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  “How...How is this possible?”

  “Did Ms. Pope schedule you for another appointment?” Tina asked, her demeanor strictly business.

  “No. I’m not sure if I am coming back.” Shaking her head, she wondered if she’d been slipped some kind of hallucinogenic drug. But then again, she didn’t remember eating or drinking anything since she entered the office.

  Opening the outer door, she paused with one foot in the outside hallway. Looking over her shoulder, she took a deep breath. “Tina, exactly how old are you?”

  The secretary’s head bowed. “I’ll be four hundred and twenty-five next month.”

  Before the door closed behind her completely, she heard Tina get buzzed once again and respond, “I’ll be there at once.”

  Outside of the building, Stacy paid special attention to the fourth floor, where the offices of BSC were stationed. There was nothing that betrayed anything special seemed to be hidden inside, that there was anything different about that floor. With the business card still in her hand, she shook her head. There was no way she would ever make a deal with the devil. Even if the devil was a beautiful woman who thought she was a vampire. That place had insanity plastered all over it. Looking at her watch, she sighed. If she didn’t hurry, she was going to be late for her shift.

  Typically today was her day off, but a coworker who had never asked her for anything had practically begged her to switch days off with him. After the manager approved the swap, it had become a done deal. Stacy took comfort in the fact that if she were late, at least her coworker couldn’t be blamed for it. She hated to get other people in trouble.

  Rushing through the city, the traffic seemed to be working for her rather than against. She even managed to get to work with a few minutes to spare. With a smile on her lips, she made her way through the store toward the back office where she would clock in. Passing swimwear, she paused.

  She could see a couple making out near the changing area. It reminded her of how she and Thomas had been when their relationship—their marriage—had been new. She decided to let them get away with their necking for a few minutes. After all, why not let them have their fun, if they weren’t hurting anyone?

  “Mmmm, I love the way that black suit looks on you,” a too-familiar voice said, giving her pause when she would have continued on her way. “It makes your ass look so delicious and your thighs so creamy. I could bury my head between them and feast for days.”

  She decided to ignore the whole thing, to dismiss it as a regular customer. After all, it could be a coincidence that a man’s voice sounded like her husband’s. Especially since she’d been thinking about him so much the last few days, trying to decide what she wanted to do. But logic told her it couldn’t be him for two very good reasons. First, he’d told her he was on a business trip until the following day, and second, she knew for a fact that her husband found oral sex distasteful. She was about to walk away when the conversation continued.

  “But that one is so expensive.” Stacy could almost hear the pout in the other woman’s voice. “It’s more than what I promised myself I’d spend.”

  “Yeah, but my wife works here. I’ll just use her discount and add whatever else you need. I can’t wait to see you in that next weekend when we’re at that ‘mandatory work seminar’.” Both of them chuckled, and Stacy could almost hear the air quotes around the phrase.

  Peeking around a rack of swimsuits, Stacy saw her husband before his face became obscured by the other woman as they kissed.

  She was so angry she was shaking. Approaching the couple, she forced herself to stand there and watch them. Her arms were folded over her chest as she waited for them to come up for air.

  When they finally stopped, she cleared her throat. The look on her husband’s face was priceless.

  Without a word, she turned and stormed off. While she wished she were doing it because it would have him confused and not certain what to expect from her next, the truth was she was terrified that if she didn’t walk away, she’d be arrested for assaulting both of them.

  Storming through the store, her manager stopped her. “Where do you think you’re going?”

  “I’m leaving.”

  “No, you’re going to go clock in, then clean up the dressing rooms and straighten up swimwear. Some woman left a ton of bathing suits all over the place.”

  Running on autopilot, she did the first thing she could think of to get out of having to return to that section of the store. She couldn’t go back and watch her husband make a fool of himself with that whore. “Fuck you. I quit!”

  Leaving the building, she climbed back into her car and pulled the crumpled business card off the floorboard. She drove to the closest fast food place.

  The card firmly in her hand, she walked to the ancient payphone and inserted her coins. Dialing the number, she was surprised when she heard the voice of Ms. Pope instead of the friendly Tina. She hadn’t really believed it would take her to the woman’s direct line. “Hello, Stacy. Have you decided so soon?”

  She didn’t stop to ask how Ms. Pope knew it was her on the phone. It didn’t matter. She just asked, “When do I start?”

  Chapter Two

  Stacy wasn’t sure what to expect this time when she walked through the door of BSC, but she had a different feeling coursing through her as she approached the office. Was it because now she knew what the interior looked like?

  Taking a deep breath, she rang the bell once.

  Tina opened the door immediately, as though she were expected.

  “You know, you can still get out of this. If you walk away now, they can’t do anything...”

  “I’m here to negotiate my terms.”

  Tina had a sad expression on her face. “Please, just make sure you know what you are getting yourself into.”

  The phone buzzed. Without waiting for Tina to pick up the receiver, Ms. Pope’s voice filled the office. “Tina, send Stacy back to my office now, please.”

  “She’s on her way, Ms. Pope.” The secretary waited for the line to disconnect, then continued. “Please be careful.”

  “You didn’t know what you were getting into?”

  She shook her head. “Times were different. And I believed anything would be better than the life I was forced to live. Some days I don’t think I can thank Ms. Pope enough for what she’s done for me, for everything she’s given me.”

  “And other days...?” Stacy prompted, wanting to know exactly what Tina thought of her life. She hoped it would give her an inside tip on what her own life would become if she accepted the job.

  “Other days, I wish I’d let my husband kill me. Don’t keep her waiting, she gets testy.” Sitting down behind the desk, Tina started working on some mysterious paperwork.

  Stacy easily remembered the directions to her potential future boss’s office and was much better prepared for the chill air that blew over her body as she entered the weird hallway. Knocking on the door, she opened it when prompted and was once again struck by the beauty of the other woman.

  “Again, thank you. Hearing such things never grows old. But we are here to discuss your contract.”

  She followed the other woman’s example of getting straight to business. “You said you would give me three things. In exchange I will give you three things, am I correct?”

  “Yes.”

  Gathering her courage, Stacy pressed on. “First, let’s discuss my salary.”

  “Very well,” Ms. Pope placed her elbows on the desk and gave her full attention. “You will be considered a salaried employee. I believe those are the terms you use these days. As I’m sure you understand, we keep peculiar hours here, and you must be available to us whenever necessary, with certain exceptions. We are not monsters,” she chuckled. “We will allow you to have vacations without fear of work interrupting your time away.”

  “And the pay rate?” She’d never been good at this part of the interview.

  “We shall start you off at eighty thousand per yea
r. There are bonuses if your work is outstanding, and some of our clientele may wish to give you gifts if they are pleased with you and your services.”

  For a moment she wondered if she’d had a heart attack because she couldn’t feel her heart beating any longer. Eighty thousand dollars a year as a starting salary? She was nowhere close to making that after almost ten years in retail. She didn’t think between herself and her husband that they’d made that amount the previous year!

  “I take it the amount is acceptable to you?”

  “You’re not just going to read my mind for the answer?” she asked before she could stop herself.

  Ms. Pope gave a throaty laugh. “You are refreshing, Stacy. What is the next point that you wish to address?”

  Stacy allowed herself to be directed back to business, though she did note that her soon-to-be boss had not answered her question. “What will I do?”

  “We do keep a client list. You will be responsible for following up with some of our clients. Not all of our dealings are for souls. Some people barter other services. You will contact them when it is time for them to fulfill their obligations. Sometimes we have a need for travel arrangements. Sometimes we shall have a client who wishes to travel, but for obvious purposes would find it inconvenient to do so alone.”

  “What obvious purposes? Can you give me an example?”

  “Well, take me, for example. If I choose to go to another state for an extended period, unless I have a companion, it would become necessary for me to...invade the local population. We have not worked so hard to negate ourselves to myths only to have a client go on vacation and blow our cover by sucking some of the locals dry.”

  Her heart sped up. “And...and so I’d be...”

  “In that case, if we did not arrange for you to contact another person, you’d be a traveling buffet. But don’t worry, we make sure they know that they can’t drain you. And if it makes you feel better, once you’ve signed your contract, even the most gluttonous vampire would find it hard to drain all the blood from your body. Do you have any other questions about what we will require of you?”

  “Yes. You said—yesterday you said my body and my blood would have to be made available.”

  Ms. Pope nodded.

  “What about my body?”

  “Stacy, you are not so naïve as that. Please do not play games with me. They are amusing for now, but I do grow tired of them quickly. You know what I mean. I can see it in your eyes, hear it in your heart rate. And admit it, you find the idea exciting. Your body betrays you.”

  If she were honest, the thought did excite her, on some perverse level. Was it because then she would feel as though she and Thomas were even? He’d screwed around on her, so it was only fair for her to screw around on him, right?

  “Dig deeper for your answer, dear.”

  Looking into her boss’s hypnotic black eyes, Stacy allowed herself to silently admit that she’d wondered more than once about the life she’d given up by getting married so young. She’d never really had the chance to live before she was a wife, and it seemed BSC was willing to give her that chance in spades.

  “That wasn’t so hard, was it?”

  She shook her head. “But am I required to...do I have a choice about if...”

  “You will not be forced to do anything. However, I will tell you that in certain cases, there will be consequences if you refuse to perform certain services.”

  Could she live with that? What consequences? Would she be fired? Tortured? Shaking her head, she promised herself that she would think more about it later. She would simply cross that bridge when she came to it. Pressing forward, she continued her negotiations. “About my terms—”

  “I look forward to this. How do you want him punished? Would you like to detail exactly what we do to him? Would you like to witness his humiliation? Or are you possibly going to allow our devious little minds to explore the appropriate punishment? I promise, we would not go easy on him. We have had many, many years to perfect our methods, and sometimes our employees can get very...creative if allowed to do whatever they please.”

  Images flashed through her head. The ones she’d seen yesterday and many more. Thomas chained down as creatures fed off of him—his flesh, his blood, his screams. Thomas getting castrated before his balls were formed into a pair of beautiful ornamental earrings. “No.” She pushed the tempting images away. “I don’t want to choose now. I want to have time to think about what I want to happen to him.”

  “Again, you have managed to surprise me. Done. Anything else?”

  “Do I get another chance to discuss this with you?”

  “Typically, no. Once the contract has been written, it is considered final. I will, however allow you three opportunities to modify it.”

  “For what price?”

  A slow smile tilted Ms. Pope’s lips. “The price will be determined at the time of the modification. Is this acceptable to you?”

  Stacy thought for a few minutes. Could she truly do this? Could she get in bed with the devil? Would she still end up losing her soul, even if they weren’t taking it in exchange for her revenge?

  Despite her questions, she knew her decision had already been made. It had been made the moment she saw Thomas kissing another woman and admitting that his business trips were excuses to spend time with his mistress. She’d known she would accept the job when she entered the office. “Yes.”

  Pressing a button on her phone, Ms. Pope spoke. “Tina, bring the contract for Stacy to sign.”

  “How could it be ready? We only just finished discussing...”

  “You will learn that not everything is as it seems in this office. Many things are possible if you open your mind to it. Do you not find it weird that you can calmly ask me how I could possibly have a contract ready for you to sign, but have not once asked how I am able to answer questions you have not asked? That you eventually accepted the thought of me being a vampire with little trouble? Certainly with less difficulty than most mortals. You have not questioned our hallway that seems to never end, or the fact that there is a hidden entrance and exit. I am pleased that you are open to new ideas. That should make your transition into our way of life much easier.”

  Tina entered with papers and handed them to Ms. Pope, leaving as wordlessly as she entered.

  “I forgot to ask, how long does the contract last?”

  “Most people do not ask. I’m proud that you thought to, even if the question was a bit tardy.”

  “So, how long does it last?” she asked again, determined to have an answer and not become sidetracked.

  “I have left that as negotiable as well. However, it is standard that unless you perform a service of the highest magnitude, you are not allowed to leave our employment until we have a replacement for you.” She slid two copies of the contract over to Stacy’s side of the desk.

  “What happens to Tina after I sign this?”

  “She is free to do as she pleases, once you are trained. She’s had a foot in this world for too long to be completely separated from it. But she will now be under no further obligations. She will now age as a normal mortal does. She has not aged a single hour since she signed her contract. When you sign yours, she is released.”

  “Will you tell me—”

  “No,” Ms. Pope said before Stacy could finish the question. “Just as I will never discuss your contract or any addendums we make to it with any other. As I said, we are not monsters. Though you may come to believe that we are, in time.” Opening a drawer, she passed Stacy a pen. “As clichéd as it is, this contract is only binding if it is signed in your own freely-given blood.”

  After a brief hesitation, Stacy took the offered pen and signed her name. There was a small prick on her finger, and the ink was dark crimson. She really had done it.

  “Congratulations, you are now a member of BSC. Your training shall begin immediately.” She pressed a button on the phone. “Tina, you will begin training Stacy today. Start by teaching her wh
at is considered presentable. Make sure she has an appropriate wardrobe by tomorrow, and have all the necessary arrangements made.”

  “Yes, Ms. Pope. And ma’am?”

  “Yes, Tina?”

  “Demetri heard that you may have a new recruit, and has already sent in his request to be her first assignment.”

  Ms. Pope gave a humorless chuckle. “Yes, he would.” Her gaze raked over Stacy. “I do not see a problem with that. Set up an appointment for us to discuss this before you leave.” The room grew quiet once again.

  “You will learn many things during your time here, Stacy. Some things you will greatly enjoy. Some you shall learn to tolerate. Tina may be able to prepare you slightly for what you may expect.”

  “Demetri? Should I be worried? Should I be scared that it sounds like you’re my pimp now?”

  “As I said before, you still have your free will. I am not your pimp. But you knew when you walked in here that you would be considered one of our assets.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Now, Tina will take you shopping. If you have any questions or concerns about what to buy, just ask her. She knows what we find acceptable.”

  With that, Stacy was dismissed. Standing up, she started to leave the office. Part of her was happy that she would be able to do so much more for herself now. But then, reality intruded. She had not yet earned her first paycheck, and she’d quit her job. Could she really afford to buy a new wardrobe and do who knows what else she needed to do in order to prepare for her new position?

  “Everything will be placed on the company’s account,” Ms. Pope’s voice came from behind her. “It will not be deducted from your paycheck. It is one of the bonuses that I mentioned earlier. Now, if that is all, I really must get back to work, and you have a busy day ahead of you.”

  Nodding, Stacy replied, “Yes, ma’am. Thank you.” Entering into the weird hallway again, she noticed that this time, as she exited into the main office, there was no cold air, no invisible force that tried to prevent her from leaving.

  In the warm office with Tina, Stacy shifted her weight from one side to the other as she wondered how much weirder her day would become.