Chapter 2

"Rose?" Lissa's voice pushed through the layers of sleep that held Rose captive. She had slept fitfully most of the night, tossing and turning, up and down, nightmare after nightmare, and that was all after her stomach had rid itself of all contents.

She opened her eyes to see Lissa's head framed by the overhead light. She looked so much like an angel, with her long blonde hair and fair complexion that it was no wonder why Lissa had so much success in modeling.

"Yeah?" Rose's voice was scratchy from sleep, and her throat sore from the previous night.

"Christian just called; Dimitri wants you to interview in two hours. I don't know why he's bothering with an interview at all but that's Dimitri for you, I guess."

"Ok." Rose sighed, and sat up, pushing her hair out of face. She had thought many times about cutting it off, but always chickened out when the time came. Mason had always told her it was just hair and it would grow back but either way he would love it, simply because it was her hair.

'Maybe I will finally be able to go through with chopping it off.' She thought. Then quickly dismissed the idea, knowing it would never happen.

"I told Christian that I would drive you down there, and he said you could ride home with him. I know you have a car but you have only been to the office a handful of times and I figured that you would get lost." Lissa had moved from beside the bed to the closet where Rose had unpacked all of her clothes. Rose assumed Lissa was sifting through her wardrobe for something appropriate to wear for the interview. Lord knew Rose had plenty of clothes to choose from.

Very few people knew that Rose had an obsession with clothes. She figured it was because, growing up she didn't have a lot to choose from and Lissa's parents had to buy most of the things Rose needed in life. So when she finally graduated and got a summer job before heading off to college she went wild on anything to do with clothes and shoes, even though the fancy clothes didn't do her much good since she went to college for to be a physical trainer.

"I thought you said this was just an interview?" Rose felt the panic welling up in her chest. She wasn't sure that she was mentally prepared to put on a fake smile, and pretend that she was ok. Then again this is what she had asked for, wasn't it? She wanted to go back to work to keep her mind busy.

"Christian said the job is yours. Dimitri just wants to do things by the book and give you an interview so he can say that things where done right." Rose could tell by the tone of Lissa's voice that she held Dimitri in high regards.

"Oh ok. Yeah that sounds great." Rose lied while swinging her legs out from underneath the covers and over the edge of the bed. As she stood the normal dizziness took its toll and she had to sit back down on the side of the mattress for fear of passing out. She hoped Lissa hadn't seen.

Instead of Lissa seeing Rose's moment of weakness she must have heard the lie that Rose tried to pass by her best friend.

"Rose you know if you don't want to go to work, that's fine. We asked you to move to New York and live with us because we love you. Not for you to work. And if you are worried about working for Dimitri, don't. You know how he is, standoffish at first but he's a good guy."

Rose envied her friend for being able to always see the good in people, because Rose herself could not. She was the 'glass half empty' kind of person. Of course she had met Dimitri multiple times before. Truth be told she thought the guy was hot, but she would never tell a soul that. Not to mention she didn't want those kinds of thoughts in her head anyway.

"No I do want to work, it's just I hope I'm ready for putting on a fake face and being able to pretend everything is ok."

Lissa looked over her shoulder at Rose and noticed the dimness of her friend's eyes, and the dark circles that encased the skin around them. She noticed the loss of weight and the loss of shine to her hair. She couldn't help but pity her friend, even though she knew Rose hated it.

"Rose go take a shower, I'll finish finding your clothes." Lissa tried and of course failed to hide the anguish in her voice when talking. She hated the fact that Rose was going through this. "Your hair looks like a bird tried to build a nest in it." She hoped maybe a joke would diffuse the tension in the room.

Rose gave her a fake hurt look, and went to do as Lissa said. Maybe it would help her too feel better about the day ahead of her.

While Rose was in the shower Lissa finished picking out her outfit; a smart business suit with a nice pair of flats. She hoped that maybe Rose getting out and feeling like she was doing something other than moping all day would help her. Even though she spoke of Rose staying home and not working, she knew that wasn't the thing for Rose.

She had known Rose all of her life and never once had Rose been the type to sit idle and not do something, regardless of the situation.

Rose stepped through the door with one towel wrapped around her torso and one around her hair, and Lissa could see the scars and the cuts that hadn't quite healed, and it made her stomach knot with anxiety.

"I picked that outfit out for you with those shoes." Lissa motioned to the clothes lying on the bed and to where the shoes were setting on the floor. "I'm going to go get dressed myself. Plan on leaving in say, thirty minutes?"

Rose gave a nod in answer before Lissa turned to walk out the door, leaving Rose to freely dress and fix her hair. She knew she wouldn't be putting makeup on; she hated the stuff before the accident and didn't see any point in changing her way of thinking now.

The car ride to the office took a little under an hour drive. Rose had never been as nervous in the passenger seat as she had been for that ride. People in New York drove a lot different than they did in Portland. It was like everyone was in a hurry to get to the same place first. Didn't anyone take their time anymore?

As they pulled in front of the office building Rose felt her heart start racing. She had, of course, been here multiple times before but this time would be different. She would be working here. She wouldn't be just visiting Christian with Lissa.

As she stepped out of the car she saw Christian walking through the double glass doors towards them. He gave Lissa a quick kiss and an 'I love you' before taking Rose's elbow and leading her in. "I thought I would walk you in so you knew where to go."

"Thanks Christian." Rose was more grateful than she dared to let on. She wasn't scared of Dimitri, he was just intimidating, standing six seven with a Russian laced accent.

"Rose, you know you have the job, right? Dimitri might be kind of short with you for a week or so, but he'll come around."

Rose nodded like she was listening, but her mind was off in a total different direction. She hoped and prayed that this was the right thing to do. Surely Mason would understand her need to keep busy so she wouldn't fall apart.

Mason had been so amazing to her. He always had her care upmost in his mind. She had met him in high school, during her partying days. He had calmed her down, and showed her that there was fun to be had without running off with guys, and drinking every weekend. He had shown her love and kindness, when she was trying to replace the void in her heart left by her ever absent mother and father. And he had almost filled the void. Almost was the key word.

Christian led Rose to an office that had an half open oak door that read simply 'Belikov'. Rose figured that was Dimitri's last name, and it made sense with him being Russian.

Christian abruptly stopped walking and turned to face Rose with a caring expression. She hated that expression on him, mainly because it wasn't normal. They were always bickering at each other, always picking, and acting like children. Truth be told he was one of her best friends.

"You've already got the job Rose, but just so you know, Dimitri can be intimidating to those who don't know him. Don't let it bother you; he is amazing at what he does." Christian gave her a slight hug and pushed her through the door, at the same time telling Dimitri that Rose was coming in.

Rose looked around the room nervously, taking in the seen before her. Brown leather chairs against a far wall where clients could wait if Dimitri wasn't quite ready for them. Light cream walls, with a carpet to compliment any color.

"Rose?" A deep, accented voice rumbled through the room, making the ice that had seemed a constant in her veins, melt.

Rose turned her head to look behind the big oak desk, at the man standing. He had brown hair tied in a leather thong at the back of his neck, deep brown eyes, muscles that came from endless hours in a gym, lips that should be banned for all time, and for no reason at all Rose felt a blush heat her cheeks. Which seemed ridiculous since she had met him before.

Rose snapped out of the haze that had captured her, and walked forward and put her hand into his outstretched waiting one. His was warm and callused, swallowing hers completely.

Dimitri waved for her to have a seat in one of the two leather chairs placed in front of his desk. Waiting until Rose was seated before having a set himself.

"I'm sure you already know this, but the job is yours, Christian spoke highly of your work ethic, and considering I've only met you a handful of times, I trust him. I just wanted to speak to you beforehand." Rose nodded, trying not to look into his eyes for too long of a period. They seemed to want to hold her captive, drown her in their depths.

"Obviously I expect you to be on time. I will have clients in here throughout the day, and I need to make sure that they are taken care of. Ask them if they would like anything to drink while they are waiting, etcetera.

"I will have paperwork that you will type up, making sure everything is correct. You will go with me to the places of business, or the police department, or the client's house, or wherever I sat up appointments with them.

"I need you dressed professionally, and I know what you've been through, and I don't mean to be harsh, but when you come to work I can't have you moping around. Don't get me wrong, I'm sorry that you have to go through this, I really am. But ultimately I have a company to run.

"So with that being said, do you really want the job?"

Rose was almost completely shell shocked by the time Dimitri was done. She had never thought she was moping, but then again she guessed that's exactly what she was doing. But he was right; he didn't care about her, or her problems. Like he said, he had a business to run. Maybe this wasn't the place or the time for her to start working. She wasn't ready for something like this.

"Rose?" Dimitri's voice broke through her endless mind rambles.

Before Rose knew what she was doing, she felt her head give a swift nod in acceptance.

"Ok, your desk is right outside the main door to my office. Mainly all you'll be doing for a couple days until you can get the job down is answering phone calls, and putting in people's information." He stood, motioning for her to do the same, "and Rose, if there is anything that I can do personally for you, I'll try my best to help." Rose could tell he meant it, and in that moment something came back to life inside her chest.

"Thank you." Rose quickly ducked out of the room and to her desk, eager to start her new job.

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