The Only Woman to Defy Him(24)

                ‘One?’

                ‘I didn’t get past the receptionists with the others.’ Demyan held in a very irritated sigh. Why hadn’t she just insisted?

                ‘What did the one you did see say?’

                ‘She gave me a brochure and said that at the prices I was discussing everything was negotiable.’ Alina looked at him and he could see her blotchy, swollen eyes and he was arrogant enough to assume that he was the cause of them.

                He wanted to get up from his desk and shake her and tell her not to wear her heart on her sleeve.

                Give that girl a shot of confidence, he felt like shouting to the bar, except it was just the two of them here and it didn’t make proper sense, because she’d had plenty of confidence the other night.

                No. Demyan refused to think about the other night.

                ‘I think Libby, the agent, thought I was a bit mad,’ Alina said, and he tried not to smile. ‘That you were my imaginary boss.’

                ‘Call her,’ Demyan said. ‘On speaker.’

                Alina did so and she could picture Libby’s tight smile when she was put through.

                ‘Ah, Alina, how are you?’

                ‘Very well,’ Alina said. ‘My boss has a few more questions.’

                ‘Such as?’

                It was Demyan who answered. ‘How many clients you have on your books that would be looking in that price range.’

                There was a very long pause. ‘Several?’

                ‘How many?’

                ‘Two, possibly three, though that’s before I put out feelers.’

                ‘Names?’ Demyan said.

                ‘Not at this stage.’

                ‘One name,’ Demyan pushed, and there was a long hesitation.

                ‘Not at this stage.’

                ‘Alina will call you back.’ He clicked off the phone.

                Alina did call her back but not till five o’clock, and Libby answered her phone on first ring. When Alina confirmed that, yes, she was speaking about Demyan Zukov she suddenly found herself with a new best friend, and the next afternoon she showed Libby around the penthouse and they discussed what they could do to enhance perfection.

                Alina was loving this part. Being a PA had been more her mother’s vision than hers. She was never going to make much selling her artwork, but it felt good to be using that part of her brain again—working with colours, adding details that possibly didn’t matter but which to Alina mattered a lot.

                As for Roman’s room...

                ‘God!’ Libby came up behind her. ‘Did the cleaners miss this?’

                ‘It’s to stay like that.’ Alina borrowed Demyan’s words. ‘If a guitar on the floor and a few chewing-gum wrappers are going to dissuade anyone, then they are not serious about buying.’

                ‘Can I bring someone through on Saturday?’