Resisting Him, Chasing Her

Copyright © 2021 Uzomah Chelsea .N.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author and publisher.

The moral rights of the author have been asserted.

All names, characters and events are fictional and have no relation with persons living or dead, any resemblance is purely coincidental.

All offenders are liable by law.

CHAPTER 1

The day went off to a great start, Rita had actually managed to get out of the house on time for one. That being because the noisy neighbors that lived directly above her had moved out last Friday. She would be lying if she said she did not enjoy their absence, the weekend had been complete peaceful bliss without their constant partying and arguing.

She had actually gone to sleep without earmuffs or having to call the landlord or the police. So off she was to her office, fully rested, fed and ready to start the Monday. She needed all the strength for the towers of paperwork Marlene would already have on her desk.

She tied her hair in a high ponytail, she had gotten the unruly locks braided last Friday, she had gone for the copper with a mix of white, her head felt heavy but she would get used to it.

She wore a white blouse with black pants and a pair of black flats with a handbag to match, perfect for walking since she left her car at the mechanics a few minutes ago. Her workplace was just around the corner anyway so she walked.

She had walked to her work before but today was different. She guessed the saying was right, if you keep moving fast you would miss the little details around you.

That was especially true if you lived the past three years with one goal that you did not take time off from like she did. Sometimes it was nice to stop and smell the roses, take in the sights. Alvas city was certainly one of those places to do that.

The city was beautiful, it was not just a concrete jungle like most cities. There was a lot of green around–parks excluded–from grasses to trees and even vines all side by side with buildings. It was kinda like those places you see in Tokyo.

The aim however was not only to combat air pollution but to help relieve the stress that came with being in a clustered environment. That is to say that the arrangement was made with some members of the supernatural community in mind.

That made sense especially since the city’s population kept growing. Alvas was renowned for its green look and generous spaces, it was what made it a tourist destination and vacation spot. It brought in an influx of revenue.

The city was not just a recreational destination but a business destination. It was a buzz for startups, the place attracted some big names in business both legal and illegal.

Sure the criminals happened to be stronger and faster but that is where having supernatural on the police force can come in real handy.

The crime rate, considering supernaturals was at a low, one of the lowest in the country.

She was here for the buisness part. She had graduated from buisness school four years ago with high honours. She did not waste a minute looking for a good company to gain experience from. She had made a lot of choices then, she only regretted one.

Thanks to most of those early decisions, she now worked in one of the most notable companies in the world, Deleze Incorporated. One of the world’s leading companies in renewable energies. The company also had its hands in medical technology advancement and agriculture.

She finally made it to the building, the seventy floor skyscraper standing tall and proud, the company name and logo plastered in silver at the top.

She looked down at her watch. It read thirty minutes past seven. She smiled just a tad. She made it with forty five minutes to spare, she usually got here with less than ten.

She walked up the concrete stairs, through the revolving glass doors and into the security checkpoint. The building had an intricate and heavy security system.

Cameras would take note of and identify all the people that went in and out, supernatural or not, capturing normal and thermal image. The checkpoint was mostly for employees or visitors to show their identification. They would also be scanned for weapons. It was manually manned by specially trained humans and shifters.

She had her ID pinned to her outfit every morning before she left for work. It held all her information, well not all her information just the basics. A standard photo of her, her name, gender, species, height and department. The rest would be in the company database.

When it got to her turn, she unpinned her ID and handed it over to the woman behind the counter. She knew all the women working at the checkpoint even when they rotated. They were familiar with her too, the checkpoint was more of a formality they could not compromise on.

Her ID information flashed on the screen just to her left. The picture was from last year, her hair had been in an afro then.

Name: Anozim Rita .B.

Gender: Female

Species: Human

Height: 5’9

Department: Financial

When she was deemed alright to proceed she went straight for the elevator. There were already two men inside when she got in and when it was apparent that no one else was coming the man on her right who was a good 6’4 pressed his floor number, sixteen, the editorial department.

According to the ID hanging off his neck, his name was Marcus, a Vampire. Of course that was apparent from the red hue in his eyes and the paleness of his skin.

His orange curly hair was really messed up, the sleeves of his shirt were rolled up past his elbows and there were splotches of coffee on it or was it blood.

He looked like he had had an all nighter for a week straight. Probably did. He actually had bangs under his eyes. And if he was going back up, it was not over yet.

He caught her looking and gave her a tired smile, she returned it with a small smile of her own.

The elevator dinged as it came to its first stop. As soon as the doors opened Marcus was out of there, literally a blur. The other gentleman had moved closer to the buttons and pressed his own floor button, nineteen, the development department.

His black hair was cropped short, quite close to his skull. His was wearing a royal blue suit and had a black briefcase in his left hand. She could not see his ID from where she was standing. She also could not tell if he was human or not.

The ride was too short to get any clues, the elevator made its second stop and the man went his way. She was left alone in the elevator as its doors shut after she pressed the button for her own floor. Her department was on the twenty seventh floor.

The elevator resumed its course, stopping to let more people in as it did. When her stop came she was all too relieved to get out of the stuffed lift.

She marched straight to her desk without so much as a word to anyone. After the stunt they pulled last Friday she did not even want to get started with anyone of them. As expected waiting on her desk was a tower of paperwork and a memo from Marlene to get it all done before one pm. Yay.

With a sigh she placed her handbag near at the foot of her desk and she sat down. She glanced at her watch again, it read seven forty five. She still had thirty minutes.

“Oh well, better get started.” She said.

And so her day began in the most boring and unfair way possible. It was bound to happen when you worked under a ninety five percent grumpy all the time witch who could not hex you because it would get her fired.

By nine fifteen she had gone through half of the monstrous stack and was absolutely exhausted. The things these documents were saying were putting her brain up in tangles and the numbers were beginning to mess with her head. She needed caffeine before she made a mistake.

She stood up and headed for the coffee dispenser. It was incredible how it stood there, looking like a knight in shining armor come to wake her sleeping brain.

People were already there grabbing their third coffee of the day and it was not even close to ten thirty yet. Some of these guys looked like they had just run a mental marathon, worst part still they knew they were not done yet and sadly neither was she. Just goes to show Marlene knew how to show the love.

When her fellow employees saw her coming they averted their eyes away from her to anywhere else, even an empty cup. They knew what they did last week was wrong. The prank and unanimously pinning the blame on her as well. It was the reason that monstrosity called paperwork was sitting on her desk earlier this morning.

She took a cup from the stack and held it below the nozzle, watching as warm salvation streamed into her waiting cup. After taking the much she needed she added some milk and sugar, the smell of it was already waking her brain up. She took a sip and sighed in bliss. If only it was not temporary.

She walked back to her desk, liquid salvation in hand to finish off her punishment. Because that was what it was. Punishment.