“Didyou just give me a compliment?”
“Well,Idid also say that your brain missed it.”
“How’dyou get so good at body language?”
“That’sneed-to-know.”
Ledgerrolls his eyes just as a text comes in.
Packston: All five are clear.
HearingfromPackstonmakes me realize that we haven’t heard much fromDamjan.Foras chatty as the guy is in person,Ifigured he’d be non-stop talking in our ears the whole time.Butsince he told us what to order, we haven’t heard a peep.PinkShirtis clearly saying goodbye to everyone, and while she’s saying something, she hikes a thumb toward the restroom before hugging another of her friends.
“I’mgoing to go talk to her in the restroom,”ItellLedgerasIput my napkin on the table.
“How?ShespeaksSerbian.”
“Mostyoung people here also speakEnglish, soI’mcrossing my fingers that she does.”
Imake it to the restroom beforePinkShirtdoes.It’salways good to make it seem like they’re following you, not the other way around.Assoon asIhear the door opening,Isay, “Ugg!Notright now!”I’mstanding at a sink, leaning my hip against it, looking down at my phone, my other hand on my forehead.
PinkShirthesitates a moment, then asks, “Areyouokay?”Heraccent is very thick, but she speaksEnglishwell.
“Yeah,”Isay. “Myboss is just the worst.Hethinks he can ask me to do anything anytime, and doesn’t even care thatI’mon a date.”
“You, too, ay?”
Scoreone for me on reading her body language well as she was complaining to her friends. “Letme guess— you are a personal assistant, too?”
PinkShirtnods.Ihold out my hand. “Hi,I’mShauna.”
Thewoman shakes my hand. “Milena.Butpeople call meMila.”Shelooks younger up close.IfIhad to guess her age,I’dguess twenty-one or twenty-two.
“Doesyour boss make you do seventy-five percent of the work, too?”
“Da,” my new friend,Milasays. “Icome up with the best ideas, but she takes credit.Sheknows this job is important to me, so she threatens it to make me do all the work.”
“Itsounds like your boss is in finance like mine is.”
“Myboss,Petra, is over…”Milapauses for a moment like she’s trying to recall the right word, “events for a man who deals with art.Andprobably more things, but art is what he wants people to know about him.”
“Ugh,”Isay. “I’vebeen to plenty of art events with my bosses— art people are every bit as snooty as finance people.”
“They’rethe worst!Weare planning an event for even more snooty art people, soIwill be surrounded by them.”
Isympathize withMilaand we chat abit more, all whileI’msilently cheering that we found the perfect asset.ThenIsay “Sorry,Ijust need to get anUberon its way soIcan go help my boss,” loving thatUberis virtually everywhere.
Ilook likeI’mgoing into an app, but really,I’mcounting onDamjanto do theUberscheduling for me.Inmy earpiece, he says, “I’mon it!”
“Oh!”Milasays. “IforgotI’min a hurry!”Shelooks down at her watch, and then pulls out her phone and starts tapping on it as she says, “Ilive with my sister.Sheworks at our house, but she doesn’t start untilI’mthere to watch my niece and nephew.I’msupposed to be there already, and…”Hershoulders drop. “Ijust missed a bus, so nowIhave to wait another twenty minutes for the next one.Mysister will be so mad.”
“Whatdirection are you headed?”Iask.
“Welive inZemun, not too far fromGardošTower.”
“Oh,Iam headed to that same area— maybe half a kilometer past the tower!MyUberwill be here soon—”
“Sixminutes,”Damjansays in my earpiece.
