Serenity

 I sat in the private waiting room, mindlessly playing with the strap on my purse as I waited for the partners to speak with me. Nearly a month had passed since Daniel revealed this to me, and we were getting closer by the day. He respected my wish to wait to complete the bond, and I thought we had found every possible loophole in my contract with Caffrey & Dahl. Imagine my surprise when I was summoned to the firm's headquarters to meet with the partners themselves.

I hadn't even turned in my request, yet my mind was racing with concerns. Had they found out? Was I going to be removed from the program, or even fired? Would that even matter...yes, I love my work. Hell, I don't even know how this Eternal thing will unfold. I can't even make up my mind if I want to stay human or let Daniel change me.

I was so lost in my worries that I didn't hear the secretary walk in. I almost jumped out of my seat when she tapped my shoulder. "Oh sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. You didn't answer so I thought maybe you had earbuds in. Um, the partners are ready for you now, Miss Matthews."

 I stood, smoothing my skirt, my cheeks flushing. "Uh, thank you. I guess I was just distracted." She nodded, and I followed her into the large office. After spending so many months in Iten Enterprises' dimmer lighting, I squinted at the harsh fluorescent lighting.

"Ahh, Miss Matthews, welcome," Mr. Caffrey gushed. "Please sit, would you like some water?"

"No thank you, sir," I said quietly as I sank into the plush high-back chair. I felt like it was practically swallowing me. The older man smiled and sent his secretary scampering away then sat across from me. Mr. Dahl was to my left, a sour look on his face.

"So how are you finding the exchange program, Miss Matthews?" Caffrey asked. "We understand you are working directly with the senior partners, Mr. Ito and Mr. Willet."

I cleared my throat, regretting my refusal of water as I spoke, "Um, yes sir, I do work with them some. I'm part of the administrative assistant department. There are over a dozen assistants."

"But you're the only human one, correct?" Mr. Dahl asked, his eyes narrowing.

I felt the hair on the back of my neck prickling. What was he implying? "That's correct, Mr. Dahl."

"Why do you think that is, Miss Matthews?" he questioned.

My heart felt like it was racing and I knew my voice shook as I spoke, "I'm not entirely sure, sir. I encountered Mr. Ito on my first day just as I entered the firm. It was he who escorted me to reception to start my processing. When I finally made it to HR for my paperwork, I was told I had been requested for the admin pool because of my references. Honestly, I assumed that my immediate supervisor, Tomas Krinnik, had made a referral. After all, he was the one who placed me into the program without my knowledge."

The two men exchanged a look that I couldn't quite figure out then Mr. Caffrey spoke again. "Are you not pleased with the experience? I apologize if Mr. Krinnik behaved poorly. It wasn't until after your acceptance that HR made me aware of your difficult path with Mr. Ito's kind."

The knots in my stomach were becoming more pronounced as alarms were going off in my head. "I'm finding the program very educational, sirs. I admit my background with the vampire community was not a positive one, but the people at Iten have been welcoming and very professional."

"Good, good," he replied, "Then we will expect your first briefing at the end of the month."

"Briefing, sir?"

"As part of the program, you are expected to spend one day each quarter with the board, updating them on the procedures you are learning from Iten. While they are a cooperative program, it is always in the best interest of humanity to stay apprised of their practices and policies. Of course, we don't expect you to breach privileged information, just give an overview of what you are noticing and learning whilst among them." His fingers were pressed together as he spoke, leaning slightly forward. I noticed a trickle of sweat beading at the edge of his receding hairline. Mr. Dahl, on the other hand, looked completely calm, almost bored.

"I was not aware of this expectation, sirs. I mean, I've been completing my monthly reports, however, a quarterly presentation isn't stated in the contract and Mr. Krinnik didn't mention any briefings," I said firmly.

"Well, he damn well should have, Matthews. It may not be in the contract, but it's an unspoken requirement. How can our firm expand and compete with those creatures if we can't learn their tricks," Dahl fumed, his bored expression quickly morphing into one of rage and disgust. "You of all people should be happy to help humans gain the upper hand - you know exactly what they are capable of."

I felt tears prickling in my eyes as I nodded. They must have assumed my tears were from memories of my family as Mr. Caffrey handed me a tissue, then patted my knee, "There, there, Serenity, we know what we are asking is difficult, but your observations are crucial. Matter of fact, let's help ease your worries by increasing your program stipend, say sixty thousand. I'm sure that will help clear out some of those college debts." His smug expression made me want to vomit, but instead, I simply nodded and gave a weak smile. "Now, why don't you take the rest of the day off? Go get one of those spa treatments my wife is always raving about and pamper yourself. Start fresh in the morning and then we will see you here say, next Tuesday at eight am sharp to meet with the board and senior partners."

They stood as I rose to my feet, my clammy palms running over the dense fabric of my skirt. 'Yes, sirs. Thank you, and um, I'll see you both Tuesday.

Unknown POV

"She was nervous," Dahl commented. "Are we sure she isn't a risk?"

Caffrey snorted, "She doesn't have a clue. From all of our reports, Ito seems to have taken a liking to her. She's our best bet for now. Not to mention, she has no family so if they become suspicious of her, she's easily dealt with. Don't you agree?" He turned toward me and I simply smiled, nodding slightly.

These fools had no idea who they were dealing with. That pathetic human girl wasn't just nervous, she was terrified and she reeked of his scent. Assistant, my ass...

Author's Notes:  Hmm....a twist and a new mystery player....