That Summer In The Country

Twenty-three:

Twenty-three:

The first real task she has is taking over Aleksander's Instagram. She proposed a day in a life of a Morozova Industries intern to Nadia, the head of Aleksander's PR. Nadia instantly loved it and said that she lived on the same property as Aleksander made it more intimate, so she could start it with her morning routine.

Alina filmed herself getting ready in The Great House. "My Aunt is the grounds keeper. Normally, I would live with her, but since Mr. Morozova hired me, I stay here in The Great House. That way I can help him with whatever he needs."

She talked into the camera on her phone. Though she did it casually when she travelled, it felt weird, knowing that there might actually be a lot more people looking at it then just friends and family. She managed to catch a moment of Aleksander making his morning coffee.

"Smile, Mr. Morozova."

"Alinaaaa," he growled irritably, not having had any caffeine in his system yet.

Alina smiled at him, still shoving her camera phone in his face. "You can't be mad at me. You told me to do this, and Nadia approved it."

"That doesn't mean I can't find you insufferable," he chided, "how are you this perky in the morning?"

Alina smiled. "I'm the youth component! I'm lively and full of zest."

"Well, be less lively and full of zest," he said, "be full of bitterness and rage. It's quieter."

She snorted and kept on filming. She filmed herself being bored during a meeting. She filmed herself waiting for tasks. She filmed herself eating her sad, little chicken salad that she had brought. Nadia watched all of them with delight, and approved each post before they went out. Alina decided that nothing big would come of it. After all, how many people paid attention to the Morozova Industries Inc. Instagram? Or whatever it was called?

When the day ended, she showed Aleksander taking her home the way that he always did. That was her last post of the day.

Aleksander shook his head. "That seems like utter nonsense."

Alina smiled. "You'll thank me when you get a whole new bunch of followers because people saw you in your boxer's making coffee."

He scowled. "Nadia let you post that?"

She nodded. "She seemed to think that it made you more human."

"Remind me to have a conversation with her about propriety. It seems that she was never taught about it."

Alina laughed. "You said that you wanted to come across as more personable. Well, this is going to make you come across as more personable."

"I don't recall saying that."

"Of course, you don't know that it's out there in the interwebs," she said with a smirk, "you're being ridiculous. This is going to be great. You'll see, and then you'll say, 'thank you, Alina'."

"Do you really think that highly of yourself?" he asked.

"I do. My hashtag skills happen to be excellent."

"Huh. And how many followers do you have?"

"Well, I've got fifty. But my Instagram is set to private, and I mostly use it to DM with Mal."

"Do you really?" Aleksander said.

She nodded. "It was the easiest way for the two of us to keep in touch with each other."

He was quiet for a moment. "Are you in love with him?"

Alina raised an eyebrow. "Why do you ask?"

"Because," he said, "if I took something from him----"

Alina glanced up at him. "You didn't take anything from him. I want both of you, Aleksander. I like the arrangement that we have. I wouldn't want it to be any other way. I couldn't imagine having to choose between the two of you."

"Are you sure?" he asked. "You two have always been closer. I've always been the outsider. I think that was why I hated seeing him happy, and why he hated seeing me happy. Because we knew that one day there was going to be a fight for you, and one of us would have to lose. Not choosing made it easier. Sharing seemed like the perfect solution. But if I am getting in the way of some great love----"

Alina shook her head. "I don't think Mal would have even noticed me if it hadn't been for you suggesting it, Aleksander. I kept on hoping that he would. I don't know if it's because my family traveled so much, or if there was something else getting in his way. But I hinted a million times to Mal that I liked him, and nothing ever happened. My guess is he probably wanted to remain loyal to you. And you know, I'm glad he did. I don't think I could ever choose between you too."

Aleksander glanced over his shoulder and smirked at her. "I'm glad that you feel that way, Kiska. Because I don't know that I could give you up. If it were Mal, I might try. But I am a jealous man. I don't like when people take things that are mine. You're mine, Alina. Always."

Alina smiled at him. "I like being yours. I like being Mals. I like belonging to the both of you, and knowing where I'm supposed to be."

"As long as I'm around, you will never have to wonder about that," said Aleksander, "I promise you."

They'd arrived home. The light was on in Alina's room, and she saw a figure pacing inside. Mal.

"Come on, Kiska," said Aleksander, "we've got some real work to do now. The pleasurable kind. You'll be so tired that you won't be able to walk tomorrow. I'll see to it."

"Ah," said Alina, "the good kind of work, then."

She undid her seat belt, and the two of them got out and went into the house. Mal opened the door to her bedroom.

"Fucking finally," he hissed, and then he kissed her greedily, pulling her into the room, and so it began again.