This story is a fan fiction about the work of Charlaine Harris, Southern Vampire Mysteries. Some characters and passages have copyrights belonging to CH.
I want to publicly thanks to Elfchef for her extraordinary kindness and patience to help me in translation to English. Without her none of this would be possible, so she deserves due recognition. The story is as much mine as hers.

Comment! Please!

CHAPTER 4

CPOV


MY God! There has to be some madness in the air. What is wrong with people these days? Mondays are usually complicated, but today was a record breaker.

In preparation of traffic and newly found handicap I woke up hours before I had to be at work. Today I chose to go with something that was not formal; nice jeans; fitted sweater. I completed the look with a pair high heeled boots and a cropped leather jacket.

Generally people dressed casually at the office if they were going to be there for all day. Much like I planned to be today. We were all dressed this way except those administrative employees who were dressed in colored skirt and coat sets and extensive gaudy jewelry. They looked like Christmas trees with legs.

I hated places where there is a very rigid dress code. I preferred places that allowed you to come into work in the first thing you got your hands on in the morning. That fit in perfectly with my lifestyle.

My car was not automatic. I liked a manual transmission there was something thrilling about it. Unfortunately I could not drive so I called a taxi. Since I got into the office I have barely gotten any works done. No one seems to comprehend that with one arm and their interruptions I was going to be here all night.

I have done other than give explanations as to the current state of my arm. I have answered questions from Gerald and Ryan, Eva from accounting, Paul from human resources, Jack from the legal department, Isa, Gerald's secretary and even from the lady whose name I didn't know but she always comes in mid-morning to offer us a coffee.

I wondered if it wouldn't be more prudent to send out an email to the entire office to explain to them that, ''Yes, a vampire broke my arm. No, I'm not angry. No, I'm not crazy. No, I will not press charges against her. It was an accident!''

Hasn't anyone ever hear of a dog biting because it was scared or cornered? Okay, comparing a vampire to a dog is a little bit of an understatement but I was merely thinking about how they both have acute survival instincts. Many times when they feel trapped or panicked they bite first and assess the situation later.

Really was it so hard to believe that it was an accident? They were lethal machines but after all humans attack people too don't they? They are stronger, faster, and have fangs but we kill to eat too, or better yet, go to the butcher to buy meat already dead to eat. Let's say that they are murderers and we are not? I would say by rules of nature we were the worst of the two. We did not kill other people to feed from them. And our bodies aren't wired to kill. We just did.

Let's imagine for ridiculous second that chocolate bars were now living and walked around talking amongst us. I do not know how I would be able to stop myself from taking a bite out of one of them. In fact just the idea has my mouth watering. The very notion had me laughing alone as I looked in my desk drawer.

My boss Ryan Portman poked his head through the door:

"You're in good mood" He sounded as though this observation was most surprising to him although pleasantly so. Ryan Portman was a good boss. The best I ever had.

Tall, well built, gray hair already, showing the passage of its 54 years. In those years he has accomplished so much. He built Portman Inc. from the ground up. He was barely finished with college at the time. Years later he offered Gerald a partnership. That partnership had been going strong for fifteen years. During which they grew and grew. They went from a small business to large company with impressive clientele.

None of his monumental success had gone to his head and in the four years I have worked for him he has always treated me with respect like I was one of his colleagues and not his subordinate.

Andrew had the unfortunate luck of having Gerald for his boss. Gerald was the opposite of Ryan. He was not unsympathetic but we he was much less at ease and I did not think it ever crossed his mind to tell a joke or to laugh at one. Working for him could not have been easy.

'Sadness does not pay the bills Ryan!"

"Do you have a lot of work to do?" He appeared concerned. He came closer to my desk to take a look at my work load.

"Some I am taking the opportunity to do everything that requires only one had. Today I am devoting myself to the telephone"

He gave me a kind smile. "If you have nothing urgent to do, go home enjoy the rest!" He appeared nervous.

I looked at the clock, was 3p.m. What the hell?

"Ryan, I'm not sick, I can work" He made a strange face.

"Good but do not stay too late. At 5 o'clock I want you to go home and get some rest"

I was looking at him as he walked away. Strange! It seems he want to see me from my back. I think we're all a little crazy here.

I concentrated on what I still had to get done. The budgets for the rehabilitation projects had to be examined. There were also many contacts with potential customers that I had to go over. They have been on my desk for some time now.

I found a comfortable position in the chair that offered the cast on my arm some comfort. I sank into my work and did not even see the hours pass.

"What are you doing still here?" I raised my head to see an impatient Ryan in front of me. His approach had completely escaped my notice.

''What? What time is it?''

"8:30 I told you to be out of here by 5. Everyone else has already gone home. What are you still doing here?" He had a very irritated look. I don't think I had ever seen him so angry. Nothing about his behavior today was making any sense. Since when does a boss get angry about his employee working late?

I decided not to argue. It was obvious he did not want me here.

"I'm leaving" I shut the laptop down, grabbed my purse and walked toward the door.

"See you tomorrow'' he seemed relieved. Strange, very strange!

I entered the elevator and tried to find my phone in my bottomless and gigantic purse to call a taxi. I was already outside the building and I couldn't find it. I emptied the bag and still nothing. Damn!

I turned back to walk through the automatic doors they were already shutting. There was no way for me to reenter the building. Hell! How was I supposed to get home?

There was another entrance through the parking garage and I went around the building. I knew I was not wanted in the building by Ryan.

So I had a plan:

Sneak into my office, pick up the phone and sneak back out without being seen.

I slipped down the ramp to the park entrance. I noticed that there were three cars left behind. Two of them I knew well. They belonged to Gerald and Ryan. Beside it was an unknown car, a BMW Z5, black with tinted windows, very high-end!

I ran to the elevator, I saw that the doors were shutting and held it with my right hand to prevent them from shutting all the way. When the doors opened I went running.
Someone was in the elevator. He was extremely tall. When my eyes finally met his the first thing that came out of my mouth . "Oh shit!" It was the Eric Northman.

The elevator doors closed and he gave me a very serious look.

I didn't know if I had to apologize for my unorthodox phrase or to start screaming for help.

The elevator began rising and I was having trouble breathing.

All thoughts left my brain. He was handsome, his eyes troubled me deeply.

His mouth was very appealing and at the same time was the personification of death.

I thought he was here to attack me. Instantly I realized that I was being a fool. Andrew already talked to me about his involvement in the business world. I thought about saying something, anything to lighten the mood but I did not know where to start.

I felt my heart beating in my throat, my mouth went dry, and my legs were shaking and did not know what to do with my right hand. I was trapped in an elevator with a vampire.

On one hand I was panicked on the other I could not help feeling attracted to him.

He did not look away from me and I was having immense difficulties in keeping me calm.

Suddenly he touched the stop button. The elevator froze halfway through and my heart stopped beating.

Yes, I was bad to stop the chapter right here but I wanted to leave you wondering what will happen inside the elevator.

I hope you do not take this the wrong way!