Chapter 1: The Meeting
"Good morning." Came a voice making me look up surprised to see a tall dark haired man standing by my desk. He had to be close to 6 feet tall maybe more with dark curly hair that was more a mop on his head with very prominent cheek bones with almost steel gray blue eyes; he looked odd but also very good looking at the same time.
I work for the British government, I deal mostly in security, and I hated politics, so it came as a great shock to me that someone was interrupting the very important systems check for the Bank of England.
"Um…" I said looking around trying to see if anyone else was around before turning back to the man, "I believe it would actually be 'good afternoon' at this point, it's 10 past 12. But hello all the same."
I waited for him to say something but he seemed to be expecting me and I looked around him briefly meeting the eyes of Elsie O'Connor who just shrugged at me helpless apparently she had no clue what was going on. I looked over my shoulder and then turned back to him taking and breath and then asking, "I'm sorry can I help you?"
"I'm looking for Mycroft Holmes." He said sounding annoyed that I wasn't more punctual, I blinked and frowned.
"And… you want me to take you to him?" I guessed slowly as if talking to a child making this man sigh and roll his eyes in annoyance.
"Obviously." He said in a tone that I considered very rude, I weighed my options as I put my elbows on my desk and held my hands together in front of my face giving this man a hard look as he waited… I wouldn't say patiently.
"Fine, I'll just check the Banks of England's systems later." I said choosing the easiest option of just helping this man to get him out of my hair instead of saying 'Dammit man I'm head of British security not a secretary!' which wouldn't have helped at all.
What can I say? My parents are nerds they made their daughter a nerd.
"Finally." He snapped as I got up and lead him down the corridors, unfortunately for me Mycroft's office was on a completely different floor and halfway across the building… which meant I had to ride the elevator with this man. I had agreed to show him to Mycroft's office, it is rude if I just gave him directions, besides if I sent him off he'd probably go bother someone else and the security checks were not worth causing World War 3.
"So…" I sighed in the elevator my hands held behind my back as we waited, "You know Mycroft?"
"Obviously. It should be obvious even for an idiot." He snapped sounding annoyed with my small talk, and once again very rude.
"Okay… that is… never mind." I sighed shaking my head and rubbing my temple, "Any particular reason you want to meet Mycroft? He's not exactly known to have the most… enjoyable company."
Meaning he was a bit of a prick.
"None of your business." The man snapped pulling out his phone.
"Can I at least know your name?" I demanded my own annoyance causing me to be snappy.
The man next to me didn't respond, even when the door opened and I feared he'd say something rude and probably cause me to slap him and I wasn't in the mood so I just continued to lead him towards the office of the great Mr. Holmes. The entire way I felt his gaze burning on my back slightly unnerving me.
I took a brief second to think over him.
He was rude, that was obvious, good looking unfortunately, and clearly had no social skills.
But damn him he is cute.
I was extremely relieved when we reached the office, most people would knock but I'm not most people, I throw the office door open.
"Mycroft." I demanded entering the room of the umbrella obsessed man who looked up from his papers to look curiously at me… or the more likely option he was looking at the man behind me, "I leave him in your trusty hands, I have work to do."
I turned to leave when Mycroft's voice stopping me, "Wait Miss Bellerose."
I tried to suppress my sigh and felt my shoulders slump.
"What could you possibly want, Mr. Holmes? I have to check the systems of the bank, much needed system checks mind you, and I have just been interrupted by your apparent guest who had mistaken me for a secretary!"
I didn't mean to be so grumpy, I was hungry, and when I'm hungry bad things happen.
Mycroft just rolled his eyes at me and gave the man next to me an apologetic look as if saying 'sorry for her'. Son of a-
"Miss Bellerose, this is my brother Sherlock Holmes." Mycroft introduced and I crossed my arms but did turn to the second Holmes. That explained a lot…
"Of course he is. Rudeness must run in the family. I am terribly sorry but I am extremely hungry and if I don't get some food soon I'm not above eating one of you. Good day Mr. Holmes and Sherlock." I snapped turning and before Mycroft could stop me I shut the door and began stalking down towards the cafeteria which in all honestly was more of a restaurant where Elsie and Gina where waiting for me. All the way I was fuming over the two boys…well mostly the curly haired one.
Why did that jerk make my pulse rush, there was no way I liked him, the only things he'd said to me where rude! Except for the good morning! Why did I feel so strongly about him? What did I feel towards him?
And then it hit me like a shack of bricks.
Loathing.
Unadulterated loathing.
"Belle, who was that boy who you were walking with?" Gina said as I sat down sounding less like a woman who had 2 doctorates and more like a school girl.
"No one, Mycroft's business." I said quickly holding up the menu to hide my face.
"Oh really?" Elsie questioned not believing, I hummed my yes and then froze when Elsie said, "Then why are you taking on the complexion of a tomato."
"I am not." I snapped and then muttered under my breath something about 'damn curly haired bastard'.
"Oh the muttering someone has a crush!" Elsie teased.
"Like hell. The world I'd use is loathing." I hissed, causing them to burst out into laughter.
That was the day I meet Sherlock Holmes, and if I had known how it would have turned out I probably would have moved right away… because that was just the beginning.
