The next day she was sitting by a desk at Taystee's old job. She was wearing a black jacket on top of her khaki outfit. Caputo had given her some papers to put in alphabetical order. She had a hard time remembering how the american alphabet was and tried not to confuse it with the russian one. Was V in the beginning or the end? She got the papers in order somehow and was about to give them to Caputo but he just left the office. The phone on Red's desk rang.
"Yes?" she answered.
"Yes this is mr Caputo's office." she said. "No he's not here."
"How the fuck should I know where he went?" she snapped at the person on the other end of the phone. "What am I? His mother?" she said sarcastically.
"Could you tell him to call me?" the woman on the phone said.
"Yes of course." Red said and the woman hung up. "You could have told me your name bitch." she continued to herself and put the phone down. She looked up and saw Healy standing at the door.
"How's your first day going?" he asked amused and came in. He gave her a cup of coffee.
"Terrible. People call and think I babysit Caputo." she said and took a sip of coffee. "And I have no idea who just called."
"Try to be nice to people." Healy said.
"Yes yes. And you try to be careful with anyone seeing you bring some coffee for me." she said and gave him a warning look. "What do you have there?" she asked and pointed at a paper Healy had in his hand.
"Oh, I just need Caputo to sign this." he said and turned the paper away.
"Sign what?" Caputo asked as he walked in. Healy handed him the paper.
"Nichols getting out of the medical. All right." he read and signed the paper and gave it back to Healy. Healy went quickly before Red would ask anything. He could feel her gaze in his back.
"Oh, by the way mr Caputo. Some bitch wanted you to call her." Red said.
"Reznikov, language!" Caputo said.
"She asked if you were on a date with someone and she sounded pretty jealous." Red answered.
"Oh yes. She's a bitch." Caputo said and went in to his own office. "If she calls again tell her that I have a meeting today."
"Sure, let me take care of your personal shit." she muttered to herself. Then she went to hand him the papers she had put in order. The rest of her work day she was just sitting by her desk waiting for Caputo to go home. Until suddenly Piscatella walked in and gave her a poisonous look.
"How can I help you mr Piscatella?" Red asked and gave him the sweetest smile she could though she felt a wave of disgust rise in her.
"Well well… the old kitchen hag. Looks like the kitchen is running well without you." Piscatella mocked at her.
She looked at him crossly but didn't say anything. Instead she just picked up the phone and pressed a button.
"Caputo, mr Piscatella is here to see you." she said.
"Ok, send him in." Caputo answered.
Red gestured for Piscatella to go in. He gave her one more disgusting look and went. She muttered some swear words in russian after him.
When her day was finally done she walked down from the office to her bunk. Everyone she passed was looking at her. Some of them still scared that she could eat them alive and some of them whispered that she had gotten the secretary job now. She felt like her power was taken away now that she didn't work in the kitchen anymore and she was afraid that her love had made her appear more soft so she tried to look more fierce than ever. She had to get to the hairdresser. She made a turn and walked towards Sophia's salon instead of her bunk. Suddenly she stopped. Nicky was standing in front of her, looking very pale.
"Ma" Nicky called and approached Red with her arms open.
"What have you done girl?" Red asked strictly and withheld the hug. She looked at Nicky very strictly.
"Did you take drugs?" she hissed between her teeth.
"No ma I swear. I didn't!" Nicky answered.
"You expect me to believe that?" she asked coldly.
"Yes. I haven't touched drugs. I went to a bar and got wasted."
"Mm. So maybe you don't remember taking drugs." Red said sarcastically.
"No drugs. I drank a lot and found a girl and we were partying all night and I don't even remember what happened but I told her where I came from and she flipped out and so I left and drank some more and the next thing I know was the cops."
"Are you telling the truth?" Red asked.
"Yes Ma. You have to believe me."
"So the next thing I should be concerned about is you becoming an alcoholic when you get out." Red said disappointed.
"Ma. I was just trying to have some fun…I wasn't planning on being wasted for the rest of the week."
"Come here." Red said and opened her arms. She hugged Nicky very tight until a guard shouted no touching.
"But beware if I find out that you just lied to me." Red said between her teeth. "Now I have to find Sophia."
"Hey, you were out much longer than me, what did you do outside?" Nicky asked and followed Red.
"I'll tell you later sweetheart." she said and blinked. She entered Sophia's salon and asked if she had time to do her hair.
"I want something very fierce." Red said and Sophia nodded.