by Meg Ripley
He called the lab. “Yes, I’d like to speak to the human resources director, please.”
“Do you have an extension number?” The person who had answered the phone must have been a receptionist or some other low-level employee who didn’t care much about her job. She sounded bored and impatient.
“I don’t, I’m afraid. Can’t you just put me through?”
The receptionist sighed. “Sir, this is a very busy lab. Unless I have a message that someone is waiting for your call, or you have a direct extension number, then I can’t really help you.”
It was time to pull out the big guns. “Listen, my name is Dirk Bennett, and—”
“Dirk Bennett?” the girl interrupted. “You’re not the same Dirk Bennett that I’m thinking of, are you?”
He smiled. It only took the mention of his name. It was like that wherever he went, and he didn’t mind. “I don’t know how many people you know by that name, but probably.”
“Wow,” she breathed. “What can I do for you?”
“Like I said, I’d like to talk to your director.”
“Oh, yeah! Right! Um…I’ll have to see if he’s in. Hang on just a minute.” The phone made several clicks and there was a moment of silence.
A new voice came on the phone. “This is Dr. Brinkmann.” His voice was low, and he spoke with a melancholy tone that made Dirk imagine a pale, skinny man in a lab coat who hadn’t seen actual sunshine in months.
Dirk quickly explained who he was and that had an interest in Bios Labs. “I’d like to come down and talk to you a little bit about what you do there, and maybe we can see what we can do for each other.”
Dr. Brinkmann immediately agreed and set up a time. “I look forward to meeting you, sir.”
Folding his hands behind his head and sitting back, Dirk smiled. He would show his father and any of the other old coots who wanted to disagree with him that he could not only make decisions for Bennett Energy, but make spectacular ones.
That evening, Dirk stood in his apartment and admired the view. His place was a lavish one that an oil heir deserved, with hardwood floors, floor-to-ceiling windows, and top-of-the-line appliances, but he had picked it mostly because of the view. In one of the tallest residential buildings in New York City, Dirk could not only feel but know that he was on top of the world as he looked down at the tops of other structures. It reminded him of his importance in the world, and just how much he was going to do for it.
As he loosened his tie and unfastened the top two buttons on his shirt, his phone beeped. Dirk checked his text messages.
Still on for tonight?
He had been so caught up in everything he had going on at work that he’d nearly forgotten he had a date that night. Tawny Lawrence was a young socialite of some sort he’d met at a party on Friday, and Dirk had easily worked his way into her schedule. Monday was an odd day for most people to go on a date, but any day without one was odd for Dirk.
Of course. I’ll pick you up at seven.
Even though the date had slipped Dirk’s mind, he was always prepared. He opened a drawer in his study and retrieved a pair of diamond stud earrings. There were always a few pairs in stock for just this type of occasion. Then he texted his connection at The Riviera, guaranteeing him a table, even without a reservation.
Dirk changed out his suit for a more casual one, still wanting to keep it classy for his hot date. As he ran a razor over his square jaw, he remembered what a slim little redhead Tawny was. She was young and horny, and she liked to wear tight tops that showcased her expensive boob job. Tawny had probably recognized him from one of the local tabloids, but Dirk didn’t really care. She had agreed to a date, and that was what mattered. Without question, she’d be writhing below him later that night; he wouldn’t need to think about wise investments or the future of his company.
As he roared across town, a car full of young women pulled up next to him at the stop light, waving and screaming, trying to take pictures. Dirk waved back and grinned, knowing the shots would show up all over social media. Let the girls drool over him. He would probably be banging one of them by the time the week was out, anyway.
There was a lot to love about his life. He was rich, of course, and that was a great start. Dirk had everything he wanted at his fingertips, and the employees around him constantly groveled to please him. Every woman in the city wanted to date him. They all knew he was a player and that he never kept any of them for more than a few days, but nevertheless, they flocked to him in hordes.
To make matters even better, he was the youngest in a long line of shifters. It was a wonderful thing to be able to change into a dragon and feel the way his body adapted to the beastly side of him. It was even better to belong to an elite club of shifters called the Darkblood Society. Others like him traveled from all over the world just for a chance at becoming a Darkblood, but Dirk didn’t even have to try. His father belonged, and so, by rights, did he.
If only he could get his father to see things through his eyes. No. No, he couldn’t think about any of that right now. He would invest in the company he thought was the most deserving, and that would be the end of it. There was no reason to let thoughts of work ruin his night.
When he pulled up in front of Tawny’s building, she was waiting for him in the lobby. In a tight red dress that clung to her like a second skin, she was already getting the admiration of every man around. Once she had Dirk on her arm, all the women were glaring at her, too.
“Oh, what a sexy car!” she exclaimed when he escorted her out onto the sidewalk. “What is it? A Lamborghini or something?” She had a slightly nasal voice, but her display of her womanly goods more than made up for it.
“A Ferrari, actually.” Dirk held open the passenger side door and watched gleefully as she tried to get inside while wearing that little dress. It rode up pleasurably on her thighs. Once she was seated, Dirk could see straight down her cleavage. Yes, she was definitely going to be easy.
He whistled to himself as he made his way around the car to the driver’s door. Every woman wanted to be with him, and every man wanted to be him. It didn’t get any better than that.
“I have a reservation at The Riviera, if that’s alright.” But he knew it would be. No woman could resist a snooty French restaurant, and he had to admit that the food was damn good.
“Ooh, of course it is!” She smiled and smacked her gum as she ran her bright red nails—nails that perfectly matched the color of his car—down the black leather interior of the car seat. “This car is so comfortable. I think I could just fall asleep in it.”
Garrett, another member of the Darkblood Society and a good friend of Dirk’s, had already tweaked the reservation list by the time they arrived and Dirk watched the valet drive off with his car. “Right this way, Mr. Bennett,” said a young blonde hostess who constantly grinned at him and glared at Tawny. She guided them toward Dirk’s usual table, one near the back but not near the kitchen.
“My father is Mr. Bennett,” he corrected the hostess. “Call me Dirk, please.” He made a mental note to ask Garrett later if this woman was available.
“I’ve always loved coming to this place,” Tawny said, flipping her curly red hair over her shoulder. “It’s the place to be seen.”
“Are you sure? I thought it was Club Gold,” Dirk teased, knowing she and all her friends hit the popular night club on a regular basis.
“Oh, Gold is wonderful when you’re ready to party,” she assured him. “But sometimes I just need the comfort of a refined place like this. You know, I had this guy ask me out last week. I knew he wasn’t from a prominent family or anything, but I figured I would give him a chance. He was cute, and I thought we might have a fun time.” Tawny narrowed her eyes at the memory. “He had the audacity to take me to a paintball range.”
Dirk shrugged, too focused on her cleavage to really care. “Sounds like it could be fun.”
“Absolutely not! I suffered through it for a little while, but when I got gr
een paint on my brand new Christian Louboutins, I was out of there. He took me home in this nasty little jalopy that had been his father’s company car. I mean, seriously, who does that?”
The waiter came by for their orders, and Dirk asked for a bottle of wine.
“Please make that a good vintage,” Tawny demanded before the young man could get away. “The last time I was here, they tried to slip me something only a couple of years old, like I wouldn’t notice. That’s not happening again, and if it does, Dirk isn’t paying for it.”
There was never any question about being able to pay for the bill, no matter how much it cost, but Dirk wondered for a moment just how expensive of a bottle they would end up getting. If the waiter had any inkling as to who he was, it would probably be the priciest one on the shelf. But that didn’t really matter. He was going to get laid.
While they waited for their orders of filet mignon, Tawny explained how upset she was that her favorite designer store was no longer only open by appointment. “They’re letting just anybody in there. Can you believe it? I used to be able to walk in there and speak to the designer personally about what I wanted. He would spend hours on me, just to make sure he got everything right. For some reason, they thought it was okay to just let people in off the streets. Now there are girls in there taking selfies and posting them all over the internet, just to show off. I bet they aren’t even buying anything.”
Dirk nodded, barely listening, and thanked the waiter when he brought their entrees. There was something else on his mind, something that had sunk its teeth into him and wouldn’t let him go. Even the prospect of a hot young heiress in his bed hadn’t quite been enough to chase the demons of the workday away. “Tawny, your father owns the Lawrence Hotel, right?”
“Of course,” she replied, batting her eyelashes. “Why? Do you need me to get you a room or something?”
He ignored the question. “Do you plan on going into the business with him?”
“What?” She sat back and took a sip of her wine, rolling it around under her tongue a moment before giving it a small shrug and checking the year on the bottle. “Why would I do that?”
“Well, you’ve got to do something with your life, right? I mean, maybe not right now, sure, but eventually. Do you sit in on meetings or anything?”
Tawny laughed, a bell-like gurgling that sounded practiced. She laughed long enough and loud enough that the other patrons were beginning to turn around and stare. “You…You’ve got to be kidding right?” She fought to catch her breath. “I would absolutely die of boredom if I went to one of those meetings. All Daddy does is sit around and tell them what kind of toilet paper to keep in stock. The groundbreakings are the only part I like, because I always get a new dress for the ribbon cutting.” Tawny took another sip of wine.
“I guess that means the two of you never have any disagreements when it comes to business, then.”
“Why should we? Dirk, I hear from everyone else that you’re some sort of shrewd businessman, but that’s just not my cup of tea. I know how to spend money, and how to make people happy when they see my face. Eventually, I’ll find some guy to marry. Maybe he can go into business with my father, but I’m not interested.” She polished off her drink and lifted a suggestive eyebrow to Dirk.
He poured obligingly. “Well, here’s the thing. I’m thinking about making an investment in this laboratory company who works on synthetic biology, and—”
“Is that like when they make fabric that looks like real alligator, but it isn’t? Because I’m not into that. There’s nothing that beats the feel of real alligator.” She held up her handbag as proof.
“Ah, no. Not exactly. This is something a lot more serious. Synthetic biologist can do things like create bacteria that distributes a drug into someone’s bloodstream without any needles, or—”
“Ew!” She waved her hand frantically. “Don’t tell me any more! I want to be able to eat!”
“Of course. Sorry.” Dirk tucked into his meal, suddenly feeling a lot less excited about this date. He couldn’t talk to his father about the lab, because that discussion had already gone south. Tawny wouldn’t understand a damn word he said, even if he tried to explain it. He was on his own with this one.
As they headed back toward his apartment, Dirk fingered the velvet box in his pocket with the diamond earrings. He had often used them as a lavish gift just to ensure he got what he wanted at the end of the night, but he suddenly couldn’t see the point. Tawny didn’t seem likely to appreciate them. He opened the door and motioned her into the apartment.
“Pretty swanky place you have here,” she said as she turned in a slow circle to get a good look. “But I’m surprised you don’t have the penthouse.”
The woman he had spent the evening with suddenly changed in his eyes. He noticed the dark roots underneath her brilliant hair and the thick coating of makeup that she wore like a mask. Her breasts were nice and big, but artificially so. Every single thing she wore was a designer brand, and he was sure she would never allow it to be otherwise. Frowning, he realized what was wrong: Tawny was completely fake. She was as shallow as they came. She didn’t care about business, and she sure didn’t give a shit about making the world a better place.
“You know, I’m kind of tired. It was a long day at work. Would you mind if we cut this a little short?”
“What?” She stared at him, her lip curled up slightly at the corner. Tawny recovered herself after a moment and sidled up to him, running her hands suggestively across his shoulders. “But we’re already back at your place. I thought we could spend some quality time together.”
“No, sorry. I just can’t tonight.” He opened the door.
Tawny stared at him for a moment before the pouty look reappeared on her face. “Fine. But don’t think you can come running back to me next weekend. You were an awful date, and you didn’t even give me a gold bracelet like you did for Jackie Harris. Don’t call me.” She stomped out the door and smashed the button on the elevator.
Dirk shrugged and headed to the kitchen to pour himself a stiff drink.
3
Alyssa Thompson’s stomach tightened in on itself as soon as her alarm went off Monday morning. Work days always gave her a little excitement, but these days they made her nervous, too. She was thrilled to be working in synthetic biology. It was the kind of field that had only been a distant dream a few decades ago, the kind of stuff that was in movies and books. She was making it a reality every day, and she was one of the top researchers in her field.
The thing was, nobody could know about it. While she saw her classmates at Carnegie Mellon constantly receiving recognition for their achievements, Alyssa had little to brag about at reunions. Doing top secret work for the government was like that, and she had to remind herself on a daily basis that she was building up to something so profound and momentous that her years of staying out of the spotlight would pay off someday.
But for now, there was no choice but to get up and go to work. Alyssa yanked on a pair of jeans and a fitted t-shirt with a quirky science joke only geeks would get. She pulled her long blonde hair back into a loose braid, slicked on a thin coating of tinted moisturizer and mascara, and put her glasses on. Heading to the kitchen, she made a quick breakfast of avocado toast and an orange before throwing her lab coat on and making her way to the edge of town.
The Bios Labs building was an unassuming concrete cube with just enough glass windows to keep it from looking like a jail. It was only three stories high, a rather short stature compared to some of the science and research buildings downtown. There weren’t any pretty shade trees out front, and the sun beat down on the cracked and faded asphalt of the parking lot. Nobody had even bothered to put the name of the company on the outside of the structure, with only the street numbers hanging loosely near the front door. Only the fact that every entryway had a high-tech electronic lock system was an indication of what might be inside. It was the sort of place that nobody would go unless they knew e
xactly what was there, and that was precisely the point.
Alyssa stepped up to the retinal scanner and removed her glasses. A quiet beep sounded, indicating that the door was unlocked. She yanked the handle on the heavy door and stepped into the lobby. Here, there was still little proof that anything exciting was going on at Bios Labs. Alyssa crossed the yellowed linoleum, passing the shabby desk that served as the receptionist’s area. She skipped past the elevator, having gotten stuck in it one too many times, and made her way up three flights of stairs to her office.
“Alyssa!”
She sighed when she heard Krista call her name before she’d even made it to her desk. It was just too early. Alyssa dropped her bag on her desk with a thump. “Yes?”
“I’m having a problem with the computer.” Krista jogged up to Alyssa’s desk and pushed back the too-long sleeves of her lab coat. With her thick eyebrows and blunt cut hair, she had an almost boyish air about her.
Alyssa closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. “Already? How long have you been here?”
Krista’s dark eyes were bright with enthusiasm. “Since seven. I went ahead and made some coffee, nice and strong like you like it. I almost came in yesterday, actually, because I couldn’t stop thinking about all the work I have ahead of me today. Dr. Brinkmann has really been piling it on lately. Oh, not that I’m complaining or anything. I took this job with the expectation of working hard, and that’s what I’m here to do. But my friend wanted me to go to the card shop with him to play Magic the Gathering, and it’s a good thing since the computer is giving me such fits. I would have come in yesterday for nothing, and I really wanted to—”
