The Exchange Program

Serenity

I stared up at the heavy glass doors, trying to calm my breathing. “Are they really that frightening?” a deep voice asked from behind me.

I fought the urge to shiver as my eyes squeezed shut. “I suppose not. I guess I’m more afraid of what’s waiting inside.” I sucked in a breath realizing I’d said that out loud, when his laughter reached my ears. My skin instantly warmed as I looked over my shoulder to see his face still laughing.

“Perhaps if I open the doors for you, it will be less scary, hmm?” His arm brushed against my shoulder as he reached forward and gave the door a soft push. The cool air inside made my skin pebble. He blocked my retreat, giving me no option other than walking into the dimly lit space. It took a moment for my eyes to adjust, but once they did, I was awestruck. The room was massive, with towering skylights and tall plants and even trees that seemed to grow out of the very floors and walls. Wow, I mouthed as he chuckled again. “Exchange employee I’m guessing?” he asked.

I turned to fully look at him this time and felt my heart skip a beat. He was freaking gorgeous. His dark hair fell softly over his brow, just barely distracting from the most electric blue eyes I’d ever seen. I squeezed my fingers tightly when I caught the slight hint of his pointed teeth and answered softly, “That obvious?”

“Your heart was going about a hundred beats a second outside.” His smile was enticing. “Let me get you to intake. They can help you get your credentials and find your work floor.”

“Oh, um, thanks,” I said awkwardly, then followed him along the marble floors to a booth where a flawless looking woman sat with a headset on. She looked up with a full smile as she addressed the man.

“Oh, Mr. Ito, how can I help you sir?” Her voice set my nerves on edge, and her actions, although appearing to be polite, seemed disingenuous. Her head remained slightly bowed as she awaited his response.

“Ms. Salva, this is our new exchange employee, um,” he turned back to me and grinned, “I don’t believe I got your name.”

I saw the look in Ms. Salva’s eyes when Mr. Ito smiled at me. Her hatred was palpable. “Serenity Matthews, sir,” I said, bowing my head slightly. His finger touched the bottom of my chin, lifting my face slightly.

“No need to lower your head, Miss Matthews. While I appreciate the respect, as an exchange participant you are not subject to our laws, only our business practices. Bowing your head is only required within the scope of meetings and business transactions, not in the office.” His blue eyes seemed to sparkle with mischief as he leaned closer and whispered, “However, should you feel drawn to submit to me, I’d be more than happy to teach you.” My body broke out in warmth as his words sank in. I think I made a sound, but I’m not exactly sure what it was. The breath I let out was burning in my chest as my face heated. Once again his eyes met mine and he smirked, “Good girl.”

He took a half step back, clearing his throat, “Now, Ms. Salva please see to it that Miss Matthews is shown to intake and given all her clearances. We wouldn’t want our partners at Caffrey & Dahl to think we are mistreating their associates, now would we?” She nodded quickly as he walked away leaving me alone with the hateful woman.

She looked me up and down, then made a sour face as she typed onto the computer. “Matthews, Matthews…hmmm, yes, here you are. Human, age twenty-six, O negative blood type, single. Aren’t you just going to drive the other associates wild,” she snickered.

“I beg your pardon?” I asked.

“Oh, nothing dear, I’m sure you’ll find your feet quickly.” She shoved a set of papers on a clipboard in my hand. “Have a seat to your right and fill those out. It appears you have some missing information. Someone from security will be here shortly to escort you to get a photo ID. You must wear your credentials at all times while on property.”

I scanned the paperwork, noticing the parts she had highlighted. “Um, excuse me, but what does this mean?” I pointed to a box labeled “donor”.

She laughed, “Oh, well that’s if you are willing to be a blood donor. Human employees are given the option to provide for the non-human staff and guests. If you check that box, you can choose between bite or harvest.”

“Harvest?” I sputtered.

Her hand flicked, “Just think of it like giving blood at a human blood drive. Once a month you would visit the clinic and they would hook you up and take your donation. Of course, biting has its advantages too. For most humans, it’s a very erotic experience. Then again, since you’re just an exchange, you might not want to go down that path. It’s often difficult to break the bond, and we wouldn’t want your pretty head to go insane from withdrawals, now would we?”

I felt my stomach clench as I nodded my head and stepped toward the chairs. The moment I sat down, I checked “no” in dark marks on the donor question, then moved on to fill out the remaining areas. A dark shadow fell across me and I looked up to see a very tall man with a scowl on his face. “Matthews?” he grunted.

“Yeah, that’s me,” I squeaked, craning my neck as I stood. I had my bag clutched in one hand while the other firmly held the clipboard the receptionist had given me.

“Follow me, and try to keep up,” he muttered and turned on his heel, quickly moving down the hallway. His silent movements assured me he was indeed a vampire, but even if he were just human, there was no way my five foot one stature could match his strides. I was practically running to keep him in sight. He stopped, letting out a huff of frustration, “What part of keep up did you miss?”

“The one where your steps are three times the size of mine,” I gasped, forgetting myself for a moment.

His eyes widened, while mine cringed shut, then he let out a roaring laugh. “Damn, Matthews, you’ve got spunk! I like it. You’ll fit right in even if you are a human.” I peeked to see him with a full blown grin as he clapped his hands. I felt my shoulders relax a bit as I still attempted to catch my breath. “Most of the exchange associates are uptight and think vamps are disgusting. Sorry for being rude,” he smiled. “I’m Matt.”

He extended his hand toward me and I returned his smile as my small hand disappeared into his. “Thanks. I get it. I was a bit freaked out at first, but then again with my size, tall humans freak me out too,” I chuckled. “I’m Serenity. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Matt.”

He laughed again, then releasing my hand, he opened a door to his left. “Come on in. Susan can get a quick photo and print up your ID badge. Did the harpy at the front desk tell you to keep it on?” I covered my mouth, trying not to laugh at his representation of Ms. Salva. Matt smiled bigger, “I see you know exactly who I’m talking about.” I only nodded, still pushing down my giggles. “Don’t let her ruffle your feathers, Serenity. She’s all bark and no bite. Just another power hungry greedy vampire that thinks she can sleep her way into the partners beds.”

My eyes widened, “Oh…”

“Yeah, they won’t give her a second look though. Hell, most of our kind won’t. Anyway, I’ll leave you with Susan. She’ll get the rest of your paperwork processed and take you to your workstation. Best of luck!” He gave me another quick handshake, then headed down the hall.

“Wow, you must be magic to make Matt smile that way,” a soft feminine voice said. I turned to see the woman I assumed was Susan smiling at me. She motioned for me to come in and I stepped toward her desk. “Matt’s usually a real sourpuss. Always grumpy and angry at someone. How did you win him over so quickly?”

“Um, I may have snapped at him about his gigantic steps compared to my small ones when he got on to me for falling behind,” I admitted.

Her jaw moved up and down as she gaped at me, then she too burst out in laughter. “Oh my stars, well aren’t you a surprise! Most humans almost piss themselves when Matt gets bent out of shape and little you put him in his place. Aren’t you just a breath of fresh air?”

“Really? I mean, he didn’t seem that scary, just really, really tall,” I muttered. She just snorted with laughter, then held out her hand as I passed over the clipboard I’d almost forgotten about.

“Okay, looks like everything is in order. Let’s have you stand in front of that blue screen,” she explained. I moved to the spot. It made me think of the way you had your photo taken for your driving license. She told me to look at the camera and smile as she clicked. A quick flash of light had me blinking rapidly, then the machine made a whirring sound as it spit out a shiny badge with my name and face on it. “Here you go,” Susan said, handing me the new ID on a clip. I attached it to my blouse and followed her as she opened a door to lead me down a spacious hallway.

We passed by rows of desks and I kept expecting her to stop at one. It wasn’t until we reached the end of the corridor and she pushed the elevator button that she finally spoke. “Looks like you’ll be in the administrative pool for your stay here. Your supervisors wrote a stellar letter of recommendation and it impressed the partners. You’ll be working with their assistants.”

“What exactly does that entail?” I asked hesitantly.

“Oh the usual, formal events, mergers, conventions and such. I see you speak three additional languages…that will come in handy.” Susan led me to a large circular desk where two attractive men sat. “Hey guys, this is Serenity Matthews. She’s our new exchange associate. She’ll be working in the admin pool while she’s here. All her paperwork is in order so I’ll leave her in your capable hands.” She held her hand out to me and smiled sincerely, “It was great to meet you Serenity. I hope we can get better acquainted while you’re with us, oh and I look forward to you improving Matt’s temperament again.”

“Thanks, Susan. I’ll do my best,” I grinned, then turned my attention back to the two men as the elevator closed behind her. “So, where do we start?”