Day 2 - (Sept. 9th, Friday)

Alexander

"Are you sad that the best human you've ever had isn't coming back?"

Alexander flicked his gaze in his best friend's direction. His throat thrummed with a low, annoyed growl as he saw Drake's mocking smirk.

"Thanks for reminding me," he shifted his feet, his back pressed along the wall, and tightened his crossed arms. "Asshole." It was a mistake and a one-time thing.

Drake's head tilted back, tapping against the wooden pattern along the wall beside Alexander, and snickered. He relished in his tease. "You're the one who said that yesterday, not me."

Alexander pinched at the bridge of his nose, bumping his glasses higher. Yeah, and I was a dumbass saying it in front of you.

He couldn't deny it, so he attempted to deflect it. "You're a human eater, too—don't act like you didn't get that urge."

He didn't understand why he felt like that. Ever since Alexander had been like this, he had never met a human as potent in energy as her.

There has to be something wrong with her.

His sense of smell was so keen with them that he usually picked up on human abnormalities or oddities. I couldn't find anything wrong.

Alexander's mind drifted to her pleasant attitude and actions. He moved his tongue between his canines and bit down until it hurt. It's over. I'm never talking to a human again. Don't worry about that shit.

Drake continued playfully nudging his side with an elbow. "Maybe you should find her and convince her to stay?"

Alexander pushed against Drake's shoulder. "yeah, fucking, right. I'm not desperate—they erased her memory when she left, and there are billions of humans for me to ea-" He cut himself off.

Drake's attention, much like his, was drawn to the alluring scent. It lingered from yesterday, now refreshed as she entered.

He got off the wall, watching her, a slight curl at his lips in flabbergasted annoyance.

She's here!?

The tiny girl approached them, sheepishly avoiding eye contact. He didn't want to look her in the eyes either.

Drake's voice penetrated the silence. "You stayed?"

Why the hell would she stay? None of those other humans Lev brought ever stayed.

Alexander haplessly blurted out, "Do you like being eaten or something?" His perturbed remark made her cringe.

She momentarily ignored them, walked on, and stopped at the time clock.

Her gentle squeak was loud enough for the both of them, "The average family of four spends approximately 4 million dollars in their lifetime. That's if the children move out at 18, and the parents die at 75. I was offered 500,000 if I last six months and 4 million if I last the year." Lynette lifted her badge, holding it near the time clock. "If I make it a year, in theory, I'll be set for life."

She took a deep breath and turned back to face Alexander. He watched her lips quiver. His eyebrows pressed together, and she broke eye contact.

"And don't act like I'm the weird one when you invited me here to...e-e-." She couldn't say the word. "Do-what-you-did," she took a breath between each.

Anytime he ate a human, he altered their memory after. None of them remembered, let alone had the capability of sassing him back for it.

He struggled to think of something clever to say, so Lynette took the opportunity to scan in and leave before he could.

Damn it.

Drake walked past Alexander, reaching the time clock. "You are weird for bringing her here like that other playboy." Drake scanned in his badge.

"Shut up."

"Just saying..."

He then 'respectfully' flipped Drake off and kneed his ass to move him from in front of the time clock.

Alexander scanned in and walked with him. Once Drake went to his kitchen station, they asked Alexander to linger in the back to help for the first half of their shift.

He considered it a “blessing” because he didn't think he could handle being around her yet. His hunger acted far more persistent than normal right now.

He never ate the same human twice, nor went anywhere near them. Why did I do this to myself?

He glanced at the doorway leading to the registers, knowing she was beyond them. She's an idiot if she thinks today will be any different.

…

Lynette

I wanted to talk to Edgar and give him a piece of my mind. You could have warned me! I knew I wouldn't have joined if he did.

I spent all night reading the spare contract Sandra printed for me. I partially understood their reasons. Magic and monsters were hidden in our world, and that's why they would get rid of my memory of them if I left. They couldn't risk exposure.

I ran the damp rag over the counter, cleaning it. That's terrifying, though. I don't want to have my memory altered if I quit. My sleep-deprived brain also reminded me of the money. It was too much to lose.

Am I thinking straight? It was hard to tell. My body “denied” my sleep request last night and only played reruns of yesterday's events.

It was surreal—an unfathomable horror to watch someone grow to such a length and devour me. I jittered, hopping from one foot to the other, and shook out my hands as if the saliva lingered on them.

It's so gross.

I spotted a few customers in their booths watching me. I awkwardly smiled, stopped, tucked a few loose strands of hair under my hat, and faced ahead. They don't even know monsters are working here, making PIZZA in the back!

I finished wiping down the counter. This is like a setup for a bad sitcom.

I tossed the rag into the bin we had beside the registers and inhaled deeply. I'm going to make this work. I feigned a smile. On the bright side, coworkers can't attack each other outside work, either. If they did, it's an immediate termination.

I glanced at the opening leading back to the kitchen. At least that brute isn't working with me for these first two hours.

I nodded, exhaling out, letting my body slump with it. I wish I didn't have to work with him at all.

For the next two hours, I kept my promise to Edgar externally. I maintained my happy cheer, welcoming everyone to the pizzeria. While internally, I tried to think of a plan.

"It's time for your break." A smooth, feminine voice said from over the counter. I peered up at the muscular woman I caught a glimpse of yesterday. I nervously watched as she slipped to the register next to me.

I weakly smiled. She's about the same height as Alexander, "y-yeah. Thanks." I turned to leave my post in a hurry, only halted by my politeness. I looked back, "I-I'm Lynette, by the way."

The bleach blonde bobbed her head. We both had heard each other's names but hadn't exchanged them, "Viola."

The name of the mid-shifter who looks as capable of crushing my head with a flex of her biceps, similar to Alexander, got it.

I whimpered a 'nice to meet you' and left. I quickly rushed through the kitchen, avoiding glancing at any of them back there, and went to the break room. I stood at the door, listening to the quiet shrieks of my nerves.

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

It's okay. It's not lunch.

I got close enough for the automatic door to track me and went inside. It was the same as yesterday, high ceilings, giant spaces between each rounded table, TV at the far corner with large couches, and the kitchen at the far left near the door to the next break room. So, the odds are connected to the odds and the evens to the evens.

I walked toward the kitchen area, remembering I forgot to pack a lunch yet again. I wish I packed something to eat or drink.

They had a coffee maker and cups next to it. I'm not a coffee drinker like Wicks.

My eyes drifted to the fancy refrigerator door made of glass and the message on its face.

'If it has a name, it belongs to someone. If not, you can have it, enjoy!' - Edgar

Curiously, I opened it and saw a bunch of water bottles and a black lunch box marked Drake in white marker.

Alexander's friend.

I grabbed a bottle, checked for a name, and then uncapped it to throw it back.

In my eagerness, I missed my mouth entirely and splashed my face. Clearly, I must be part fish. Why else would I miss my mouth?

I moved over the sink, set my bottle down, and dried my face with a paper towel from the rack.

"Hey, Lynette.”

I jolted and flipped around. My back pressed against the counter of the sink.

Drake very casually walked by and opened the fridge beside me.

When did he come in?

I remained in that spot until he left my proximity. He sat at the nearby table and positioned himself in the seat directly across from where I was.

I finally spoke, "Hi."

He lifted his hat briefly, fixed his bangs, and adjusted it.

After doing so, he opened his lunch box and plucked out one of its many bags. Each had a mysterious dark red liquid inside. Are they blood bags?

He undid what looked like a clip and put the end that was like a straw to his lips. I turned away, got my water, and threw out the crumpled paper towel.

"We were surprised you stayed."

I slowly faced him. His head was tilted down at his phone. He seems disinterested in me.

"As I said, the money's too precious to pass up." I took a sip of water, soothing my dry throat.

He set his phone down and lazily lifted a hand to point far behind him at the door we came in. "I suppose you were too preoccupied to see the sign yesterday." I was. He continued, "When you go on lunch break, you're free game for anyone in the company to eat for as long as the rest of your shift."

That was in the contract, too. I downed my water, still listening.

He tapped the tube to his lips, "If you last your whole lunch period without getting captured, any part of your body inside someone, they can't eat you."

He said it in a matter-of-fact type of tone. He's not saying it like a warning or threat.

His head moved up. I couldn't see his eyes behind his bangs, yet I still felt his gaze.

He shook his head. "Please don't you lump me in with Alexander." I sheepishly looked away. Am I that easy to read? "I don't eat people." Drake put the tube in his mouth and corrected me. "I bite them."

"So..." I feel part of a fantasy book. "You're a vampire?"

"Vampire beast," he said.

"Oh." Why is there a beast part? Should I ask? Do I want to? I didn't plan on talking to either of them.

Drake finished the first pouch and moved on to the next. "All you need to know is that I don't plan on biting you unless it's a new moon." He waved his hand back and forth. Hopefully, I won't work then. "Other than that, I normally drink animal blood. It sucks-"

I popped a smirk at his comment. He returned what he said, dismissing the pun, "It's bland but it's easier to get."

He drank more.

I crushed my empty water bottle and asked, "I can't leave the building during lunch?"

"Nope." He pointed to the doors, "You can use any of the four break rooms to run between." He dropped his shoulders, unamused. "People normally do."

I threw my bottle away in the trash can. "I don't mean to sound ungrateful, Drake." I cleared my throat nervously. "I don't understand why you're telling me this. Aren't you working with Alexander?"

His head leaned to one side, and he sighed deeply. "Honestly," he murmured as he lowered his drink. One of his wine-red eyes peeked out from his disheveled black hair. "You don't stand a chance. Alexander is faster and stronger and knows this building SO much better than you. You won't be able to run from him."

My closed lips folded in on themselves.

"I respect your goal. That's why I told you. It's rare for a human to stay past day one, and to top it all off," Drake's lips curled slightly, "you leaving him speechless back there was funny. Not that it's hard with him."

He came off as innocent. Unlike Alexander, he looked gentler. I saw the glass door slide open, meaning he was walking in. My break was nearly over anyway.

I got off the counter, "Thank you, Drake.”

I moved past Alexander and out the door without saying a word out loud, only to myself. I won't get eaten by you today.

...

Alexander

He sat across from Drake, who resumed looking at his phone and drinking his meal.

His eyes narrowed suspiciously. "What did you tell her?"

Drake didn't look up from his phone. He scrolled with it lying on the table. "I said she had no chance against you, even knowing the rules."

Alexander grunted.

"Not that it matters today—you said you were fine when we came in," Drake said.

I was until she got in. Alexander thought as his stomach groaned. The fucking timing.

Drake lifted his head, "seriously?"

"Fuck you, I don't control this shit." Alexander struggled to hide his embarrassment by hunching his shoulders and putting his forehead closer to the table.

Drake mocked him, "I don't know why I'm surprised. You're not even giving her a break."

He lifted his head and gestured toward the front of the break room. "It's not my fault. She came back; she knows what I did and what I do."

Drake completed another blood bag and swished it around, "she had a point earlier. I can't imagine eating humans and liking it."

Alexander threw himself from his chair, "don't say it like that. I-" Why the fuck are you giving me such a hard time. "You make it sound like-" he threw his hands up and collapsed back onto his chair. "I don't fucking know, okay? There's something off with her that makes her taste so damn good. And it's frustrating as all hell not knowing."

Drake snidely retorted and patted Alexander's shoulder, "The more I hear you," he cut off just to see the blondes aggravation rise.

"You'd understand if you bite her,” Alexander pushed Drake's hand off. “or eat her. You know you could."

"I'm curious, sure, but I'm not doing that."

"Coward."

"Glutton."

"That's it, fucker." Alexander leaped up from his seat once more in an attempt to tackle Drake.

The vampire beast avoided it and vacated the break room. He left Alexander with his thoughts.

Starved and infuriated ones as they are.

It took some time to fend them off. The stupid games on his phone helped.

When his break ended, he got to his next hurdle, her.

They did their best to ignore each other. Alexander liked it that way. It was dreadful enough being next to her—he wanted nothing more than to eat her. It's the reason he kept his mouth shut when he could yesterday.

He did the same today and opened it when necessary for work-related talk. She didn't do the same. It partially annoyed him that she reached over him or walked around him when she needed something and didn't just say it. Whatever. It doesn't matter.

"I'll be back," It was the first thing she had said to him in the last two hours.

He saw she swayed back and forth when she did. She's probably going to the bathroom.

The counter got extremely busy after. They’d randomly have spurts on weekends, and Viola helped him in Lynette's absence. It took nearly an hour to slow back down.

"You usually go to lunch early, Alexander," Viola said, peering down at her watch. "You have a few minutes left before you're late."

He grabbed his phone from his pocket and checked over the time. "How-" He looked around Viola, "hold on, what about Lynette? She never came back."

"She went to lunch before the rush, didn't she tell you?"

Alexander's eyes widened and quickly contracted, "that-" He held his tongue, "you take it from here then." He hurried through the kitchen and to the breakrooms. He opened the first, scanning over it. He saw Drake lounging on the couch.

He shouted to him, "Where is she"?!"

Drake looked up from his phone, "she left a little while ago when I came in..." The black-haired fellow cocked his head. "Wait, oh my gosh. You didn't get her, did you?"

Alexander ignored him and pulled out of breakroom one. He went across the hall into two. There was no one there. He walked across it and peeked into the door leading to break room four from two, and his nose finally picked up the freshness of her scent. She was leaving the room and heading across the hall to room 3.

You're not getting away from me.

He ran into room three. Lynette weaved around the tables.

"YOU LITTLE LIAR!" He shouted in his hunger-constricted growl.

His eyes lit up a bright blue, indicating his use of magic. His size shifted to a much larger version of himself, making it easier to catch and devour who he needed to. Reflexively, his hue fixed ahead of her. He almost threw up a barrier like usual to remain undisturbed and keep them contained in case he'd ever dropped them. No. He refrained from constructing it because she'd crash into it hard if he did.

Alexander bumped against the few tables she weaved around to put in his way. They were easily thrown to the side by his lower shins.

Lynette made it through the sliding door to breakroom one while he, close behind her, ducked, slipped through, and finally got his fingers close enough to the ground to snatch her up without falling.

"I didn't lie, I said I'd be right back!" She exclaimed, squirming against his closed fingers. Her feet were barely able to kick past his pinky.

He shook her gently, agitated. "Yeah, fifty-something minutes ago," Alexander opened his watering mouth, not wanting to hear or think about her other than what he felt was necessary to do.

However, he froze when the buzzer started to go off.

"M-my lunch-is o-o-over." She quietly informed him.

He clenched his teeth and cupped her with both hands, frightening her further. It took every fiber of his being to undo his size shift and let her go when she was close enough to the ground. If I hadn't said anything, I would have had her.

He lifted his shaking hands to his face when she left. He haled her scent that coated them.

Alexander released a loud "ARGGGH" and abashedly stomped to fix what he knocked over in the other room.

When he finished, Alexander sat down on the couch by Drake.

"She tricked you?"

He leaned back, sinking into the couch made for them when they were a bigger size. He groaned, "She said she'd be right back. I thought she had to go to the bathroom." He went forward and slapped his hands on his thighs. "We got so overwhelmed up front,” his digits gripped harder on his legs. “I didn't notice she didn't come back."

"I told her she had no chance of winning." Drake's smile wasn't jabbing at Alexander this time. "Props to her, not that she can keep that up forever."

Yeah, it was a fluke.

Drake went back to his phone, and Alexander relaxed in the plush fabric. It was the best he could do anyway. His shallow gasps he let out were like screams from the instincts he suppressed.

Then, in a soft, insulting hum, Drake purposefully said, "I can't believe you got beat by a human."

There it was, the heavy hit to Alexander's crumbling pride.

He grinned, peeved and pissed. He wouldn't let Lynette take advantage of his stupidity again.

"If she wants to make this a game, I'll play."

...