as evening came. Only when she heard: «That’s it for today!», she realized that the working day had come to an end, and felt how hungry she was. After collecting the papers, Mellie put them in front of the boss and came across an attentive look with a note of curiosity.
– Are you interested? – how did he manage to say that? It seemed that the voice enveloped from all sides at once.
– Very much! It’s all so breathtaking! – Mellie was really very excited, she didn’t expect this from herself.
– That’s wonderful! I rarely make mistakes and after meeting you, I assumed that you are an inquisitive, dreamy and generally multifaceted nature. I am very glad that I was right this time too. But in the future, I ask you to take breaks anyway, it’s mandatory for lunch. I don’t want you to faint from lack of oxygen or from hunger! – One of Mr. Mellone’s dazzling smiles graced his face.
Mellie unconsciously smiled in response, it suddenly dawned on her that she really hadn’t left the office – neither to the toilet, nor for a smoke break.
Chapter 12
Mellie slept like a log that night, and she had wonderful dreams – she was traveling. She woke up in the rosiest mood and literally flew down to the kitchen to share her impressions with Mona. She swallowed her breakfast, chattering incessantly, in a hurry, as she was very impatient to get back to work faster. Mellie thanked Mona, ran out into the hall and almost bumped into Mr. Mellone, who was sitting in his chair with the look of an emperor. He was wearing a cocoa-and-milk shirt and mustard jeans.
– I would like to introduce you to our lesser friends, – it seemed that the voice penetrated into the blood and spread throughout the body like raspberry jam. Mellie immediately realized who he was talking about, and involuntarily shivered.
– Don’t be afraid of them. Dogs feel fear, more precisely, an excess of adrenaline in the blood, but they do not distinguish feelings, so they take it as a sign of aggression. If you are friendly, they will feel and respond to you in the same way, – brown almond-shaped eyes looked friendly and soothing.
The girl thought: «Thanks a lot, my kind boss! The last thing I would like is for a pack of killer dogs to decide that I am an enemy for them!», but she said out loud: «I really love animals!».
Mr. Mellone’s smile at these words became downright unrealistically wide. And Mellie decided that this is how an alligator smiles in anticipation of a hearty lunch.
The wheelchair smoothly rolled down the ramp and stopped in the middle of the yard. There was a soft, barely audible whistle, and they turned out surrounded by a cheerfully bouncing flock. Each of the dogs tried to lick Mr. Mellone’s hand or face, and he laughed merrily and ruffled their necks. But as soon as he spoke, everyone, as if on command, stopped jumping, sat down in a circle and stared at him with devoted eyes. The boss introduced Mellie according to all the rules, just like at a social event. Each dog took turns coming up and sniffing Mellie, and she in turn had to pat the animal on the head.
Finally, the introduction ceremony was over, and they returned to the house to work. As on the previous day, Millie plunged into the most exciting travels and barely broke away for lunch. She ate lunch very quickly and returned to the cabinet. The day again flew by unnoticed. In the evening, giving the updated catalogs, Mellie suddenly had like an electric shock, and she couldn’t help but ask: «All these places… You were there yourself, weren’t you?».
– You are not only very talented and efficient, but you are also a very perceptive girl! Yes. That’s exactly how it is. And if it’s interesting to you, I can somehow share my impressions with you, – Mr. Mellone’s voice was as stringy as white honey, and the same transparent, and his cat eyes shone from the inside.
«Do I want to? Yes, of course I do! And not ever, but right now, right now I wouldn’t refuse!», – Mellie flashed through her head, but she politely thanked aloud and said that the idea was just wonderful. Then she said good night to Mr. Mellone and left.
This time the girl slept much worse, she couldn’t sleep for a very long time. She was haunted by the thought that something was wrong. Or rather, everything was wrong. She really worked; moreover, the work brought her great satisfaction. Inquisitive by nature, Mellie absorbed information like a sponge. And she really wanted the boss to share his emotions with her. And she, in turn, wanted to share her emotions with him. All this was more than strange, because the priority should have been her main job, her goal, for the sake of which she was doing the work. And the details of the execution were just an addition to the overall picture. But it was the opposite. Only two days had passed, and the girl did not want everything to end faster. She managed to understand that her boss was an extremely interesting, even one might say, unique person. She had never met anyone like him before, and she wanted to get to know him better, she wanted to hear what he would tell in his velvety voice, she wanted to share her opinion.
Cold reason stubbornly insisted that he didn’t like everything that was happening, but the adventurous streak blithely waved away, they say, we have a lot of time, why not spend a little for your own pleasure.
Reassuring herself that it was just a period of adaptation, and everything, as always, would fall into place, Mellie was able to fall asleep after all.
Chapter 13
The days filled with interesting work flowed. Mellie no longer thought that something was going wrong. She gave herself completely to life on the estate. As rivers and streams have a current, so this house also had its own current. Slow, measured, but very powerful, it captured imperceptibly, so there was no strength to turn back or get out, and, to be honest, there was no desire either.
«I am on vacation! – Mellie repeated to herself every time common sense gave voice. – And really, why not? I have no time limit, and to impress Mr. Mellone, looks and youth alone are not enough at all!». The girl realized this the very next day after her arrival. Therefore, she needed time to do the main work. This is how she calmed her professional «I» when this «I» began to scream hysterically from her inaction. In fact, she simply enjoyed a calm, measured life in the house, with very interesting and complacent people. And she wasn’t going to rush. Because even time went differently in this place. Everything here was different. And everyone here was different. And it was all so interesting!
The week was coming to an end, and Mellie could not wait for the weekend to climb everything up and down. In fact, she had not seen anything yet, only the house, and even that was not all. However, on Friday evening, at the end of the working day, Mr. Mellon announced that tomorrow morning they would go to the house in the mountains, and in the evening they would go down to the mountain lake and spend the night there.
– Do you have the right clothes? If not, contact Mona, she will pick up something for you, – the boss did not take his brown eyes off her, in which a cheerful chuckle splashed. – Or did you have other plans? In any case, I strongly do not recommend refusing, it will be very interesting! – his quiet voice murmured.
Looking into his eyes, Mellie thought: «I wonder if anyone would dare to say «No» to you, especially after the words «I strongly do not recommend refusing»? Mellie was sure that such an abnormal person would not be found, not only in the house, but throughout the entire globe.
