Chapter 1
Ladoga Tobacco
New York City, NY
The 4th of September, 1930
Quinn Abbott stood very, very small in front of the towering Ladoga Tobacco headquarters. The stories of reflective windows seemed to mock her as she internally cowered just feet from the wide double doors which opened to her future. Her legs quivered under her as she urged herself to move - to walk forward or away or even to crumple to the sidewalk in a pile of nerves - anything! Anything except stand there like an indigent fool in the face of luxury.
Not a bad analogy for how she was currently feeling.
With all the willpower she possessed, and the helping hand of the stranger who knocked into her and, in return, her out of her reverie, she managed to walk up to the building and open the front door.
The interior of Ladoga Tobacco was every bit as impressive as the exterior. Her heels felt very loud on the freshly polished marble floors and suddenly her Sunday best seemed very inadequate for her to be wearing in a place like this. A place like this with ceilings so high you could hear the echo for many moments after the sound and a place where the chandelier cast glittering reflections on the many reflective surfaces of the room. She walked, trembling and with all the air of humbleness one small woman could endow, up to the wide front desk across the room.
The receptionist looked up at her. She had been shaping her nails and absentmindedly keeping an eye on this mouse-like stranger as she sat behind her beautiful, wooden desk. Her nameplate reflected that she was “MS. RUBY CARSON.” She gently shook out her caramel hair and straightened her blouse as the young thing approached her. Her red lips pursed as she tried to get a read on the newcomer.
“H-hello,” she said meekly, shifting her weight from foot to foot as she struggled to make eye contact with Ruby. “My name is Quinn Abbott and I was recently hired as Mr. Franko’s new receptionist. I was told to report here on Monday?”
The last sentence sounded more like a question, to be sure. Ruby couldn’t help but smile to herself as she stood up. This one will never last long, she thought to herself as she passed off a welcoming smile and gestured to the elevators to the left.
“Come with me.”
The women entered the elevator. Ruby ordered the man operating the industrious machine to take them to the thirtieth floor. He tipped his hat to her and went to his duties. Quinn’s foot tapped lightly on the floor as she struggled to get a handle on her nerves.
“First job?”
Quinn laughed aloud, an action she immediately chastised herself for internally, and shook her head at her new coworker.
“No, not by a long shot. This is just my first job somewhere as nice as this.”
“Well, don’t worry, my dear. Ladoga is a wonderful workplace and I’m sure you’ll like the boss just fine.”
“I really appreciate you saying that, thank you. If you don’t mind me asking, how long have you worked here?”
“I’ve been here for a while - maybe three years? The Franko’s are old friends, so to speak.”
The young ladies made polite small talk as they approached the top floor of Ladoga Tobacco. Mr. Franko was out of the office at the moment, as Ruby explained to Quinn, but would be back sometime before lunch. Ruby said she would give Quinn a quick tour but after that she must really return to the lobby.
They stepped off the elevator into a nice open area. There was a corner that was generously dedicated to a smaller version of the wooden desk from the lobby and an assortment of secretarial supplies and tools. A shining black typewriter and a new looking phone took up most of the occupied desk space but there was plenty of room for Quinn to set her purse down and turn around in awe of her new work environment.
The room was beautifully decorated. There was a thick Persian rug spanning half the room, including under Quinn’s desk and the neatly organized chairs which sat outside a domineering door that had the label “MR. RYLAN FRANKO” splayed on the outside. There were plenty of windows in the room, each being framed by both shades and creamy curtains, all of which looked down on to the bustling city streets below. Quinn noted the portrait paintings which lined the walls and the similar stoic faces which appeared in each one, all with violently blue eyes and fine black hair.
“What do you think?”
“I think it’s wonderful.”
“That’s what we like to hear,” she smiled very prettily and Quinn couldn’t help but to admire her perfectly straight, Roman nose. “If you need anything don’t hesitate to come down and get me.”
Quinn thanked her and she went downstairs on the elevator they had just come up in. Alone, Quinn took it on herself to look closer. On the opposite side of her desk from the chairs was a wall full of filing cabinets. The many black cabinets gleaned under the warm lights above. She wandered over to the paintings. The one closest to Mr. Franko’s door was labeled “RADOMIR FRANKO” and it showed a middle aged man with a mean scowl. His eyes glared down at the viewer with a fiery blue fierceness which cannot be achieved by other eye colors. A shiver ran through her spine after the phone rang, startling her out of whatever entrancement she had been under while looking up at Radomir. She quickly hurried over to the phone.
“Thank you for calling Ladoga Tobacco. You’ve reached Mr. Franko’s office, how may I help you?”
“Ah! You must be Miss. Abbott!”
Quinn jumped at the sudden interruption to her relatively quiet morning. She looked over to the elevator just in time to see a tall man with black hair heavily gelled into place and a finely trimmed mustache step off. His pinstripe suit clung to his figure in a most flattering way as he made his way over to the desk of his new secretary. She felt her heart flutter lightly at this intrusion by such a handsome man.
He leaned over her desk in a very nonchalant way, his long fingers stretched out as they supported his lean frame. She noted the way his bright blue eyes - though the same in color as the ones reflected all around them in artistic medium - were playful, sparkling with a bright joy for life that not every individual was lucky enough to find in themselves.
“I’m right, aren’t I?” He asked, his lips twitching into a relaxed smile under his mustache. “You’re my new secretary?”
“I am. You must be Mr. Rylan Franko,” Quinn stood and stuck out her hand to shake his. His smile widened and he took it with vigor. Her nerves, still very wound up from earlier, suddenly relaxed. She was utterly disarmed by this gentleman.
“I had better be or else someone has been lying to me for a hot minute.”
She laughed at his words. He released her hand and partially sat on her desk as she sat back down in her chair. The air of the office had taken on a very warm, casual feel with his joyful energy.
“What have you got for me this morning, Miss. Abbott?”
“A call came in from a Mr. Francis Dubois. He wants,” she paged through the notes that she had taken only just this morning when she was interrupted by Mr. Franko’s hearty laugh. He shook his head as he pushed off her desk and went to his office door. She stood quickly and clutched her notepad to her chest as he continued. “Sir? “You can tell Francis Dubois that I’ll do what he wants when traffic runs smoothly! He’ll understand.”
Quinn did not understand what he was talking about but she called Mr. Dubois back directly after Mr. Franko closed the door and he seemed to because he abruptly thanked her for calling and hung up. She gaped at the closed door to Mr. Franko’s office and couldn’t help but wonder what on earth that was all about.
The day ran by rather fast for young Quinn, trying to find her footing as a very small fish in the biggest pond she had seen yet. Her mind kept wandering to Dickie. She had brought a small framed photo of him to put on her desk and found a perfectly content space for it under the desk lamp near the phone. His little smiling face looked back at her with that goofy grin with two front teeth missing and those big, beautiful brown eyes shining back at her. She secretly kissed her fingers and placed them on his little face when she felt her nerves creeping back.
The day was creeping to a close when 4:00 pm rolled around. She was typing out the notes from a phone call she had just taken when the elevator doors slid open. The ding snapped Quinn’s head up. She smiled welcomingly at the newcomer and stood to greet him but he clearly didn’t need greeting.
He was young and handsome, this much struck her first. He had beautiful, dark black glossy hair that was less styled than Mr. Franko’s, leaving room for his natural waves to accentuate his otherwise sharp features. His frame, while very similar to Mr. Franko’s, wasn’t as lean but more built with broad shoulders and strong, less narrow hips. He wore a pinstripe suit as well but his was a royal blue which helped his eyes to shine even more vibrant. He didn’t have any facial hair but his strong eyebrows and sharp jawline made up for it tenfold.
To put it simply; he looked like a dream.
“How may I help you,” she barely stammered out over the incessant beating of her heart.
“Don’t worry about me,” he said as he tried to breeze past, “I’m just here to see Mr. Franko.”
“Oh, I’m awful sorry, sir. He’s in a meeting at the moment and he made it quite clear he was not to be disturbed. If you wouldn’t mind, you’re welcome to take a seat and wait.”
He paused for a second, not having expected this rather polite refusal. One eyebrow shot up for a moment before he regained that composure he works so hard to keep and smiled at the young thing in front of him.
“Well, darling, would you mind letting him know Rush is here to see him? I’m certain he had me penciled in for this afternoon.”
“Rush? Yes, I do remember seeing that on his schedule. One moment -” she fingered through the planner of Mr. Franko’s dates. “Oh, yes, I see it right here. Rush Frank-”
She stopped short when the very obvious revelation of their relation came to her. She felt she hadn’t done anything wrong but she was certain that telling the boss’s family “no” on the first day was a sure way to get fired fast.
“I know I’m a little late but he shouldn’t mind. That’s what big brothers are for, huh?”
He laughed at himself but Quinn was still trying to figure out the appropriate way to behave at this workplace. She gave him a small smile and a somewhat uncomfortable laugh.
“How long have you worked here? I haven’t seen you before so you must be new.”
“This is my first day, actually.”
“Really? Welcome, then. I’m sure you’ll love it here. Lagoda is simply,” something twinkled in those bright eyes, “to die for.”
Quinn’s full brown brows pulled together ever so slightly when he said that. She was about to ask for further details when the door to Mr. Franko’s office swung open and he stepped out, holding the door open for an older gentleman in a fine three piece suit and matching cap. He had rather playful, warm brown eyes which were delicately framed by smile lines etched into his face. Quinn thought she had never seen such a jovial old fellow.
“It has been a pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Franko - an absolute pleasure.”
“Mr. Dawson, I assure you,” said Mr. Franko as he took the man’s frail, manicured hand into his own in a firm handshake, “the pleasure is all mine. I look forward to hearing from you again soon. And do be sure to tell the missus I send my best.”
“Of course, of course. Evelyn will be so glad.”
“You take care now.” He walked the man to the elevator, seemingly dubious to his brother standing at his secretary’s desk. As soon as Mr. Dawson was in the elevator he turned around and clapped his hands quite loudly. The sound startled Quinn but Mr. Franko was already crossing the room to give Rush Franko a friendly clap on the back. “You’re late, brother! I was fully prepared to go about the evening’s business without you. Come on now, we have a lot of planning to do.”
Rylan and Rush Franko disappeared in the former’s office in a flurry of business discussions. Quinn did not miss the last glance the latter threw her way before he was taken inside the room and the door was securely closed behind him.
