guess that was your father who made this reservation and..."

Footsteps echoes on the floor till he occupies the chair in front of me sitting proudly. "What is your name?" Yet another devilish grin. And there I see it, perfect Green, too perfect to have such hollowness. The woman in me wants to know what's behind the hollow greens but the therapist wants to stay professional; for once in forever I have this itch I have never experienced before like any other. I suddenly realize that I crave for this stranger.

"Pardon?" Pulling my glasses off half way out of my face, gobsmacked.

Looking me dead in the eye, he repeats. "I asked, what is your name?" Cracking half a smile tilting his head to the side clearly comfortable if not amused. Is something funny?

"You can address me as Miss Reyes." Fixing back my glasses on looking at him with a soft smile on my face.

"Hmm." On with his grin that speaks more of deadly than happy. Taking my time to assess his personality in seconds, if I want to get something from him I have to be one with him. This is bad. Very bad.

Smiling. "I see you are a very reserved person so why don't I drop this file right here and you can tell me about yourself." Dropping his file and meeting his gaze on me. It is so obvious his grin never strays past his beautiful pink lips and I must find out why. His green eyes which is meant to be vibrant is lonely and if I can get past that barrier, then I can term him a success. The only problem is that I didn't want to get past that barrier because I know I can, I somehow feel responsible for the void in his eyes and I want to stop it.

"And what if I want to know you?" He challenge.

"Then ask away." Dropping my cup of coffee and taking off my glasses I watch him grin, sadistically.

"What is your deepest secret?"

"That I will never be good enough for any man to stay with me. There, I said it." It is true and I noticed how he got quiet before I cleared my throat snapping him out of his thoughts.

"What is your first name?" He asks again.

"Rosie."

"Rosie? Just like the flower."

Chuckling crossing a leg over the other. "Yes, just like the flower. My turn..."

"One more and I will let you fire away." He interjects in a pout making me laugh.

"Okay Mr Ivanov."

"What do you do for fun?"

"Travelling and taking pictures."

"So why don't you..."

"Ah, ah, ah. My turn now."

"I fold." He raise his hands in mock surrender clearly expressing himself to me. Progress, check.

"In your file, I have every details concerning you, how you move from moscow to New York at the age of fourteen, graduate in top honors at Harvard law and run aside a billion dollar company alongside your brother, yes?"

"Yes flower." Did he just call me what I think I heard? Play it cool. You are the one in charge Rosie.

"Work, work, work; do you ever have time for fun?"

"Wouldn't you like to know flower." His grin grows darker looking more primal in a lust I term addiction but that fueled my interest, piquing it to no end wanting to know more about this dark man sitting in my office.

"Enduldge me Mr Ivanov. What do you do for fun?"

Grinning, crossing a leg over the other sighing in delight."I kill people for fun flower." I blink.

WTF!!!