The Hunt for a Vampire_An Alien Vampire Romance

by T. J. Quinn

  His eyes slid away. “We have noticed that every one of us ended up working in the mail room, or as research assistants, receptionist, or personal assistants. Since most, with the exception of me, got paired with other aliens we suspected the firm wished to marginalize and segregate us.”

  They stopped long enough to place their orders and Danielle picked back up with the conversation. “That was actually my idea. I’m the one who spearheaded this move. I reviewed resumes, performed most of the interviews, and debated the merits of each applicant. I asked the firm's HR team to make offers to the individuals who scored highest on a set of pre-established criteria.”

  “I suppose that makes good sense, but why segregate us?”

  I wanted you paired with tenured aliens who have already learned their way around our system. I may have miscalculated but I wanted them to hit the ground running with mentors who understood what it took to adapt to our fast paced environment. I focused the search on newcomers with the best command of the English language, good written skills, and high scores on the pre-employment testing because I was confident that with the right foundation the individuals I chose would be highly promotable.”

  Though Jon still appeared slightly suspicious, he nodded, clearly willing to give her the benefit of the doubt.

  “The last thing in the world anyone wants, is for any of our newcomers to get stranded in lower level jobs. It would seem patronizing, and appear as though you were incapable of competing on an equal footing when we are confident that you can. The firm’s goal in this situation is total integration at all levels. Nothing less will due.”

  “Alright, I will stick with the firm for a few years and see where this goes.”

  “Years? I think not. Several of you have high enough scores to sit for the bar exam. Our partners have already determined, they are very interested in having an Kalian partner in particular.”

  “Ah, this is the part where our natural propensity towards mental alertness, being detail oriented, and single minded pursuit of success finally wins us some extra bonus points.”

  Smiling at the charming man, he nodded. “Yes sir, it does. Those qualities make you particularly good accountants, and exceptional attorneys. The firm feels that having an Kalian partner, will enable them to capture a whole new segment of the marketplace. The Kalian are most integrated of all the alien species and since they have more contact with humans, they are more heavily discriminated against. Those law suits could constitute a new untapped market for her firm, particularly the ones related to reproductive rights.”

  “I must say that I feel fortunate to have been selected as your administrative assistant.”

  “Actually, I’m the one who feels fortunate to have you on my team. You’re professional, polite, and detail oriented. I like that you are a bit of a stern task master. I need that kind of structure to keep my meetings to a reasonable length, and get through the volume of work I juggle on a daily basis. If I’m being honest, I would have to admit that I’ve never had it so good.”

  Looking embarrassed, he mumbled. “That is kind of you say.”

  “Look at me, Jon. I want to be sure you understand your worth. All this being sweet, brining me coffee in the morning, and scanning the major newsfeeds so you can keep me updated on the trends that related to our business is a courtesy. You don’t owe me any of that, so don’t let it stress you out or keep you for doing what you need to do to be successful. I honestly think with your sharp mind and skills at diplomacy, you’re destined to be an outstanding attorney in your own right.”

  “I can’t tell you how nice it is to get such a confidence boost, right now particularly. I also appreciate you filling in the blanks about our being hired. It puts my mind at east. I can’t wait to tell my wife the good news. We were starting to think I should looking for another position. She will be happy to know we have found some stability with your firm.”

  “How’s your family adapting to the move? It must be stressful.”

  “It has been incredibly stressful. We are still at the resettlement annex.” She could hear the disappointment and frustration edging back into his voice as he spoke.

  “How many little ones are in your family?”

  His expression immediately shifted to one of pride and happiness. “Me, my wife and our three children. They’re all small and as you must know Kalian children are extremely inquisitive. Just yesterday they took apart our holographic projector and put it back together again. We are currently housed all in one room. It is a tight squeeze with a new baby.”

  Thinking it over, Danielle reached in her purse, pulled out a set of keys and tossed them to him. “I have a beach house not far from here. It’s about a forty-five minute drive. It’s small…three bedrooms and a study but it is furnished. You can stay there for a few months until they get your housing worked out. I almost never use it. You know how tight our schedules are. I can’t seem to get myself out of the city to save my life these days.”

  He looked at her strangely and when he opened his mouth to object, she quickly explained. “It’s an empty house just sitting there on the beach. It makes no sense for it sit empty if a family can make use of it. I know how the Kalian feel about wasting resources, so don’t object when you know it’s the right thing to do.”

  “This will make such a difference to my family’s quality of life right now. I don’t know how to thank you.”

  “You just did, now let’s eat before our food gets cold.”

  Putting a bit of food into his mouth, Jon chewed slowly and swallowed before taking a sip of water. “I never expected such generosity from someone I barely know. Though it feels strange to accept, I do not feel that I should pass up an opportunity to get my family into a better living situation. Thank you, Danielle.”

  “Trust me, your family will love the bungalow. It’s right on the beachfront. The kids will love playing in the surf. Tell them to beware of the occasional jellyfish.”

  “I am certain they will consider it a little vacation. We are anxious to integrate ourselves fully with the human population. All my children were born on earth, it’s a shame they have seen so little of life outside the resettlement center.”

  “Well don’t put it off any longer than you have to. Try to take off early today, if you can break away. An early start might get you in my nightfall.”

  “Are you certain you don’t need me the rest of the day?”

  Smiling deviously, she responded. “I’m planning to take a load of work home for a special project. I’ll hit you with it first thing Monday morning. Prepare to be wowed.”

  “I can’t imagine what it could be. Won’t you give me even a little hint?”

  Pushing the food around on her plate, she murmured quietly. “It might have something to do with making a name for ourselves in the area of Kalian reproductive rights.”

  “It definitely sounds exciting. Nesting is one of the most misunderstood components of Kalian’s culture.”

  “God, I know. I’m almost too excited to even eat.”

  “Me too, but that is more because it’s the weekend and I’m looking forward to getting my family into a real home.”

  “Alright, let’s each five gigantic bites and hit the road.”

  “You are a very funny female. I hope you find the perfect Kalian mate. You deserve the best.”

  Giggling, she deadpanned back. “So Kalian male are the best, are they?”

  “I know encouraging you to choose a Kalian is blatantly self-serving, but we really do take special care with our females and I want that for you.”

  Speeding their way through lunch, they both went their separate ways with a gleam in their eye. Jon was gone by early afternoon. Though Danielle was pleased with herself for doing a good deed, she had to admit it didn’t feel all that great, because it took no real effort. Her general feeling on the matter was that to generate real karma, one had to put forth enough effort to feel the proverbial burn.

  In any event, she ended up sta
ying until about 6:30 pm. By that time on a Friday most of the others had left. She stepped into the elevator to find the good looking Kalian was there, apparently heading home himself. She smiled, stepped onto the elevator, and introduced herself again.

  “Hello, Jem. I don’t know if you remember me from the interview. I’m Danielle. Thank you for accepting our offer. I hope this position turns out to be a good fit for you.”

  “I always make a point of remembering a pretty face, Miss. Danielle. I was delighted to get an offer from this firm.” She was aware that he had already been snapped up by one of the other partners, who was desperately in need of an administrative assistant.

  “I hear there is some type of celebration involving a gentleman in a red suit. Are you planning to attend that celebration?”

  Danielle stood staring at him for a moment, trying to figure out what he was talking about. Then it clicked. He was referring to their annual company Christmas party. “Are you kidding, watching a bunch of straight laced attorneys drink themselves stupid. That is a show I’d never miss.”

  His slightly raised brow told her he didn’t quite understand. “I am not certain how drinking intoxicating beverages can impact a human’s long term intelligence level.”

  “That’s not exactly what I meant. At such functions humans usually drink too many intoxicating beverages. This lowers their inhibitions, resulting in them doing embarrassing things such as dancing with lamp shades on their head and making scans of her private parts.”

  He looked at her disbelievingly. She laughed, “I’m serious. Don’t miss it. It’s the show of the century.”

  He replied sincerely. “If it is all that entertaining, I will certainly try to be there.”

  “Be careful if you bring your wife. You might have to put your hands over her eyes, if old man Edwards begins flashing everyone again.”

  He laughed at the image she drew in his mind. “Lucky for me I won’t have to worry about that.”

  She noticed he was eyeing her with heated interest. She was familiar enough with Kalian males, to know what that looked like. “So where are you headed? You look like you brought enough work home, in your pull along bag to last all weekend.”

  Glancing down at her huge briefcase, she lifted her eyes to look at him again. “I’ll give you one guess?”

  He shook his head in disgust. “Home to work.”

  She nodded. “Afraid so, I have a fascinating new plan to launch our firm into the spotlight.”

  “I would love to hear more about your plan. Are you planning to eat? We could grab dinner some place.”

  “You’re absolutely gorgeous, and I would love to go out with you, but partners are not permitted to date employees.”

  He leaned one arm across her body boxing her against the wall. “You could always reevaluate your commitment to the firm. You might find that I am worth rearranging your life around.”

  She smiled, and pressed him back with one hand. “I think a better course of action for both of us would be for you to just sit for the bar exam. I have it on good authority, the firm is extremely interested in having an Kalian partner. If you were a partner we could definitely have dinner together whenever we wanted.”

  He smiled and said rather sarcastically, “That sounds like a bit of a fairytale to me.”

  “Well since you think I am not being honest, I guess we are stuck with your original suggestion.”

  He ran on hand over her cheek, and tilted her face up to look her in the eyes. “You win beautiful. I will sit for the exam. If that does not work out, we will look at the situation a little more closely. It probably makes a little more sense, for me to just move on to another job.”

  She touched his chest with her hand and reiterated, “Sit for the exam. You’re a smart guy. You’ll probably breeze right through it.”

  When the elevator doors slid open and she stepped bout and disappeared into the crowded street.

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