Page 74 of My Boss

I raise my eyes to him. Somewhere inside there is some uncertainty that as soon as we get out of the elevator and the evening is over, everything will burst like a bubble. Because all this time we have been kind of in a bubble. Cut off from the world, from reality, from problems and everyday life…

Jan brushes a strand of hair away from my forehead.

“Do you have any plans for Christmas?” he asks.

“TV, a couch and a blanket?”

“You, me, a cabin in the mountains and a bed?” he suggests.

Well, finally, without pulling the wool over my eyes or playing silly games. I catch his gaze. He smiles. I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of looking at him. What’s more, contrary to what I thought of him before, he’s not that stiff at all. He’s the most sensual lover I’ve ever had. And the only man who courted me for so long. Very awkwardly, but overall successfully. I can’t wait to discover him fully. To get to know his true self. Although I know that he has already unveiled a large part of himself to me today.

“So where will you take me?” I ask and immediately add, “Not that it matters. I’m not going to get out of bed anyway.” I grin from ear to ear. “Well, unless my boss wants to take a hot shower with me…” I raise an eyebrow.

“Hmm, you took that right out of my mouth.” He kisses me hard, running his fingers through my hair.

And suddenly the light comes on.

The air conditioner turns on, the panel lights up.

I squint my eyes, which have become unaccustomed to the brightness. The elevator makes a prolonged buzzing sound and moves upward.

“Oh boy, it’s moving!” I break out into a shout of joy. “It’s a Christmas miracle!”

“I think the miracle was that it stopped,” Jan states and pats my butt. “Get up, Maria. It’s time to finish the report.”

“You are joking, right?”

“I don’t normally make jokes, but now I think I’ve succeeded. Relax those beautiful buttocks of yours because I’m still planning to make use of them tonight.” He smiles and tightens his fingers on my bottom.

Well, there you go, Jan can make a joke once in a blue moon. This is a real miracle.

Something tells me that this will be the best Christmas of my life.

Merry Christmas everyone!

*

As soon as we enter, Jan goes to his office, and I, all on cloud nine, close my computer and pack my things in my purse. I am just applying lip gloss when my cell phone beeps. I glance at the screen. Father. It’s about time. They didn’t even call me earlier. They didn’t ask why I was late, if I was okay, if I was alive. Now that they’ve probably stuffed themselves and handed each other presents, they’re calling and will act resentful.

I close my eyes and take a deep breath. Of the two parents, I prefer to talk to my father. He’s not a loving daddy, but he doesn’t stick it to me as often as mother does. He’s definitely the one I prefer to inform that I won’t be spending Christmas with them this year.

“Hi, Dad,” I pick up and say, fully aware that I’m about to hear what a prodigal daughter I am.

“Where are you?” His voice sounds blurred. Has he already managed to get drunk, or what? Wonderful. My father is the type of person who could become the face of anin vino veritascampaign. With his BAC high, his tongue unwinds as easily as a three-year-old’s shoelaces. Okay, I’ll have to get through this. It’s not for the first time and not for the last.

“I am at work. It’s the reporting period and I have my hands full; I won’t be able to…”

“Mom had a heart attack,” he says, interrupting me mid-sentence.

My legs buckle at the knees and my stomach feels like one big knot. Oh, God. I sit down on the chair.

“How is she?”

“Alive. We are waiting with Arek and Paulinka until someone tells us more.”

Fear grabs me by the throat so tight that words struggle to come out of my mouth:

“Where… where are you?”

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