by Tanja Neise
I tried not to be impressed and, instead, asked him: “Why did you do that?” Burning with curiosity, I stood up and looked at him questioningly. I was a little out of breath and decided to stop worrying about the noise level, and eagerly sucked the oxygen into my lungs.
A bold smile was playing around the corner of his mouth. “Since I am a polite person, I’ll offer something to my guest first, before allowing myself what my body desires.” Clearly an ambiguous response that did not answer the question I had asked him. His right eyebrow had slid up a little higher, paired with the haunting look he’d been giving me, this made me suspect that he had something completely different in mind than having a drink.
Anne Rumsfield
The building was decked out with the latest security measures, but as a member of the elite team, I had experience with these installations and the obstacles were quickly removed. Satisfied, I put the tools back into my special suit and opened the back door, slipped through, and silently scurried down the stairs.
The corridor on the lowest level was dimly lit by the emergency lights ahead of me. The cleaning staff wouldn’t enter the area for another hour and, presumably, nobody else went in or out until then. This was the best time for my attack.
The heat sensors, which I had brought along, had no chance between the walls. All the rooms had been built in such a way that it was simply impossible to detect activities from the outside using a thermograph. Internally, I was cursing the security officer who seemed to have thought of everything. The doors in this area of the building each had a separate security system. I’d hoped to have disabled the whole thing when I entered the building, but I’d been wrong. The architect of this laboratory had exhausted every possibility available to him and had been well advised. I had only been able to eliminate the first barriers I came up against because my boss was informed of all the loopholes by the security companies at the beginning. Accordingly, all members of our team were trained to bypass such systems before they were installed for the first time. This had been regulated into law, since many thousands of people had died in the vampire wars due to such false or unavailable information.
This type of lock, however, was completely unknown to me, despite my years of training. I stopped, flabbergasted, when I heard a quiet whirring behind me.
This couldn’t be happening! I had paralysed the system, and now the doors that I’d already passed through were being activated again? How was this possible? Apparently, I’d thought that it was going to be far too straightforward to break into this building.
I had never experienced panic before; as soon as my heart rate increased I subconsciously applied the breathing technique I had learned and my brain was free to think clearly again.
The hologram of the minicomputer I always wore on my wrist flashed frantically. I stared at the projection in disbelief. However, no matter how many times I blinked, the warning indicated that the cameras were powering on. Any moment now, I’d be on display and appear on the security guards' screens.
This was just getting better and better!
Robert Tensington
I had sat down in my office with a few invoices that I wanted to check, as the mountains of paperwork were not getting any lower. My concentration left a lot to be desired. Everything was as per usual. The shelves full of books, and a few of the personal things I had set up in here, however, seemed dull. Just as my whole life suddenly seemed bland.
Like every evening, the window was open because I didn't want to miss Olivia Morgan coming to work. The night air forced its way into the room, and with it, a few noises that I didn't want to investigate. All my senses were focussed on one person. I felt like a stalker, who was longing to catch a glimpse of Liv or a whiff of her fragrance. This was already bordering on obsession, but as with so many other things in my life, I didn't care.
I didn't care if I was obsessed or if anybody thought I was. I had a goal and I would reach that goal sooner or later. Better sooner, because the word patience, essentially, wasn't part of my vocabulary.
I could hear that the bus was on time, as its ancient brakes screeched, announcing its arrival. Then, everything happened very quickly, and I found myself halfway between the bus stop and the company building, without really knowing why. My instinct had acted before my mind had even realised what had happened. With iron discipline, I had to suppress the desire to break busty blonde’s neck. How dare she have become violent towards Olivia? I had already dismissed her, but unfortunately I wasn’t throwing her out until the end of the month. If I’d been harder on her and had fired her without notice, this wouldn’t have happened. I was noticeably getting soft.
Nevertheless, I didn't want to overreact and give new fuel to the rumours about me, just because I couldn't control myself. Well, I obviously could have saved myself that, as my appearance would guarantee a great, hot topic of conversation.
What I had just heard hadn't hurt me in a long time, but I didn't want Olivia to get the wrong idea about me. I didn't care about the present scum that was humanity. I wasn’t homosexual and never would be. And in fact, she had stood up for me, taken sides for me. This caused me the urgent desire to snatch her into my arms and thank her in my own way.
She sat in front of me in the dust, her cheeks had turned red; however, she wasn’t angry. Instead, Olivia Morgan seemed broken, unshed tears shimmering in her eyes. And I resolved that I never wanted to see that again. Dark would get a new assignment, where I would give him a free hand. The mere thought of how this sombre man could cast the bad behaviour out of this blonde witch cheered me up and a diabolical grin spread across my full lips before I showed myself.
The look she gave me when she realised that I was helping her was my reward. I would put up with any kind of gossip just to see that expression on her face again. My heart swelled and, in horror, I realised that Olivia had already claimed a part of it as her own. She wouldn’t suspect it, but it frightened me to see how much power this petite little woman had gained over me in a very short space of time.
* * *
“Since I am a polite person, I’ll offer something to my guest first, before allowing myself what my body desires.” I gave this clearly ambiguous answer deliberately, in order to help her forget the role of victim a little.
I wanted to see the courageous gleam in her eyes again and lure out her fighting spirit, even if I’d be the one to reap it. My right eyebrow shot up – an emotional sign on my face that, ordinarily, was oftentimes motionless, and which I just couldn't get under control. She fascinated me, and in her presence I was unable to manage all my body’s reactions. Favourably, I observed that I had achieved what I wanted and leaned back calmly in the leather upholstery. The show could begin. Or should I say ‘the fight’?
She was beautiful, and even more so when her green eyes spewed fire. My hands were eager to take off her glasses and run through her red hair to free it from the tight plait. I had to hold back – hold back very strongly, which definitely wasn't easy for me. It wasn’t my intention to frighten her; I wanted her to give me everything of herself, of her own free will.
Indignantly, Olivia straightened up and glared at me; I couldn't help grinning because my plan was obviously working. “I’ll have a mineral water, nothing else.”
With a restrained smile, I reached for the bottle and as I opened it, I said: “Sometimes just giving is also nicer than taking.”
Anger was boiling inside her – even a blind man could see that. She reached for the door to get out, but since the car had already started to move, the hydraulics were switched off for safety reasons. It would have been easy for me to open this ridiculous door for her, but that would have greatly restricted the fun, so I refrained from handing her the glass of bubbling liquid, without comment, and watched her reaction.
The girl opposite me snorted in frustration, and grabbed the drink. Secretly, I was prepared for the immediate cold shoulder, but the young woman surprised me once more and drank, instead of giving in to
the urge that was undoubtedly raging inside her. I could read her emotions in her face as if I had flipped open a book. Her self-control was phenomenal.
How could a person appear so provocative with such a simple action? Her full red lips pressed on the glass and I ardently wished for nothing more than to kiss her. She didn’t let me out of her sight for a moment, and licked a drop of water from her lower lip. I vigorously expelled the air from my lungs; so much for self-control – I was slowly losing mine. Her eyes shone with amusement, for she had noticed my reaction before she handed me the empty vessel.
“It seems to me that you need a bit of this wonderful cooling off, too, Mr Tensington.” Her tone was sweet as sugar and her mischievous smile inflamed me with even more desire for her.
Oh yes, she was absolutely right. I desperately needed a cooling off. The ice in the crystal glass rattled as I took it out of her hand and poured myself a generous sip of whiskey. With pleasure, I put my lips on the part that had touched hers beforehand and drank hastily. God, I was acting like a teenager! The burning liquid that was running down my oesophagus only partially helped, but it distracted me from her somewhat.
Olivia Morgan
Slowly, I was even beginning to enjoy playing with fire. And Robert Tensington was clearly the inside of the flame, where it burned the hottest. At first, I had felt panic, which had rapidly turned to anger, because I couldn’t open the door.
But I quickly realised that it was only a standard safety feature of the car so that you couldn't unlock it while driving. This car glided so smoothly over the tarmac that I hadn't even noticed it had started to move at all.
When I had emptied my glass, I handed it back to him and leaned back, relaxed. Amused, I registered how his Adam’s apple jumped up and down and he was guzzling the whiskey down with great speed. I had made him nervous. Me? Olivia Morgan? It was almost unbelievable and yet I could see from his clear physical reactions that it corresponded with reality.
One of America's most eligible bachelors was sitting next to me. He really looked damn good and I would be lying if I claimed he wasn't interesting. His body was large and muscular – without appearing bulky – and his face could have come right out of one of those mushy Hollywood romcoms I loved to watch. I felt attracted to him, but I would definitely not give in to him. Perhaps this man wasn’t dangerous, but he wouldn't leave much of me when he was done with me. People like him, who were at the top of the food chain, were not made for lasting relationships and anything else was out of the question for me. Tensington was powerful, and I had probably awakened his ambition because I hadn’t immediately become a slave to him like so many before me. Yet I enjoyed his presence. He made me feel desirable.
I was frightened and decided to leave before I fell for his charm, so I stood up a little and looked him in the eye. “Once you're done, it would be nice if you could tell your driver to drive me back. I started my shift two minutes ago. The top boss may not be gay, but he has a reputation for severely sanctioning staff shortcomings.” On the one hand, I really wanted to go to work – the women would probably be tearing their hair out. On the other hand, I wanted to keep teasing him, it was just too much fun. And for a short moment his right eyebrow shot up again, but he had quickly got a hold of himself and now, once again, he was putting on his slightly arrogant, unapproachable facial expression. “This boss must be a real tyrant.”
A little amused, I leaned back and enjoyed the cosiness of the luxury-drenched vehicle, but I didn’t want to be as relaxed as before and was on my guard instead. I firmly decided not to let myself be wrapped around his little finger. “I think that’s his right. He pays very well, and we are all employed by him to perform the tasks for which we are very well remunerated.”
“I like your attitude.” He obviously did, because he ventured one step further and asked: “Why do you clean? You can articulate yourself, you obviously weren’t born yesterday. So why not start in another department?”
Amazingly, I wanted to be sincere with him and not tell him fairy tales; I wanted him to know who I was and what my goals were. “I like working in Sally's team. It's hard but honest work and I can work at night. During the day I study at the local university. If I didn't have this job with your company, I wouldn't be able to. Thank you.” It had been a long time since I’d had such a good conversation with a male being. Often my own insecurity put a spoke in my wheel, but here, with him, things were different.
She slowly leaned a little closer to me and looked me in the face. “And when do you sleep?”
A hard, sarcastic laugh escaped from my throat, as he had instantly put his finger on the flaw in my lifestyle. “That is exactly my problem. Unfortunately, much too seldom, more specifically, too little.”
The seriousness, which now filled the air, was cause enough to tense up again. What did he want from me? Apart from the obvious which I had clearly denied him?
“Then you should change something. There are deep shadows under your eyes. You definitely sleep too little.” His voice was quiet and gentle, yet anger surged in me. I’d always had one weakness – my rebelliousness. As soon as someone told me what to do, I automatically lapsed into a defensive attitude, even if the objection was justified.
“Maybe it's quite simple in your circles, but if you don't wake up every morning having been born with a silver spoon in your mouth, it's almost impossible. If I change anything, I can say goodbye to my dream of becoming a doctor.”
Robert Tensington showed no reaction, even though I’d become loud. That frustrated me even more, because it made me feel like a hysterical cow. Why did I lack that stoic calm? Why did I constantly let such small things get to me so much?
“Sorry for getting loud, but believe me, I have no other way of having a roof over my head and studying at the same time,” I admitted, meekly.
“Please, Miss Morgan, there’s no need to apologise. I must beg you for your forgiveness for interrogating you so.” A wink, a smile and I would have forgiven him for everything. What exactly was this man doing with me? “Have dinner with me and we’ll try to find a solution together.”
When he noticed my hesitation, he added in a confidential tone: “It’s all right, I have a good connection to your boss.”
Robert Tensington had a sense of humour. Why shouldn't I have dinner with him? I couldn't think of a plausible reason. He was charming and knew that I wasn't interested. Besides, I hadn't eaten anything since breakfast because my fridge was empty. Since there were still a few days until the end of the month, it wouldn’t be filled that quickly.
I therefore said, “I’d love to,” and gave him a smile, despite all my reservations and the uncertainty of making the right decision.
Anne Rumsfield
The only hiding place I could find quickly was the large cleaning machine, which they hung from the outside of the façade to clean the gigantic window fronts. Today, however, it was in the middle of the corridor. Presumably, it was going to be serviced in the next few days. Hastily, I opened a flap and climbed into the metal monstrosity. Inside, it smelled of lubricating oil and some chemical cleaning agent. I was certainly going to have to dispose of my clothes, but that was the least of my problems at this moment.
How was I supposed to get out of here without being discovered? In a few hours a new working day would begin, and the employees certainly wouldn’t see the humour on a Friday morning if someone suddenly just jumped out of the machine.
My brain was working at full speed. Anger was welling up within me. Why hadn't I packed the tab? With it, I would at least have been able to hack the security system one more time and would’ve been able to buy myself a few minutes in which I would’ve got out of the building unnoticed.
Now, however, I was trapped, and the only possibility that came to my mind was the small computer on my wrist. It surely had to be possible to reprogramme it and, in doing so, gain access to the company's intranet.
I could hear footsteps coming from outside my hiding pla
ce. Heavy boot soles squeaked on the linoleum. I breathed evenly and tried to adjust my heartbeat to my breathing, too. It wouldn’t help if I started sweating now.
Muffled voices penetrated my ear; unfortunately, I didn't understand what the conversation was about. But I could imagine what it was about. Hopefully, the security staff would assume it was a false alarm, then I’d have enough time to come up with a plan B.
For a while I remained completely motionless, but at some point I felt safe enough and came out of my torpor. I hurriedly started programming the small, high-tech device on my wrist. This had to work, otherwise I’d be sitting in a hopeless trap in the near future.
Robert Tensington
Over the past years there had never been a day when I’d felt as close to as comfortable as today. Here and now in Olivia's company, for the first time, I had the feeling of being alive again. Not only mentally present and physically functioning – no, I felt the need to tear out trees from their roots and announce to the world that I was happy.
It seemed as if she enjoyed my presence as much as I enjoyed hers. Olivia told me about her studies and I was amazed at her commitment and grit. In spite of the adverse circumstances, she did not let herself be distracted from her path. Her whole life she had worked towards becoming a doctor, and now she was fulfilling her dream. Deep admiration for her and her stamina was intermingled with my physical desire for her. Together with the scent she radiated, it formed an aphrodisiacal cocktail in my bloodstream.
Her laughter left me breathless. One look and my heart began to race. I desired her more than any other woman before. Fascinated, I watched her and wondered what was wrong with me. I didn't recognise myself.