Reforming Little Anya (15 page)

Never in her life had she known such joy. Eventually, they settled down and just swam, and then went ashore to eat lunch. When they were done, Jessica was curious about the area. The other girls knew it well, so they had no interest in taking a walk. Jessica was careful to ask permission before leaving the group.

Viktor nodded. “Yes, Anya, but don’t go far, and remember to not talk to strangers.”

“I’ll be okay.”

Off she went, and saw several tourists enjoying themselves. As it was early in the season, the place wasn’t very crowded, so she was able to focus more on the flora and fauna than the people. She eventually found herself on the small deck of the resort, which afforded a splendid view of the lake and mountains, and there a voice caught her attention.

“Hello there, young lady,” a man said with a French accent. “And what is your name?”

She turned and saw a man with a laptop and cell phone sitting at one of the umbrella-covered tables. A quick scan and she saw that he was using his phone to provide Internet access for his computer.
Oh ho, what a bit of serendipity! If I can access my email account, I could get a message home. So, how to play this? The curious little girl routine? No, he doesn’t know who I am. I’ll do the sophisticated lady bit, and wow his socks off.

“
Bonjour, monsieur
, my name is Jessica Alban, I’m with Globe-Corp, and we’re looking at this area for a new resort.”

He rose from his chair, a broad smile on his face. Goodness, he was beautiful enough to be a model.

“GC? Why, I believe I know that company,” he said, pulling a magazine from his briefcase. “Yes, here it is: ‘Globe-Corp, newest of the Fortune 500 companies.’ Well, well, you must be quite the up-and-comer to be entrusted with such a project. Will you join me for a drink?”

Jessica stepped over to the table, a broad smile on her face.
A drink!? Oh, just the thought of a drink makes my mouth water.
She licked her lips and glanced at the computer screen.
Yes, he’s got the web browser open. Now, if I can just get to Yahoo and log into my personal email, I’m home free.
In an instant, she was in the chair, and he was sitting next to her.

“Oh,
merci, merci
, I would like that very much. Ahhh, could I have a mojito?”

The man signaled to a waitress, and she came over and took their orders. A few minutes later Jessica was sipping on pure nectar. She almost moaned in delight as the mixture trickled down her throat.
Oh, it’s been sooo long since I had a decent cocktail, and this one is just right—not too heavy on the syrup, and the mint and limes are well muddled.

Herve (the guy introduced himself as they drank) was quite the nice man, and Jessica loved being treated like an adult. They chatted about… well, practically everything: her career, the company, its plans for the future. He seemed quite interested in Globe-Corp, and that gave her an idea.

She made a swirling motion on the table with her index finger. “You know, Herve, I could send an email to my boss and get you all kinds of information on the company. Why, if you play your cards right, you might even get a job interview.”

He grinned and slowly rose from his seat. “Really? You don’t say? Well, please, be my guest,” he replied, gesturing at his computer.

Jessica pounced on the computer, giving it her full attention, and typed away furiously. “Oh, you won’t regret this. I’m a very imp—ack!”

She was cut off in mid-sentence when he grabbed her. His right hand clamped tight over her mouth, and his left pinned her arms behind her back. She gasped, her eyes growing wide in fear.

This guy is some sort of—rapist—or something!

Straining against his grip, she tried to break free, but he was easily able to hoist her up and out of the chair, and then it was off toward the hotel. Jessica tried to scream and fight back, but both avenues of escape were taken from her.

“Oh, I definitely intend to play those cards, my dear. If you’re only half as important as you claim to be, your company should be willing to pay a pretty penny to get you back.”

Oh, so that’s his game. Kidnapping. That means rape is unlikely. Well, at least less likely.

Suddenly, as they headed down a hall, some of Viktor’s words rang in her ears.

“There will come a day when each of us must be prepared to fight for what’s right, for what we hold dear, and what’s worth fighting for.”

That was it. Jessica was
not
going to be a victim. Her legs might have been small, but she had put some muscle on them, and she used them to good effect. Two swift kicks, and down the two of them went. Her only problem now was that he was on top of her, and thus she couldn’t get away. But at least his hand was off her mouth. She opened her mouth to scream, and then froze as a shadow fell across both of them. Looking up, Jessica grinned.

It was Misha, and she did
not
look happy. For once, Jessica knew her anger was not directed at her.

“Sir, just what do you think you’re doing?” she said simply.

“Away, you—you Amazon woman, this is no concern of yours,” he snapped.

Oh, you poor simpleton. Would you care to dig that hole just a few feet deeper?

“Oh, really?” Misha replied.

Jessica relaxed as the man pulled her to her feet and held her in front of him.

“Yes. My wife is not feeling well, and I'm taking her back to our room to—”

Pow!
He never got to finish his sentence. Jessica actually jumped in surprise, so swift had Misha’s punch been. She truly knocked his lights out, because he went limp, Jessica dropped to her knees, and down he went. In an instant, Jessica launched herself into Misha’s arms, and the next moment Viktor was there with hotel security. While they bundled the man off to the police, Misha took Jessica, still carrying her in her arms, to the hotel’s conference room.

She was a bit confused by that. “Ah, ma’am, what are we doing here? Am I in trouble?”

Misha set her down and smiled at her. “No, not really. While you did break the rule about talking to strangers, I think we can skip any sort of punishment for that. What I need to know is this: are you all right? Did he… hurt you?”

“No, ma’am, I’m just a little shaken. He didn’t have time to… do anything.”

Gathering Jessica into her arms, Misha hugged her so tightly her ribs almost ached. They sat there in the quiet peace of the room for a good long time, and then the police arrived to take her statement. She told them everything, although she did gloss over the bit about trying to access her email account and drinking alcohol. Admitting to that would definitely earn her a royal rump roasting.

Misha frowned. “Anya, it’s bad enough that you spoke to a stranger, but then you accepted his offer to play with his computer?”

“Sorry, ma’am,” she squeaked, shrinking into the plush leather chair.

The police chuckled, and Misha sighed.

“Well… there will be no ‘formal’ punishment, but you will write one hundred times: ‘I must not talk to strangers’ and write an essay on why it’s important not to do that! Is that clear?”

Jessica chewed her lip and nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”

Once the questioning was over, she and Misha left to join the others. The girls were incredibly supportive, and Viktor hugged and kissed her so much she thought her ribs would be bruised for days. However, he also gave her a royally good scolding right there in front of the girls and a number of resort guests. Jessica hung her head and felt about five years old.

“I’m very sorry, sir, and I’ll accept whatever punishment you see fit.”

He smiled and gently stroked her hair. “No, my precious little one, I could never lift a hand against someone who has suffered such a trauma.”

Once home, they showered and changed, and then sat down to dinner. Jessica decided to forgo the movie. She knew it would help her get her mind off of the day’s events, but she really wanted to get to work on her writing. She was actually looking forward to it. As far as she was concerned, it was going to be therapeutic. Two hours later, she felt arms about her, and actually tensed in fear. It was Misha.

“I’m okay, ma’am,” she mumbled.

Misha chuckled. “I’m sure you are, sweetie, but you’re also one very tired little girl. Come on, let me help you to bed.”

Stumbling down the hall, Jessica didn’t resist when Misha slipped her shorts and panties down and held her on the toilet. She even helped Jessica brush her teeth and get her footie jammies on. After that, she practically carried Jessica to her bed and tucked her in.

“I hope you sleep well, my little one,” Misha said, kissing her forehead.

Sleep came easily, but her dreams were troubled. Time and again she found herself being chased by tall men. Arms would wrap about her, hands would clamp over her mouth, and someone would hurt her. She tried to run, to fight, to scream for help, but she was trapped. Suddenly, it seemed the dream had come to life; she felt large hands on her.

“No, nooo, get away, get away, don’t hurt me,” she wailed.

“Anya, Anya, it’s all right,” came Viktor’s gentle voice. “I’ve got you, and you’re safe. No one will hurt you.”

She almost heaved herself out of his embrace, and so he wrapped her blanket about her, creating a cocoon to hold her in. He then gathered her up in his arms, and she next found herself being carried down the hall. Resting her head on his shoulder, she saw heads pop out of several doors, and heard a series of questions. Viktor reassured all of them.

“It’s all right, Anya just had a nightmare. Everyone get back to bed, she’ll be fine.”

Everyone did so, and he continued on down the hall, down the back stairs, and then outside. There were some nice benches arranged near the garden; the girls sat on them to eat lunch and to rest while tending the garden. Viktor sat there and set Jessica, still in her cocoon, on his lap.

“Here we go, little one, some nice quiet time with me out here under the stars. Come on, look at the stars, and remember them. Can you find Ursa Major?”

It took a few minutes for Jessica to calm down. Her breathing was labored and ragged for a while, and then she got it under control. She shook and trembled for a longer time, and then the blanket and Viktor’s gentle embrace also eased that off.

“Ah, the stars? Ahhh, yes, yes, I see it. There it is, and Polaris is right over there,” she said, wiggling her arm out so she could point.

That was how they spent the next hour, stargazing, and it did wonders at taking her mind off of her nightmare. Finally, she felt her eyelids grow heavy. She tried to stay awake, to focus on Viktor’s questions, but she couldn’t get her mind to pay attention. Suddenly, she was flying! She felt like putting her arms out and crying out, “Wheeeee” like she did when she was a kid. Well, that wasn’t entirely true. Actually, it wasn’t true at all—she’d never gotten to do that when she was a child. No, her dad didn’t believe in… frivolities like that. At an early age, her teachers had determined she was highly gifted, and that was when her parents had fast-tracked her education. Anything that tended to distract her from her studies was discouraged, and that was putting it mildly.

Then she figured it out. Viktor was carrying her again, and doing so quite gently. She truly felt as if she was floating on a cloud. A moment later, he eased her into bed, and made her comfortable.

“Thank you, sir,” she mumbled, even as he tucked her in.

“You’re welcome, little one. Now, sleep, and sleep well,” he said, and kissed her on the forehead.

She did.

Later, as she felt her face growing warm, her eyes fluttered and opened, and she saw the soft light of morning spilling in her window. She also saw something else, and it made her smile. There was Viktor, flopped back in a chair, his feet up on the foot of the bed, and he was out cold. Jessica giggled. He was also snoring. She heard what she thought was an echo, and turned toward the door. Iva and several of the girls were standing in the doorway, and they were trying hard not to laugh out loud.

“All right, girls, all right,” came Misha’s voice. “What’s going on…?” Her voice trailed off as she reached the doorway and looked in. She rolled her eyes and covered her mouth with both hands in an effort to not laugh too loudly.

Jessica shushed all of them. “Not so loud. You’ll wake him,” she scolded in a loud whisper.

Misha crossed to Viktor and eased him forward in the seat. “It would seem the old boy stayed up a little too late.”

“It’s my fault, ma’am, he was trying to protect me from bad dreams.”

“Maybe we should get him to bed,” Iva suggested.

“Yes, good idea,” Jessica said, nodding and getting out of bed. “Come on, let’s get him in my bed, and he can sleep as long as he wants.”

“A very nice gesture, Anya,” Misha said. “Girls, come help us.”

The girls swarmed forward and the scene was like seven female dwarfs helping a male version of Snow White. They eased Viktor up and turned him around, and flopped him into bed. Iva and Jessica covered him with the sheet and blanket, and then each girl stepped up to kiss him good night. Yet, they were careful
not
to wish him pleasant dreams—they didn’t want to risk waking him. After that, they all tiptoed from the room, Jessica pausing to grab some clothes as she went.

Of course, given the creaky old floor, they were far from silent. Yet, as tired as poor old Viktor clearly was, it seemed there was little chance of him waking. In fact, before the last of them had crossed the door’s threshold, they could hear him snoring again, much louder.

The girls giggled again, and Misha gave them a semi-stern warning. It was done with a wink and a smirk, so they knew she wasn’t being serious. Well, not entirely.

* * *

Jessica was tormented by several more nights of bad dreams, but Viktor was always there to comfort her, and that helped to eventually dim them from her mind.

Chapter Twelve

Two weeks later, Jessica was skipping along merrily toward the home. She felt such a surge of relief: she’d passed her cooking exam final, and now she could well and truly help out in the kitchen. She knew just what she was going to make everyone for her first dinner: chicken parmesan. It had always been her favorite, but she’d never learned how to make it. Actually, truth be told, she’d never learned to cook anything. Such things had been deemed a waste of time by her parents. Nothing could come between Jessica and her studies, and—after all—that’s what restaurants were for.