“Consider it a poor choice of words. The box is as dear to Mr. Orra as his heart”
Although something seemed off about Mr. Smith’s proposal, Mimi accepted the job. Two million dollars was nothing to sneeze at. Two nights later she was outside a huge manor located in a remote wooded area of the Pacific Northwest. According to the information, her client had provided Mimi, the box was most likely located in the master bedroom of the home, in a wall vault. This apparently was where Andris Orra kept his valuables. Carefully, Mimi sized up the security of the home. Otherthan the most basic locks on windows and doors, she couldn’t find any obvious security precautions. That was odd, for such a large, obviously expensive property.
Concerned that she was missing something, Mimi carefully checked the home’s perimeter again. The only thing she found was canine foot prints coming out of the back door. Dogs she could deal with. If she was quiet and quick, they would never even know she was in the house. If they did find her, most dogs could be distracted. She had yet to have any of her jobs be foiled by man’s best friend. If that was the best Andris Orra had to offer, then this job was child’s play. Which begged the question- why would Smith need someone as skilled, and expensive, as her?
*****
Swallowing her reservations, Mimi donned her night vision lenses and approached the home. The sooner she retrieved the box, the sooner she would collect the balance of her payment and be off to somewhere warm and sunny. Silent as a tiny mouse, she slipped into the darkened home. Mimi stopped for a moment, to make certain she had not tripped an alarm. When nothing happened, she continued on through the manor’s interior. Carefully, Mimi made her way towards where she believed the master bedroom should be, based on the glimpses of the interior she had made during her scouting forays. She had seen occasional movement in the house throughout the day. From what she could tell, there were probably no more than two or three people in the residence.
There had been no lights or movement for an hour prior to when she had entered. As she walked through the halls, her night vision lenses had shown her two forms apparently asleep in one bedroom, with a third person sleeping alone in another room. Within the space of a few minutes, Mimi had found the door to the master bedroom. She oiled the door’s hinges and gently eased the door open. Glancing inside, she saw no evidence that there was anyone in the room. Noiselessly, she walked into the bedroom, but got no more than a few steps in when a glint of reflected light caught her eye. There on a side table the silver box glimmered, reflecting a patch of moonlight from a tiny window.
Mimi’s lip curled in scorn. Surely Orra would not keep such a highly prized item out in the open. What manner of fool was this man? She strode over to the side table, and then began to meticulously check for any sort of security. There were no wires, no alarms, and no electronics of any sort that she could find. Shaking her head over the owner’s complete disregard for the safety of his possessions, Mimi reached out for her prize. Just as her fingertips brushed the silver box, a canine growl sounded from directly behind her. As Mimi whirled to face the source of the sound, she was slammed into the side table by a powerful body. Her head struck the edge of the table, and everything went black.
When Mimi regained consciousness, she was surrounded by blackness. Her head was throbbing in time with her heart, her limbs were bound, and she was clearly lying down on something soft. “Achoo!” Mimi sneezed and realized with a groan that she had caught a cold from her row mate on the airplane. As if being caught and bound wasn’t enough to ruin her day, now she was ill.
Mimi could hear a door open, “So you are awake, are you little mouse?” a male voice addressed her from somewhere near the open door. A light flickered on, and for a moment Mimi was blinded. When her eyes adjusted, she could see a magnificent example of manhood standing in the doorway, his arms crossed as he contemplated. He was powerfully built, tall, and ruggedly handsome. He watched her in a way that reminded her uncomfortably of a wolf sizing up his next meal. “I must say, I am quite impressed. You are the first to get that close to my treasure in, oh, quite some time.” The man smiled at her coldly.
“Are you Andris Orra?” Mimi asked the man, her words a bit blurred from her cold. He nodded in confirmation. “I can pay for my release sir. How does five hundred thousand dollars sound? You can just untie me, and I will leave peacefully, without the box. We can both forget all about this.” Holding her breath, Mimi hoped the man might be reasonable. Her hopes were quickly dashed as Orra chuckled and shook his head no. “I’m afraid I cannot allow you to leave, little mouse. Allowing a thief to depart without a proper punishment would only encourage other attempts. Still, your ability has impressed me.” Andris walked from his spot by the door, and made his way to the cot she was lying on. “You may make yourself comfortable during your stay. I would strongly recommend against an escape attempt, young lady. You will find I have many ways of making your stay less pleasant.” Swiftly, Andris unbound her hands and legs. “Linda will see to your meals and any other requirements, while I decide what is to be done with you.” A strong hand captured her chin and tilted her head up, until she was staring into a pair of light green eyes. Oddly, when she looked into his eyes, she felt a strange wave of déjà vu come over her. “Behave yourself, little mouse. I will see you again.” Turning, Andris strode from the room, and closed the door sharply behind him.
After a few hours, Mimi had managed to learn a few things about her prison. Other than the locked door, there were no exits. The bedroom and adjoining bathroom had no windows, and the vents were too small to get more than a foot or hand into. The door’s lock looked simple, but internally was far too complicated to pick without a tool, which she didn’t have. Also, there was nothing in the room which she could easily turn into a weapon or a lock pick. Feeling frustrated, and beginning to run a fever, Mimi sat back down on the cot, staring balefully at the door. A knock startled her, and she almost didn’t have time to react as a woman, carrying a food laden tray, opened the door.
Mimi sprang to her feet, and running past the startled woman, burst out of the door into the hallway beyond. Mimi fled down the hallway as the woman called out behind her. “Wait, please stop! Oh no, Lord Orra! Smith? Somebody help!” Had that woman just called out for Smith, Mimi asked herself as she continued running, now up a set of stairs into the main part of the home. Mimi could hear a set of heavy, male sounding footsteps chasing her in pursuit, and when she turned a corner she could see another man standing in front of the back door. “Ms. Hastings, stop!” The man called to her, his voice familiar. Surprise slowed her steps slightly, as Mimi recognized the voice of her employer, Mr. Smith. The hesitation proved to be her downfall, as the pursuer caught up to her, and enveloping her in his arms, knocked Mimi to the floor.
Andris pinned Mimi to the ground with his weight, as Smith moved from the door to crouch next to the pair. Struggling in her captor’s arms, Mimi glowered at Smith. “You set me up!” she hissed at the man, furious. “Yes he did” Mimi heard Andris’ low voice in her ear “on my orders. We have been searching for you for some time, little mouse.” Andris’ strong arm pinned her hands behind her back as he tried to soothe her struggles. “Calm down. I won’t hurt you, but we can’t allow you to leave either. Besides, if you keep wiggling like that, you will have more to deal with than my annoyance”. Mimi stilled, feeling for the first time, Andris’ aroused response to her proximity. Her own, already feverish body began to heat further in answer. Then she began to shiver, her fever turning into chills.
“Relax, we won’t hurt you.” He promised.
“Please let me go. I was just following orders. You tricked me.” She pointed at Smith.
“You will have to forgive him, but that was the only way we could get you.” Smith said.
“If there was anything I stole from you before then forgive me, just let me know what it is and I will return it.” She promised. She was scared, she was always good at her job and never expected to be caught. She was not ready t
o spend the night in this damn mansion. She wanted an explanation why she was tricked into coming to that house.
“Why did you lie to me, Smith?” she looked serious. They all looked at each other and then back to her.
“You are not doing okay; you need to rest.” Orra said.
“I don’t care how I feel; I demand to know why I’m here.”
“You came to steal my box, remember?” Orra said.
“I was hired by you.” She pointed at Smith who was staring with disbelief.
Andris pressed his cheek gently to hers, and feeling her fever, backed away. “You aren’t well. You need to be back in bed.” Moaning an agreement, Mimi allowed herself to be picked up in Andris’ arms and carried down the hallway to a bedroom. The chase had taken more out of her than she realized, and she was swiftly growing sicker. “Stay here, little mouse, rest and when you wake up, Amanda will take care of you. Then we will try to explain what is going on.” Tenderly, Andris placed her on a bed, and then smoothed the covers over her. Feeling more tired than she had realized, Mimi fell asleep within moments.
*****
When Mimi awoke, Amanda was sitting next to the bed, a bottle of cold medicine and a bowl of soup on a tray sat upon a table next to her. “I’d warn you not to run again, Miss, but considering how you are feeling I don’t think that’s very likely.” Amanda smiled at Mimi kindly. “Besides, Bruno there is watching the doorand there’s no moving him when he’s decided otherwise.” Looking over at the door, Mimi saw a giant black mastiff lying directly in front of the exit, head resting on his paws. That must have been the dog that crashed into me when she was trying to steal the box, Mimi thought. Amanda was right; she was in no state to try another escape attempt. Instead she allowed the woman to help her take the medicine. Then much like a small child, Amanda fed her, spooning warm chicken broth into her dry, fevered mouth.
“You need to let me go,” she said. She was terrified knowing that she was tricked into this home. She couldn’t call the police since she was a thief.
“I believe we can’t.” they all chorused. She tried to think of a way to escape. She had to play their games and then escape. She was not ready to stay here.
“May I know why you won’t let me go,” she asked.
“We will tell you in due time for now, you have to sleep.” She looked at them with a smile. She was determined to leave.
“I want to know now. You are keeping me against my will.” She said. She was sweating and they noticed how nervous she was. Amanda was the only woman and she was not helping. “Please help me, I swear I won’t go to the police.” She pleaded with Amanda.
“We are not kidnapping you, we will tell you tomorrow. You will leave after we discuss why you are here.” She stared at the ceiling
****
Orra longed for a hot bath, a good meal and a vigorous massage as his head pounded. He knew where to find such luxuries but he had to prove to his father that he could be responsible for once. He’d been riding hard for four days now; It was great to be home. The setting summer sun glimmered off the beautiful lands. The small hunter’s lodge was perched on the edge of a rolling hill.
The quest for looking for a surrogate woman was really getting on his nerves. He didn’t find anyone he loved; all the women that asked for his hand in marriage were not his type. He felt like closing himself in the house and never leaving again. His father pressured him to accept any woman; that was the only way he was going to get the inheritance. His father was not ready to accept that he was gay. He looked out the window to see if there was any strangers approaching his home. The only person they thought would be easy to buy was Mimi and she was proving to be difficult. He thought that the plan was going to be easy since Mimi was a thief and she would do anything to avoid going to jail. Guess I was wrong, he said to himself.
He was not interested with the inheritance, but Smith was. He tried to talk Smith out of it, but he was not backing down. Smith loved the publicity and the fame that came with money.
Every woman wanted to marry, him but he never wanted to. He was choosy and declined all their proposals. Women from all over tried to woe him, but he denied them a chance. He felt like he never found the perfect man. Everyone was now getting tired of his rejection and his family was also losing hope of him ever finding the right woman.
“You know you’ll have to accept any woman, right?” Smith said as he walked in the room. He turned and stared at him with a smile.
“I can’t just get married to anyone, marriage is a lifetime commitment and I will not throw away my life to please my dad.” He was only thirty-three, but he was wise and stubborn also. His parents knew it would take a lot of convincing him to get married.
“What will you do when many women start approaching and flirting with you; people will know soon that you came back.” he insisted
“I will keep on rejecting them until they leave me alone.” He was handsome and she knew it. Every woman wanted to marry him and they never gave up pursuing him.
“Please, make up your mind now or else you’ll lose the inheritance. I can’t live without money and you know it. I want to be spoiled and pampered.”
“We have a solution in the other room; she will do anything to get money. I will pay her to play as my wife and give us a baby. That’s why I sent you to find her.”
“When will you tell her the truth?” Smith asked.
“I will tell her today. I hope she will like our offer.” Smith was not sure about this. He wanted to be with Orra and never understood why he wouldn’t be open about it. He had to lie to everyone that Smith was his accountant.
“Are you sure that you will make our relationship public after you get the inheritance?”
“Yes of course. I’m only doing this for us. I might have messed up before but this time I swear I will make things right.” Smith knew Orra was attracted to men as well as women. It was hard to accept the fake marriage. They had to come up with a perfect plan to make Mimi accept their proposal. Smith’s idea was not a good one after all. Orra loved Smith but he hated how obsessed he was with the inheritance.
“Offer her anything. We need to make this work.” Smith said. Orra stared at him with rage in his eyes. He never wanted to argue with him.
“I will do everything you say. Can we just drop this topic?”
“Okay, be gentle and polite with her.”
“I said drop it.” Smith smiled as he placed a kiss on his forehead. He applied his hand lotion and massaged his palms. He wanted to ask more questions but held his thoughts.
****
Mimi woke up feeling much better. Mimi had always enjoyed the first hours after daybreak. She enjoyed that time when the sun rose and was ready to bathe its subjects in its glow. She liked summer mornings when the dew clung to the leaves and flowers. They sparkled in the sun’s rays like diamonds. She appreciated the chirping of the birds from the trees as she travelled every morning.
These musings and praises of her strength sounded fanciful even masculine so she kept them locked deep within her. She enjoyed the wagon ride along the bumpy road. She couldn’t stop smiling at her plan. She heard a knock on the door. The bed was comfortable, but all she wanted was to get out of this house.
“May I come in?” Orra said through the door.
“A minute,” she screamed. She was sure it will work. She opened the door and smiled as she showed him in.
“I came to talk to you about something important.” He said.
“Shhh, it can wait.” She said as she moved closer to him. He looked tensed. It was hard to control himself. He wanted her to stop but she was irresistible.
He wetted his lips and because he towered so much over her he had to bow his head in attempting to kiss her on the lips. His lower lip was so pink and sexy she got hot at the thought of them on her. He slowly lowered his lips closer and closer to hers, her eyes affixed on his lips lowering towards her. Her eyes fluttered close.” No I can’t.” she slammed open her eyes.
She palmed away his lips, chucking his face away from her and turning away her head in disgust at his action. His eyes enlarged.
“Heyyy, what’s that for?”
“That’s for disrespecting me, I told you no. You didn’t hear me?”
His face contorted in a wild series of creased befuddlement.
“Are you saying you don’t enjoy this? Don’t tell me you don’t.”
“I don’t!” she said sharply
His gaze went soft or ashamed, his voice shrunk “You don’t?”
“No. I don’t. Now go to your partner. This is wrong.”
“Smith won’t be home until ten. And yes this is wrong, it is, but it feels so right.”
“Lame . . . That’s so lame Orra.”
Orra was not always the best with words, his looks and actions usually made up for that.
“I’m not trying to be ‘not-lame’. I’m just trying to be honest. I know you feel what I feel.”
“What do you feel? You are gay”
“A chemistry that I’ve never experienced before, Smith is not a frea . . . well not as open-minded as you are. I can’t get over the things we do.
“Please leave. You’re not getting the picture. This is wrong and it will never happen again.”
She pointed at the door, he grabbed her pointing hand out the air, briskly spun her around, shoved her up against the door, her two breasts squashing against its hard wood. He bit into the nape of her neck.
Oh fuck her knees shuddered. She had never felt so many electric tingles running down her spine in her entire life. What is this man doing to me? He shoved his hand under her and amply grabbed on one of her ass cheek. He puckered his lips in her ears and whispered,
“This ass is mine. You got that?”
Her throat went parch. She wetted her mouth and tried catching her breath so she could reply. But she couldn’t. She had opened her mouth, it moved, opened and closed but no words came out. It was an empty voice.
Alien Romance: Interview with an Alien (Football Paranormal Invasion Abduction Alpha Sci-fi Romance) (Fantasy First New Adult Contact Science Fiction Mystery Sports Alien Short Stories) Page 11
