Mantis

14. Viktor's problems

A male voice woke me up. A voice I never expected to hear right after waking up, especially not hovering over my own face.

- Paulina? Paula? Hey - Viktor gently shook my shoulder and leaned over me. - We overslept a bit. The guys want to start working, but Tobi, on my orders, isn't letting them in...

I blinked my eyes open wider, shielding myself from the sunlight whose rays passing through the high windows directly hit my face. It took me a moment to realize where I was and why Viktor Guellard's smiling face was the first thing I saw after waking up.

- Did I fall asleep? - I asked, although there was no doubt that I did. - Why didn't you wake me up?

His face didn't look the best. The bruise had taken on a bluish-purple hue and stood out strongly on his skin, but other than that, there was no tragedy. At least he didn't have a problem with tousled hair, which I envied greatly at the moment because, knowing the capabilities of mine, each strand stuck out in a different direction.

I sat up and rummaged through the vast bag to find a mirror and some cosmetics. My mania of carrying a million unnecessary things - as my sister euphemistically put it - finally paid off because thanks to that, I had everything I needed to present myself to the world as a human being, not a live scarecrow.

- You looked so peaceful, I thought maybe you needed a little nap, and I'd wake you up in about an hour, but then I ended up falling asleep myself - Viktor said as I fixed my tousled curls.

I opened my mouth to reply, but shut it as soon as an unfamiliar, irritated male voice reached me, accompanied by a series of alternating creaks and snaps, as if someone were opening and then slamming shut doors vigorously.

- Viktor, what the hell are you doing?! You're treating me like your personal chauffeur, and Tobi says you brought some ass here and you're still here, even though you should've been in the office long ago.

The door, which I had been staring at moments before falling asleep, burst open, and a guy with a beard in a gray jacket peered inside.

- Don't you have any other places to mess around... - he barked in a guttural voice but stopped when he met my gaze.

He froze for a moment in immobility, as if he didn't quite know what he was looking at.

- Good morning, Marcel - Viktor said in a very cheerful tone and shielded me with his body, just like he did yesterday when he talked to the guard. - How nice of you to greet me.

The bearded man looked at him as if he were crazy, then scowled even more menacingly.

- Don't play games - Marcel retorted in an even more irritated tone. - The job's on hold because of you, and I'm supposed to bow to you?

Viktor behaved as if he were having a calm chat over morning coffee and didn't hear the accusations in the other's voice at all.

- You don't have to greet me if you don't want to, but you should greet the lady. That's what manners require. She's my guest - he announced in a carefree tone, and a faint smile lingered on his face. - And maybe you could apologize, since you barged in here so rudely.

-If she's your guest, then invite her to your place - the bearded man interrupted Viktor bluntly. - This is a workspace, not a brothel or your bedroom. Every lady should gather her things and get to work.

A shadow of impatience crossed Viktor's face. He let out a loud sigh and seemed to grow larger.

- Paulina, wait here, OK? - he addressed me very gently. - Don't worry, you don't have to rush anywhere. I'll escort you shortly. Marcel, let's have a word - he growled gruffly to the bearded man.

They closed the door behind them, and with nothing else to do, I started counting grains of sand on the floor. I tried not to listen to what they were saying, but the interior of the hall carried sound well enough that the silence inside allowed me to hear every word, even though they both spoke in hushed tones and were behind closed doors.

- What the hell are you doing, Viktor? - The bearded man's voice reached me clearly. - What happened to your face? And what is she doing here? Who the hell is she anyway? No personal matters at work. Wasn't that the deal? Do you have so little work because of that last one?

- Are you going to remind me of her for the rest of my life? - Viktor retorted.

- It's because of her that you need that money now - the bearded man snapped. - You got a chance to make up for it because you were sore that you insisted and didn't listen when everyone around you was honking that it was a bad choice, and now you're doing exactly the same thing because you can't stand that someone turned out to be smarter than you. Do you want to risk even more? You can't afford mistakes now and wasting time on girls - he said rebelliously, and this time Viktor didn't immediately respond.

- Are you talking about Paulina or Perez? - Viktor's voice tone remained unyielding unlike the bearded man's, who spoke as if restraining himself from shouting, which resulted in each word he uttered sounding more and more like a stifled hiss.

- Be realistic, Viktor! - The bearded man interjected bluntly. - There are other options. You can't put everything on one card. And if it doesn't work out, then what? Do you know what your losses will be? You won't recover. Because of your sick ambition, you want to put everything you've worked for so far in question?

- I'm not panicking - Viktor's dismissive voice invaded my thoughts, scattering them to the winds.

- I'm panicking?! - the other one bristled. - Perez is a big unknown. I'm not panicking; I'm just measuring my strengths against my intentions.

- Your strengths, not mine. - Viktor's voice, on the other hand, was becoming increasingly icy. - I aim higher. Average solutions don't interest me. And calm down. I have everything under control.

- Under control? - scoffed the bearded man. - You can't even control your own dick. You brought a strange woman here. And for what? So she could see what you've got? You should've taken her straight to the office. Maybe she would've offered you the deal of a lifetime?

- Don't involve Paulina in this - Viktor snapped, and if I thought his tone was chilly before, I was very wrong because the note that sounded in him now could easily bring snow to the Sahara. - You know nothing about her. And I won't give up on Perez. I make decisions here, and it will be as I want.

- And I won't let you make a decision that will harm you - the bearded man hissed.

- I've already decided - Viktor retorted, his tone intolerant of opposition. - If you're tired, take a vacation. We'll do it my way.

There was a moment of silence, then the bearded man spoke again.

- Why do you always want what you can't have? To chase after it? You think she'll fall for you when you're all naked and carefree? Get a grip, Viktor - he muttered, his voice increasingly tinged with resignation mixed with desperation. - Admit that it's too much for you this time and you won't manage it. Accept defeat and find another solution. And get rid of that girl. This one and others until you stand firmly on your own feet.

Once again, there was silence for a longer moment.

- I'm not losing - Viktor growled finally and evidently ended the discussion because I heard footsteps gradually approaching where I stood.

After a while, the white doors opened, revealing a grumpy Viktor, but when he met my gaze, he immediately smiled brightly.

- Ready? - he asked briskly, as if he hadn't just almost knocked that man off the face of the earth, who must have been someone important since he dared to talk to Viktor like that, because I couldn't imagine him allowing such backtalk from just anyone.

I nodded and grabbed my bag. Viktor led me through the hall and held the door for me to go outside freely, then began to push through the crowd of men gathering around the place where I left my motorcycle yesterday, behaving as if he wanted to shield me from their prying eyes with his own body.

- Men, back to work! - he barked in a commanding tone towards the stiff as statues employees, who stared at us, and he helped me onto the motorcycle and stood in the square in front of the hall until I disappeared around the corner of the alley leading to the main gate.