Project X

by Watkins, TM

  Dressing quickly, I hoped that it would be sufficient, Dorian seemed to have a thing for the finer things in life and my choice of attire wasn't exactly upmarket. I quickly glanced at the clock, it was already six pm. Thankfully it was cold and raining outside, I found a beanie and an overcoat and knew that it would do well to hide me. I grabbed my key and slipped it into my pocket, leaving my hiding place for what I could only hope would be a nice dinner.

  Rain drizzled long lines down the glass door of the entry to the building, I was going to find it difficult to hail a taxi in this weather. As much as I didn't want to venture forward, I did so and hoped that someone would shine their good luck on me and provide me with a taxi. I didn't get a taxi but I did get a familiar car slowing alongside the sidewalk in front of the building. The back door opened and I looked in at familiar green eyes and a smile that made me melt.

  “Get in.”

  I hesitated, why I do not know but I did.

  “Today please, I will not ask you twice.”

  Defiant KC wanted to tell Dorian that he didn't ask once but she didn't, not wanting to piss him off. I trotted across the rain slicked sidewalk to the car, slipping along the leather seat and closing the door. Derek pulled away, sliding into the evening traffic with ease. I looked at Dorian, he looked gorgeous as always. A black suit with a white shirt underneath. There was no tie today, instead the first few buttons were open revealing the chest that I had kissed this morning.

  “Hi.” I whispered warily.

  A slight grin curled into one corner of his lips as he returned the hello. His eyes narrowed at me, or rather what I was wearing.

  “I was going to suggest dinner at El Toro seeing as you enjoyed it so much the last time we went however I don't think they would be too impressed at that at this hour.”

  I shrugged at his gesture, inferring my clothes weren't appropriate. It wasn't as if I had much of a choice but I knew he was right. El Toro was a restaurant, one that had a limited seating capacity and therefore could easily refuse whoever they wanted and knowing my luck, it would be me. I pulled away the beanie, feeling the heat from the car. Dorian's eyes widened as the eyebrow raised.

  “Who cut your hair?”

  “I did.”

  He grinned slightly with a chuckle.

  “Don't know what to say, maybe don't give up your day job.”

  I rolled my eyes and then remembered what I actually did for a day job and by the look on his face, I'd say he just realized what he said.

  “We do need to talk about this situation KC but unless we find a dress for you it won't be at El Toro.”

  He frowned for a moment and then pressed a button. The glass between the back section and the front section slid down.

  “Derek, a change of plans. Maybe to that little burger joint on fifty-third street please?”

  “Certainly sir.”

  As the glass slid back up Derek turned the next corner.

  “I'm not a fan of fast food but this place is pretty good.”

  “How did you know?”

  His mouth opened in shock, taking a few seconds to regain composure.

  “Do you not remember when Madelyn said that we have had all sorts of people try to infiltrate our company?”

  I nodded.

  “Well after the first few I made it my business to know the world that was knocking on my door. I created a division within the company that is dedicated to protecting the products. You have no idea how cut throat the world of beauty products is. This section has a detailed list of all known spies, all associates and all persons of interest. And let's face it KC, you are the daughter of one of the biggest players in the world of corporate espionage, as if I wouldn't know who you really are.”

  “So why hire me?”

  A naughty smirk played out across his lips with a little chuckle.

  “At first it was to make them think that they had gotten in. It makes sense when you think about it with a broader view. You are in so they halt all other efforts, all I had to do was keep you occupied. Being in the mail room would have been sufficient but somehow you managed to figure out that Hiroki was a good target.”

  “But that wasn't Hiroki, was it?”

  Dorian shook his head with a bigger smile.

  “Every turn I made, you figured me out. Didn't you?”

  “Sure did. Once I realized that giving you access to every single floor was a mistake, I knew I had to change your duties. By this stage I had encountered something that I wasn't planning on, something that altered my view on how I wanted things to move forward.”

  I frowned at him, wondering what had changed. There wasn't much that I could figure, nothing that stood out.

  “I realized that as crazy as it sounds, especially after just a few days of knowing you, that I liked you. Seriously liked you. That I would do anything for you, no matter how ridiculous or dangerous to my health. So I made changes to the employee structure and had Amy go on temporary leave.”

  “She wasn't looking after Eva?”

  Dorian sighed with a slight frown, turning to face me.

  “Eva has highly trained guards that sit with her day and night, even the medical team that tend to her need to have guards with them.”

  “Is she a vampire?”

  He smiled and then frowned, confusion went through his face as he smiled and shook his head.

  “Not a vampire like Dracula no but she does need a lot of blood. She's different, vastly different.”

  The car slowed and I looked out the window behind Dorian, we had arrived at our destination.

  Chapter 38: Moonie-lighting

  Moonie's Diner was apparently the best burger joint in the entire town, according to Dorian. It was also the place where you could be assured the best booth in the most private corner, that is of course if your name was Dorian Gallagher. The owner of the place greeted Dorian with a welcoming hug, one that made me think that these two men had known each other for a really long time. The robust and balding man guided us to the back of the eating area, to a corner of the room that was darkened by a lack of lighting. That was because the bulb had blown earlier on in the evening, according to Mister Moonie.

  He left us with two menus and I slid along the vinyl, narrowly avoiding the great gash. Dorian slid in after me, moving real close. So close anyone would think that nothing untoward had passed between us. Not like he always knew that I was a corporate spy and tried to steal super-secret and super deadly information from him and I totally left him after spending days with my hands down his pants. Okay, so not literally days in there but a lot of time. Far too much… no, maybe not enough. Yep, definitely not enough.

  I looked around the dated and in dire need of a renovation diner. There were a few customers eating their meals, families and couples and it was an ordinary night for everyone in here except Dorian and I. The pale blue walls were faded, retro movie posters hung on the wall and two kids were standing at the Jukebox flicking through the songs. When it was first made I bet this would have been the place to be, for all those swinging cats to hang out on a Friday and Saturday night. Dorian had said nothing, more engrossed in deciding what burger he wanted. I quickly glanced through it and made my selection, closing the folder onto the table and patiently waiting for Mister Moonie to return. A minute later the man returned, his little note book in hand.

  “I'll have a works burger and a cola thanks.” I smiled at the man.

  He seemed rather pleasant and I was curious as to how he and Dorian knew each other. With a quick scribble and a returned smile, he turned to Dorian.

  “Same thanks Errol.”

  “Sure thing.”

  The man seemed far too happy, I could hear him calling out the order to the kitchen behind the counter.

  “Errol Moonie saved my life.” Dorian whispered.

  I sat quietly, listening to the man that was about to open a wound. One that seemed to pain him to think about and as for talking about it, it seemed that one of us might just
end up in tears.

  “He was one of my teachers in high school, science. Everything was going well for us until one day my parents were killed in a bank hold up. The guy robbing the place was strung out on something, no one survived.”

  I could feel the cold harsh realization; I remember my father talking about that. It had remained in the papers for weeks as they investigated it.

  “They were there to get a loan.” His fingers trailed along the edge of the broken Formica, his head lowering slightly. “The school had organized an overseas trip to France, I begged them for months to let me go but they couldn't afford it. Turns out they were planning on taking another loan out so that I could go. They were up to their eyeballs in debt yet I never knew, how they managed to pay for things I still cannot understand but they still tried for me. They died because of me, if they hadn't been in that bank trying to get money they might still be alive and I knew that and it ate away at me. My dad's sister cared for us, ensuring that Eva and I still went to school but she was too wrapped up in her own world to notice or care. It wasn't as if she was negligent or she didn't love us, she just had her own kids to chase after and two more wasn't easy. We were teenagers, we were pretty self-sufficient anyway. They built a little flat at the front of their property, over the top of the garage. Eva wasn't allowed out there, I thought it was because it wasn't safe or that they thought she might get into trouble.”

  His eyes darted up, Errol had brought our colas.

  “Thanks Errol.”

  “No problems, burgers are a couple of minutes away.”

  Errol wandered off, wiping down the tables as he wandered around.

  “Eva said something to me one day, something that didn't sit well with me. She said that our uncle liked to hug her a lot. I couldn't exactly grasp the concept of it but I did know that I didn't like it. Anyway Errol overheard me talking to one of my friends, he confronted me and made me take Eva to the school counsellor. I sat and listened to every little detail of what had been happening since we arrived at that house, I could feel my blood beginning to boil with anger.”

  I watched as Dorian frowned harder and harder, the words nearly being spat out with anger.

  “He was grooming her, I didn't understand what the counsellor was talking about, I was fifteen. To me grooming meant he was brushing her hair but it wasn't said in the right context, I understood that the counsellor was referring to sex. When the counsellor rang child services and ordered an investigation, I knew that something was seriously wrong. I told her that I had to use the bathroom, it was a lie. Eva was all that I had left in the world, our aunt didn't really care. She had seen the way that her husband looked at Eva and said nothing. So I walked out of the school with the intention of dealing with the pervert. The problem was, Errol was waiting to make sure that everything was okay. He saw me leave and followed me, stopping me just short of leaving the school grounds. I didn't care for anything any longer. My parents were gone because of me and in turn Eva was subjected to that kind of environment. I was going to kill him, maybe my aunt too and I was ready to spend my life in jail for it. So long as Eva was safe from him then I would have accepted my fate.”

  “But I stopped him.”

  I looked up to the soft smile of a man who held two plates of burgers and far too many chips. He put them onto the table and rested a firm hand on Dorian's shoulder.

  “Young man, I have told you this before. Leave the past where it belongs. Your parents died trying to give you the best opportunity they could, there is nothing wrong with that. You said yourself that you had begged them for months, yet they chose that day out of all of them to go to the bank. Did you tell them to go on that day instead of the one before or the one after? No you did not. I had been in that bank the day before, I had applied for a loan to send Cindy to France as well. When your time is up, it is up and there is no control over it. And as for Eva, well there is no real positives there except that it was dealt with before he tried anything.”

  “He got away with it.” Dorian hissed.

  “Nobody says that the justice system is fair Dorian, I agree with you but we are not talking about his punishment. We are talking about Eva. There is no debate as to what is construed as innocent or a vile act, we know that what he was doing was wrong but in terms of her body and her innocence, she survived.”

  Errol patted him with a smile, one that made me believe that Errol had taken over as a fatherly figure for two lost souls. He offered me a faint smile and walked away and Dorian continued to sulk.

  “The prick didn't do anything to her other than hug her. That's what he told the judge and that's why he got away with it. Our aunt never forgave us and kicked us out, we were adopted by Errol and his wife. I didn't trust him. Even though he's got three daughters, I didn't trust him. It wasn't because he was a mean person or he tried things, it was just that I didn't trust any man. Not around Eva at least. Eva's self-confidence took a nose dive; it didn't help that everyone at the school managed to find out that we had been kicked out of our home. Hormones, bitchy girls, peer pressure, you name it she suffered it. Errol's middle daughter was the same age as Eva, they became friends and Becky showed her how to fit in better. Girls and make up.”

  Dorian rolled his eyes and picked at a chip.

  “She had it on so thick it looked like she had used a trowel. Errol wasn't impressed but said nothing, knowing that Eva was in a delicate place. Becky was buying rubbish product, both of them ended up breaking out in the worst acne I had ever seen which of course made the confidence a whole lot worse. So I took the products and researched the chemicals. It helped having a science teacher under the same roof as me.”

  He sighed as he picked up another chip, a little happier than before.

  “And that was where the cosmetics company began.”

  I wrapped my arms around him and hugged him, I didn't know what else to do. He had spent so long trying to protect Eva, almost resorting to murder just to protect her from a monster.

  Dorian smiled slightly and started to eat his burger, I picked at a few chips curious to the science teacher that worked in a diner.

  “So how come he's not working for you?”

  “Trust me, I tried. If I want scientific advice, he will answer me but as for actually working in the industry, not going to happen. He's happy here, this is his dream. Of course I'm not one to let things slide so easily, he had taken a loan over the house to buy this place so when I was able to, I paid it out. Though he won't take any more from me which I can assure you is incredibly annoying however I do have other means in which I repay his kindness. Just don't tell him that the lotteries his wife keeps winning isn't really her luck.”

  I chuckled and picked up my burger, taking a bite of the best burger I had ever tasted.

  Chapter 39: Fangs for the memories

  I stretched back with one bloated belly, filled with an incredible burger and the best chips. There was nothing better than a chip that was crisp and crunchy on the outside and soft in the center. This guy had a knack for fast food and I think that I have just found my second home.

  “I want you to be honest with me KC, can you do that?”

  “Of course.”

  He frowned at me, one that said that his past experiences with my honesty wasn't the greatest.

  “You know now, so there is no reason to hide. My father is turning away from the client based on what they found when they discovered the documents.”

  Dorian frowned at me as he turned on his side, leaning closer to me.

  “I don't know what documents you think they found but I can assure you they did not find a single thing.”

  “But he said that they found the research documents about project x and that Eva was the one that… you know.” I whispered. “Killed those men.”

  His eyes widened with a little shock.

  “Eva has not killed anyone KC, she is too scared to leave the building. Going out to the function was difficult for her and has taken a great toll on
her body. Her skin is so paper thin, it burns incredibly fast. I had to change all of the light bulbs in her apartment to the lowest wattage available and there are some days where that is too much for her. Going out into sunlight is dangerous, even with layers of clothing. The moonlight is tolerable in small doses and last night was hell on her. She fears people calling her a monster and locking her in some institution, to assume that she goes willingly out into public is wrong. Those men you speak of, I know where they are, I know what happened to them.”

  “But you said….”

  He put his finger on my lips, the other arm settling onto the back of the seat behind me.

  “The men were employees who were donating blood for Eva, when it came time for them to stop with their donation they were sent on a couple of days’ annual leave to rest and recuperate. Someone found out, someone who knows of what has happened to Eva and wants the world to see her as a demon from hell itself. They were the ones that staged their murder, making it look like they were killed by…” His eyes narrowed for a moment. “A vampire.”

  “My brothers were approached by a man who gave them a weapon that fires metal arrows. I was told that it was on a day when Eva was following me.”

  I frowned for a moment as I thought about what my father said.

  “Although, my father said that it was a woman that left the building, said she was covered in black clothes, completely covered. He never said that it had been confirmed it was Eva. Could it have been Amy?”

  Dorian thought about it and then shrugged.

  “It is possible though I don’t know for certain. She spent a few days with Eva but as for covering herself like that, I don’t know. She’s always been a well-dressed woman who always wears colors. I can show you various surveillance of the building and the apartment if you wish, then we might be able to identify this mystery woman. You will also see that the only time that Eva has left the apartment since your arrival was the night of the product launch and once to visit me, which is through an internal staircase.”