Page 1 of The Vampire's Receptionist
CHAPTER ONE
Kian eyed the door to the temp agency dubiously. He’d lost track of the number of times he’d been turned away from a job. Merely because half his DNA showed up on his face. He considered a glamor now and then, but that was illegal with this particular issue, and he didn’t like the idea of hiding himself even if it wasn’t. He’d resigned himself to relying on his savings for a while. He didn't think this interview would do him any good. But it wouldn’t hurt.
He was still resentful he even needed this. Not that he had a problem with the job itself. There was nothing wrong with being a temp. But getting fired from his last position irritated him. He hadn’t done anything wrong. He never made oaths he couldn’t keep. Just because those oaths sometimes made it more difficult for the doctors to do their jobs didn’t mean there was anything wrong with it. He had the lowest number of work incidents, because his promises soothed dangerous supernaturals. That had to count for something.
Taking a deep breath, he pushed his annoyance aside. He wasn’t going to half-ass an interview just because he had a chip on his shoulder. Putting on his best air of confidence, he opened the doors and headed in, bypassing the main reception desk tohead for the elevator instead. The directions he was given were to go to the fourth floor. He didn’t need to waste someone else’s time asking to confirm.
Like always, people gave him serious side-eye when he joined them in the line waiting for the elevator. He ignored it. If he said something every time he was treated like a threat, he’d go blue in the face.
His phone buzzed in his pocket as he stepped into the next available elevator, jabbing the button for the fourth floor. Leaning against the wall, he pulled it out of his pocket, smirking to himself as he read the message.
Tony:Good luck with your interview!
Kian:Thanks. Any last-minute advice?
He watched the triple dots appear, then disappear a few times. He’d talked to Tony a handful of times since they’d met, when Kian stopped the poor man from being knocked around by a crowd of people on the sidewalk. He was obviously injured, and he used a cane to walk, but no one gave a shit. He absolutely hated people like that, and despite his foul mood after losing his job, he stopped to help and walked Tony to his work so he wouldn’t get jostled the whole way. In a show of thanks, Tony offered to put in a good word for him at this agency. Kian was a big believer in fate, so he accepted graciously, and they exchanged numbers. Tony was shy at first, but friendly, and didn’t dilly dally when putting a word in for him. Less than ten minutes after he texted to let Tony know he’d sent in his resume, Tony called to let him know he’d put in a good word and even set him up with an interview. More proof that he should never ignore his instincts about fate.
Tony:Don’t stress? That seems dumb to say, because all interviews are stressful, but I think you’ll do great. Morana is looking forward to meeting with you.
Smirking, he sent a thumbs up just as the door swung open for his floor. One perk about being universally disliked? He didn’t have to squeeze out of the elevator. They made room to avoid him.
A human sat at reception, smiling warmly at his approach. He waited for her to notice his eyes, and saw the flash of recognition, but the disdain didn’t follow, which was refreshing.
“Good morning! Welcome to Charmed Away Temp Agency. How can I help you?”
“I’m here for an interview,” Kian replied, showing her his phone, with the email pulled up as proof. “I’m supposed to meet with Morana at eleven?”
She clicked a few things on her computer and nodded once. “Yep, there you are. I think she was just finishing up with a phone call, so do you mind sitting down to wait?” She gestured to a handful of chairs against one wall. “I’ll let her know you arrived. Can I get you something to drink? We’ve got coffee, tea, water?”
He shook his head politely and watched her wander off. Her reaction to him was unusual, and it made him hopeful about this job. He didn’t want to get his hopes up that it’d be like that with everyone, but it was a refreshing reaction.
While he waited, he looked around the room. There wasn’t much to it. A large space with plenty of cubicles and a few offices along one wall. It was bright, though, with big windows that overlooked the street below. He’d worked in a lot worse places before. It wasn’t overly crowded, with only a couple of staff inthe office right then, but those around were diverse, and none looked unhappy to be there.
The receptionist came back, her smile unwavering. “Okay, she’s finished up now. I’ll bring you back to her office.”
Pushing to his feet, he followed her down the walkway between cubicles. And because he wasn’t stupid, he asked, “What do you think about working here? Is it a good place?”
She let out a breath, her nod emphatic. “Oh my god, yes. Honestly, humans aren’t treated very well in general, so I didn’t have high hopes, but Morana is absolutely awesome, and she’ll go to bat for you if the place you’re sent acts discriminatory in any way. I worked as a temp for years before they made me the permanent receptionist here, and there was never a time where she wouldn’t step in to help if I was uncomfortable.”
“That’s actually one of our rules,” a strong feminine voice said, interrupting them. When Kian turned to look, a medusa with sharp eyes and a no-nonsense expression stood just inside an office door. She tipped her head in greeting. “You must be Kian. I’m Morana Delro. And yes, it is required to report any and all acts of perceived or actual discrimination immediately. My employees are my first priority, not my clients. If they want the best, they need to treat them right.”
Kian was hit with a heavy dose of respect for the medusa. He couldn’t hear any lie in her tone. Granted, he wasn’t a shifter, they actually had magic to reaffirm that, but over the many, many, many years he’d been alive, he’d learned to pick up on body language and tone to find lies. Morana fully believed what she said. Her employees came first.
His hope for the job dialed a little higher.
Morana gestured to her office, stepping aside to allow him past. “Come in. Did you need anything to drink?” She paused thoughtfully and tipped her head. “And is my office too cold?”
Most fae didn’t do well in the cold. Their realm was sunny and warm all the time. It was a shock for most of them the first time they came to this realm and experienced winter. Kian had only spent half his time in the fae realm, though, and didn’t mind the cold. He had the other half of his DNA to thank for that. He appreciated the concern, though.
“No, I’m fine. Thank you.”
She nodded, then turned to the receptionist. “Doreen, would you do me a favor and let Kuzmila know she can join us in ten minutes? She wanted to sit in.”
Doreen nodded and smiled brightly at Kian. “Good luck! Hope to see you around here soon!”
His lips ticked up as she bounced away. If her attitude toward the company was anything to go off of, he’d like it here.
He’d never been nervous in an interview before, but with the hope building that he’d get to work in a place as accepting as this, his nerves dialed up as well. He sat in the chair facing Morana’s desk, willing himself not to fidget. He was over a thousand years old. He didn’t fidget like a kid anymore.
