Page 22 of Wrapped in Perfection

"We're here." I grab her bag and laptop.

"I can carry those," she says.

"No, my little kotik." I step out and reach for her hand. We stop at security, they give her a pass, and we get in the elevator.

"Are you from Russia, or do you only know how to speak the language?"

"My family immigrated when I was eight."

"Was that rough?"

"A bit. But I was a child. It was easier for my brothers and me than my parents."

"How many brothers do you have?"

The elevator dings and opens up into the penthouse.

Her eyes open wide. "Wow! Great view!"

The entire front of my house is glass, overlooking Lake Michigan and parts of Chicago. It's a windy day, and the white caps have picked up. The trees have changed colors and are vibrant red, orange, and yellow. It's still fairly light out, but it'll be getting dark soon.

"Thanks."

"So, how many brothers do you have?"

"Three. Maksim, Boris, and Sergey, in that order. I'm the second oldest."

"No sisters?"

"Nope. Is it just you and Chase?"

She shakes her head. "I have another brother, Nick, in New York. He's the oldest."

"No sisters?"

"No." She crosses her arms and taps her biceps, looking nervous again.

I pull out a chair at the table. "Have a seat."

She sits.

I set her laptop in front of her then take the chair next to hers. "First things first. Write up my contract."

She furrows her brows. "Umm..." She stares at the waves and fidgets.

"Anna, why aren't you tapping numbers on your computer?"

She puts her hands over her face.

I remove them.

"I'm not sure how to charge you. I've not done anything this big before. I've done a lot of individual projects but not an entire building. If you don't want to work with me, I understand. I should have told you earlier."

I point to her computer. "Pull your contract up. Let me see it."

She does, and I read through it. "You have a good contract."

Totally undercharging her services.

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