This is my contribution to the Halloween Contest 2021. Please remember to vote at the end and thanks for taking the time to read.
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Copyright (c) 2021 Ada Stuart, All Rights Reserved.
This work may not be published whether for fee or free without this copyright.
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***
"I like the name of your company," Ivy blurted out.
"Do you?" Darther Landon looked up from his papers. He looked as if he was finally seeing her as a person and not just another interview object he needed to suffer the company of. He was probably used to having women fawning over him and blurting out stupid sentences just to get his attention.
When she'd learnt that she had an appointment with the CEO, she had imagined a grey-haired older gentleman, not the sleek panther-like figure sitting in front of her. Maybe they were messing with her and sent one of their bodyguards to interview her instead. But then he'd opened his mouth, and his words sounded like any other businessman. Except that the deep baritone was making funny things happen inside her chest and mind. It was probably the reason why she spoke when she should have kept her mouth shut.
"Yes, who wouldn't? 'Monsters Inc' sounds both cute and dangerous at the same time."
He looked at her as if he wondered if he should feel insulted or laugh. He cleared his throat.
"Do you know what we do?" he asked in a neutral voice.
"No. But if I'm only here to answer your phone and sort the visitors, I'm sure I can survive."
He chuckled, revealing a handsome smile behind his stern features. "I certainly hope you will."
She gave him a broad smile, hiding her true feelings while she tried to behave like the most biddable woman he'd ever come across. She needed this job. Really needed it. It was the only way of finding out what had happened to Marcus. This was definitely not the right time to be dazzled by the hunky employer.
***
A week later, Ivy wondered if it was her stupid statement that had landed her the job. There had certainly been plenty of other temps that were interviewed, but for some reason, they had called her a few hours later and offered her the job. She'd felt so relieved she would probably have kissed the caller if they hadn't been on the phone. It would make it so much easier to do what she needed to do.
Besides, how difficult could it be to pretend to be a receptionist? She'd done plenty of secretary work for both her brother and father over the years. Plenty of legwork too, when they happened to find something that wasn't too dangerous. She had often wondered why they bothered to train her at all when they were always reluctant to let her do any of the more interesting tasks for the family business. It would have been useful now that she faced the biggest challenge yet.
And it was all Marcus's fault. After taking over the business when their father died, her brother had shared even less information about what he was working on. So when he vanishes without a trace, Ivy had to start from scratch and go over everything he'd done for the last few weeks. Everything pointed to a company called 'Monsters Inc', led by the Landon family.
For some reason, Marcus had been investigating them. Lurking in the shadows to learn more about their operations and the family leading everything. His carefully scribbled notes contained tons of details about their operations and the employees. It had to be the result of weeks of surveillance. For that reason alone, Ivy knew she was on to something.
Which was why she had decided to infiltrate them. Pretending to be a colourful young woman that was more interested in her fingernails than in their operations. She ran her hand down her skirt, smoothing out any non-existent wrinkles while she wondered if it was too short when she was sitting down. If it was, it would only do what it was supposed to. To draw attention to her legs and clothes and away from the fact that she was feeling terribly nervous. She checked her watch. She was punctual. Taking a deep breath, she entered the enemy's den.
"Welcome, Ivy," Darther Landon said as she stepped inside the building. "Let me show you around."
She greeted her new boss while she put on the role she was supposed to play. It was almost like she expected someone to jump forward and shout 'Action' or 'Cut', but it didn't happen. She could do this, she instructed herself. Because she had to. There was no room for errors when lives were at stake.
***
Darther watched the young woman stare as he showed her the equipment storage and all the different costumes his agents used when they were on stakeouts. It was apparent she'd never worked for a security company that resembled theirs before.
He hoped she was made of sterner material than she appeared. Her lithe figure was both appealing and a potential problem when dealing with difficult clients. Hopefully, the fact that she was young and appealing would outweigh the other drawbacks. He'd done what he always did and followed his gut instinct when he'd hired her.
"Gosh. This is so cool. Where are the monsters?" Ivy asked and ran her fingers over the nearest costume.
'Right beside you,' Darther wanted to say, but he knew he could never admit it out loud. Not unless he wanted to get rid of her and start searching for another receptionist. And for some reason, he felt it more important to keep this one.
"What monsters?" he asked.
"You did that Disney movie, didn't you? I totally loved it."
"Ah no. That wasn't us."
"So what do you do? Are you event planners for Halloween parties?"
"Not exactly. We're security consultants."
"So you're more like 'James Bond?"
He forced a laugh. "Sorry to disappoint you, but our work is a lot more boring in real life. We usually give businesses advice on how to avoid cybercrime."
"Oh." Ivy did sound a bit disappointed. But then she smiled broadly. "That's still cool. So where do I start?"
'With me,' he wanted to say. "We need you to handle the front desk and direct whatever comes in. Nothing more."
"No problem. I have experience from secretary work too, in case you want to add to my task load."
"I'll consider it. But since you're new, we'll cut you some slack."
She giggled. "Not too much slack, I hope. I make the most amazing coffee."
"Do you always dress in yellow," he asked her.
"It's my favourite colour."
He'd noticed. The bright yellow colour mixed with her black belt made her look like a bee. A chatty bee, now that he knew her a bit better. But still a bee. He briefly wondered if the bee could sting if her boss forgot his manners and groped her ass. She probably would.
***
Ivy soon discovered that the job wasn't hard at all. She just had to keep tabs on the boss' schedules and make sure his guests felt welcome before directing them to the correct office. So far, so good.
But the staff were of a peculiar kind. Her boss had told her they usually did surveillance and were hired as bodyguards. It explained the muscular hunks hanging around the office. The way they dressed certainly made them stand out in a crowd. Some went for the dark and gloomy goth style, while others were more colourfully clothed. No matter what, she had difficulty imagine any of them being able to blend in anywhere unless they attended a rock concert or a trip to a different planet.
The benefit of it all was that it allowed her to dress just as freely as they did. Instead of going for her sombre work suits, she chose to wear her favourite colours instead. Usually, it was a bright yellow blouse with black trousers or a dark skirt. Too bad they hadn't hired her for more interesting tasks than handling their reception, but if she proved her worth, they might give her additional tasks.
Unfortunately, as a receptionist, she would also have to deal with the employees who considered themselves God's gift to women. Those that were convinced she would fall into their bed just by waving their hands. In reality, it felt more like they wanted to ruin her day, and she'd learnt to spot them a mile away.
The man strolling toward her desk was a clear example of the sort. She sighed. Before she started working here, she had no idea how tedious it could be when every man thought she was available and open to flirtation. It was the downside of the way she dressed, but it suited the role she wanted to portray, so she had to pretend to enjoy it.
The young man winked at her and grinned so widely he looked as if he'd spotted the last candy on the plate, ready for taking and eager to be swallowed by him. Ivy forced a smile on her face, hating what she had to do. If she'd met him at a pub, she would have shut him down instantly, knowing it was the only thing that would work.
These sort of men were the complete opposite of her boss' calm demeanour and the brief looks of approval before he managed to control his features. Why couldn't men copy him instead of going ballistic as if flirting was the only way forward? Despite him being her primary suspect, Darther Landon was a lot more tempting compared to the one trying to impress her right now.
As expected, the young man leaned too close and sniffed her neck. Just like a dog would take in the scent of another dog, she guessed. She took a step back, giving him a cold stare while hating the fact that she needed to lift her chin to meet his eyes.
"May I help you, sir?" Ivy asked, trying to be professional.
"Where did Landon find you?"
"I'm Ivy, the temp. Do you have an appointment?"
"You're a human."
"Last time I checked, yes."
He took a step closer. "You're a tasty morsel."
"And you're in my comfort zone," she fired back.
