Viktoria sat at the big desk, staring at her laptop, but she couldn't focus on the screen. Across the room, Mateo was on the sofa. The only sound was the tap-tap-tap of his fingers on his tablet.
Then, her phone buzzed. It was Nikolai.
She waited a few seconds to stop her hands from shaking, then she wiped her eyes and tried to sound normal.
"Kolya," she said, using his nickname. "You're calling late. Isn't it midnight in Russia?"
"I couldn't sleep without hearing your voice," Nikolai said. His voice was deep and warm. "How is America? Did you finish the deal with Nathan Keith yet?"
Viktoria bit her lip. Nathan hadn't signed anything, he had called her a liar and kicked her out.
"The city is just busy, Nikolai," she said. She looked up at the ceiling so she wouldn't cry. "And the meetings are... slow. Americans do things differently."
