I woke suddenly feeling the air shift. Someone was in my room. I carefully cracked my eyes open and tried to see who it was.
I felt a finger trace down the side of my face and it took everything for me not to flinch at it. Down my face, up again, through my hair and down my face again.
‘Sang, Sang, Sang’ a voice crooned. ‘I’m coming for you...’
I sit up, gasping. Another night, another nightmare. I jumped out of bed and did my usual check. Windows locked, closet and under bed empty.
Racing into the shared kitchen/ living area and bathroom I checked every door and window was securely locked. There was no one in my apartment, I was safe. I just didn’t feel safe.
Looking at the time I saw it was 5 o’clock. Today was Friday, my first day of work at Blackbourne Investigations.
Blackbourne Investigations was located in downtown Charleston, just outside the business district. I estimated it would take 1 ½ hours to walk so planned to be leaving by 6.15 to be there by 8. It was nearly time to get ready.
Kota had dropped me ‘home’ after I accepted his job offer. I had directed him to one of the nicer apartment blocks I had looked at renting before settling on my current, cheaper one. I had snuck into the foyer, waited until he had driven off before walking the rest of the way home.
If this job worked out, I would be able to refurbish my nest egg and even have the option of taking a bus to and from work. I dreamed about a nicer apartment in a safer suburb but knew from experience that I mustn’t get attached or plan too far ahead. Nest money and an additional emergency stash is what I needed to work towards, not a nicer place to live.
Quickly getting dressed and ready for work I locked the front door, double checked it was locked securely and headed down the stairs.
I munched my toast as I walked and kept my head down, avoiding eye contact with anyone who was up and out at this hour of morning.
I was grateful that my work wear wasn’t an issue. Kota had just asked that I come dressed in good casual today. I had dressed in a black pencil skirt with a white blouse. The skirt was a little faded but washed and neatly ironed. I had been a little worried if it would be appropriate if the quality of Kota’s suit was any indication of what would be expected of me.
I concentrated on the footpath in front of me, trying to keep my mind off the coming day. I wanted to do this job, but for the first time in a long time I was extremely nervous about starting a new job. I didn’t want to disappoint Kota after he had offered it to me. What would the rest of the team be like? Would they like me? What if I didn’t fit in? I always felt a bit like the square peg in a round hole. Just slightly out of beat with everyone else.
I approached the two storey row of offices it was located in. The building was built of big solid brick, giving it an influential, solid feel. Beside the front door there was an entrance to underground parking for the staff and company vehicles. Kota had told me I was welcome to park there or use that internal entrance. He would provide me my own remote today. I don’t think there will ever be a reason for me to go down there.
I walked up the last steps and opened the glass door with ‘Blackbourne Investigations’ etched into it. It opened into a small shared foyer and another set of stairs. I climbed the stairs with butterflies in my stomach. This was it.
Easing the door open I looked around. The reception area was deserted with a simple, organized desk in the middle, a gorgeous abstract painting behind and pendant lights delicately suspended beside. A couple of chairs were placed to the side, adorned by a large pot plant and contrasting cushions. The whole room had a confident, expensive feel to it. Whoever had decorated had done an amazing job. I looked around the room then quietly walked across the soft carpet to press the bell on the counter.
I heard a door crack open down the hallway to the right and Kota stepped out. Looking handsome in another dark suit he crossed the floor towards me. ‘Welcome to Blackbourne Investigations’ he smiled at me.
I gave a nervous smile back ‘Thank you.’ I felt my hand flutter up and briefly touch my lip. Forcing it down again I straightened my back and stepped forward.
‘Most of the team is out at the moment so I’ll have to wait to introduce you to them. If you come this way I’ll show you somewhere you can put your personal items while you’re here.’
‘Thanks’ I responded softly and followed him as we headed down the hallway to the left of reception. Walking past several doors Kota held open a door, leaning against it to allow me to enter the room first. I stepped past him and took in what would be home for my lunchbreaks from here on out.
A small kitchenette was directly facing the doorway. An oval coffee table was surrounded by yellow wrap-around chairs and a low slung purple couch against the right wall. The left wall opened up halfway along into what looked like a cozy nook filled with couches. The neutral flooring and kitchen contrasted the bright splashes of colour in the furniture and feature walls. It was warm, inviting and relaxing at the same time.
‘The decor here and in reception is amazing’ I commented, trying to break the silence on my end.
Kota looked at me and smirked, ‘I’ll pass your compliments on.’ Leading me around the corner I saw the couches in all their comfy glory. White cubes were inset into the far wall with lockable boxes beside.
‘You’re welcome to any box, all of them are free. No one really uses them at the moment. Help yourself to a hot drink and I’ll get a few things to start showing you our systems. I’ll be back in a moment.’ He gestured towards the couches before leaving.
I watched him leave the room, shutting the door behind him. Gazing around the room again I just couldn’t believe that I had a job here. I placed my things inside I kept out a notebook and pen then locked the box, tucking the key inside the cup of my bra. Peering through the cupboards I found a silver mug and made myself a cup of tea. Settling on one of the couches I wrapped an arm around my waist and waited for Kota to come back to the room.
I heard footsteps coming back down the hall and the door swung opened. I sat up straight on the couch and turned ready to face Kota when a man strode past me to the kitchenette and began looking in the cupboards. What should I do? Was this another member of the team? He was wearing black slacks with a crisp white long sleeved shirt; the top button undone and collar open around his neck. His soft brown hair had a slight wave and I could see he was a similar build to Kota, maybe a little slimmer through the hips. Was hotness required to work here? Should I introduce myself? Was it too late now to introduce myself and not be awkward?
‘Kota! Have you taken my mug again?’ He called out. His voice was a smooth baritone.
I stared at the mug in my hand in horror. Of all the mugs I had had to choose, it was his? I sunk a little further down in the seat.
‘I-I’m so sorry’ I stammered, ‘I didn’t realize it was yours.’
He spun around and his eyes widened slightly in surprise. I stared at his eyes, they were beautiful. The expression fire-eyes finally made sense to me as I stared into his.
The door swung open again and Kota stepped into the room. ‘Sorry Victor, I didn’t mention. We’ve got a new receptionist starting today. This is ...’ he paused and I saw him look at me wondering.
‘I’m Sang’, I jumped up and held out my hand. Victor held out his and shook my hand. Just as he went to release it I felt his thumb caress across the back of my hand before letting go.
‘Victor,’ he responded ‘and we’ve never had a receptionist...’ he glanced across to Kota then seemed to change his sentence halfway through ‘who turned up on time before’ he finished.
Looking over my head he seemed to be having a conversation with Kota without saying a word. I glanced back at Kota then nervously shifted. Picking up the mug I tipped out my tea, rinsed and dried it quickly. I turned and handed it to Victor.
‘Sorry again, I didn’t mean to...’
He interrupted me with a smile and head shake. ‘You’re welcome to use it whenever you like.’
He turned to Kota, ‘Well I’m glad you managed to find a receptionist so...quickly. What are we training Sang in today? I’ve got a light day today and can help.’ A smirk played across his lips.
‘What does your job entail?’ I asked, looking at Victor. I didn’t know much about private investigators except for the stereotypes in books and cartoons.
‘I am usually around the office. I have a desk in one of the back offices and run computer searches and compile files following online trails. I also help organize the installation of surveillance and a few other things like that. If you ever have any questions I’d be happy to help out.’
I smiled in thanks and looked to Kota.
‘We can go over these documents now’ he said and directed me back to the couches. I sat down on a couch and looked up at Kota and Victor. Victor didn’t hesitate and sat down right beside me on the couch with Kota taking the seat directly to my left. Victor’s thigh brushed against mine and I found my eyes drawn to where they touched. Why did they seem so comfortable with touch? Was this normal? Both Kota and Victor seemed so...nice. Genuinely nice.
Spreading out the papers on the coffee table in front of me Kota handed me a small stack.
‘These are for you to take home, complete and return. It’s just the usual ones for taxation and superannuation. If you have any queries about any of them, just let me know when you bring them in and we can go over them together.’
I took them and quickly tucked them into the back of the notebook. I had chosen to go with my real name. I didn’t have any current paperwork for it. It was foolhardy to use it. What was it about Kota that made me just blurt it out like that?
Kota began to explain the various jobs the company took on and what kind of paperwork was involved in it. Gripping my notebook and pen I quickly scribbled down notes trying to retain some of the information he was telling me.
‘Aww Kota, information overload here. Since when did we have written procedures for inactive files’ Victor teased.
Kota’s cheeks flushed lightly. ‘I thought it might make Sang’s job easier if we had it written out so I did it last night.’ I looked aghast at the pile of documents on the table in front of me. He had written these up last night? It would have been hours and hours of work to get it that organized.
‘Thanks Kota, it will be great to be able to use these to remind me what to do’ I said quickly. Hoping he could read the gratitude in my face I looked at him and gave him what I hoped looked like a thankful smile. I usually picked up jobs quickly but they did a wide range of jobs including surveillance, security and large skip bounty hunting. I hoped Kota didn’t regret offering me this job.
Victor leaned forward, catching my eye ‘Let me show you my office now.’ He jumped up, turned and held out his hand to me. I tentatively placed mine in his and he gently pulled me to my feet and tugged me towards the door. Only once he reached the door did he let go, opening the door wide and directing me back down the hall. We crossed the reception and walked past two doors on the left before opening the third door.
Victor reached for my hand again, guiding me deeper into the room before walking towards the large dark mahogany desk that dominated it. The feet of the desk were carved into claws standing on top of orbs. He walked behind the desk, gesturing me to follow. The top was bare except for a large black desk mat that took up nearly the entire wide surface.
Victor pushed aside the leather wingback rolling chair from behind the clean desk. Opening the left side drawer he fingered the underside of the opening until there was a click.
The mat on top of the desk shifted. I leaned forward, curious. Part of the mat opened and a security panel keypad appeared. Victor tapped in a series of numbers and pressed the input button. The mat shifted again, opening up in the middle. Two flat computer monitors drifted up on an unseen platform, positioning to a comfortable eye-level. The screens were already illuminated.
The place was a clean slate. All surfaces appeared to be empty. Where were all the files he worked on? He had what appeared to be a high level of security on his desk, yet he opened it in front of me. Did he already have a level of trust in me? We had only just met.
My eyes wandered along a long bench that ran along the length of the wall. A tall cupboard was behind the open door. The lock on it looked heavy duty. What was that used for?
He pulled a chair from the side of the room and patted it, indicating that I should sit beside him. I eased myself into the chair. My eyes were drawn to the front of the desk which depicted a gorgeous dragon sailing through clouds. He reached around and pulled the chair slightly closer. I inhaled slowly, breathing in the scent of moss and berries.
Clicking through different files he showed me the various electronic filing systems they used. After going through each system he stopped, and checked that I understood what he had explained.
I had a good working knowledge of office programs so thankfully it was all making sense with me. I desperately did not want to disappoint them. I gently bit my lip only to wince when I realized I had nipped it where it had split.
He leaned closer and his long fingers lifted my chin as he examined my lips. His eyes seemed to burn even more ‘How did you do this? Has someone been hurting you?’ I awkwardly shifted my eyes to Kota who was leaning against the wall behind. Had he told anyone how we met? Victor had seemed surprised to see a new receptionist this morning so I didn’t think so, but I was reluctant to share my altercation with the creep in the rain. I wasn’t use to people caring.
‘I fell?’ I replied. His eyes softened. ‘Sang, Sang...’ he responded. ‘What I should ask is should we worry about it happening again?’
Kota interrupted ‘North picked him up immediately after. He had a record and just so happened to have skipped his bond, he won’t be near her again.’
Victor turned to Kota ‘That’s the guy you lost it with? Good job.’ He gave me a small smile. ‘So what else are we showing you today? Has Kota showed you the control room yet?’
‘Not yet, I had only just started when you rudely interrupted’ Kota teased. They seemed so relaxed and comfortable with each other. So in-tune with what the other meant.
I glanced down at my watch. It was now 10, I had been here for two hours and so far I hadn’t done much of anything except be lead around and shown how things worked. Normally I was thrown into the deep end with a pile of files up around my ears and a deadline. I hadn’t even heard the phone ring. Was the answering machine still on or was someone else answering it?
Leading me out of the room they walked back through the reception, past more closed doors then approached the door at the end of the hall. I looked at the closed doors wondering. Were they all different offices? How many people worked here?
‘When we need to enter the control room we need to knock in code. Random is the code. Silas is currently manning the control room. Someone is always here, 24/7 monitoring it.’ Kota smiled then knocked on the door, three short, two long and one more short. There was a click and the door whirled then started to slide open. I saw Victor grab Kota and pull him to the side leaving me standing at the entrance alone.