VAMPIRE TEMPTATION

Lie Detectors

***

Ruby

I don’t blame Klaus for looking terrified. Katherine terrifies me too.

He doesn’t usually seem intimidated by her, though. What’s different this time?

Klaus presses a finger to his lips, his eyes so intense that they take my breath away. I nod, keeping completely still. Klaus pulls a blanket over my head.

Really? We’re both adults. He doesn’t need to be this scared of Katherine.

Something about his manner stops me from protesting, though. I know that not a lot of things scare Klaus. If he’s really worried about this, then he must have a good reason.

I try hard not to choke as the scent of cologne fills the air. It’s not that it smells bad, but Klaus must have poured the entire bottle over himself.

I peek out from under the blankets to see him rubbing it all over his body like soap.

What the hell?

I hear him walk through the apartment and open the door. He closes it behind him, so I don’t catch whatever he says to Katherine.

Several minutes later, he returns in a robe.

He carefully lifts the blanket but keeps his finger pressed to his lips.

I nod, trying not to wince at the overwhelmingly strong cologne. We stay like this for several minutes before Klaus’s tense posture finally relaxes. “She’s out of range.

“Out of range?

Gone. I’m sorry about the interruption.” He looks at me with rekindling lust.

Oh no, you don’t. You’d just get your butt in the shower if you want to touch me again. What on earth possessed you to use all of that cologne?”

“What better way to get rid of her quickly than to make being in my presence uncomfortable for her nose?”

I don’t believe you.

I suppose it kind of makes sense, but I just get the overwhelming impression that Klaus is lying, covering the real reason.

Pushing him isn’t going to get him to tell me. I l just have to hope he trusts me at some point.

“Shower. Now, before my nose shrivels up.”

Klaus laughs out loud and walks to the bathroom, dropping the robe as he goes. I get the feeling that he’s not used to being told what to do very often. wonder how many women can order him around and get away with it?

Maybe I’m the only one. The thought is a good one.

I open the windows to air the room out while Klaus showers, already anticipating what he’s going to do to me when he gets out.

***

Ruby

“Ruby, please follow me.”

Even though I’m Klaus’s assistant, Katherine has no problem giving me orders. She is my superior, so I reluctantly follow her, my mind still on Katherine’s emails and how I want to handle a particularly difficult client.

“Sit down.”

I look around the room. It’s one of the off-limits rooms. I don’t know what I expected, but this isn’t it.

Why do they have a room full of lie detectors?

I perched nervously on the edge of my seat, watching Katherine as she starts getting the equipment ready. She looks like she’s done this many times before.

“Um… what’s this all about, Katherine?”

It’s time for you to move up in the company and be given certain information. Before that can happen, you need to pass a lie detector test, to ensure that we can trust you.”

Excitement rushes through my veins.

I’m surely about to find out about the ritual, and everything else Klaus has been keeping from me. I’ll happily submit to a lie detector test for that.

When we tell you everything, we will expect your complete silence. You are not to tell

anyone, ever, even if you leave this company. Is that understood?”

“Yes, Katherine.”

“Good. Let’s begin.”

Once she has all of the relevant parts attached to me, she sits opposite me, behind the machine.

Answer all questions with yes or no only.

I’m going to start by asking you questions I already know the answer to, to get your baseline.”Alright.

“Is your name Ruby Collins?”

Yes.

Do you work at Vamp Investments?”

Yes.”

Are you twenty-five years old?”

Yes.”

Is your birthday in June?”

“No.”

Are you Ethan Klaus’s personal assistant?”

*Yes.”

Were you born in Europe?”

“No.”

“That should do for a baseline. Now, to the questions, we care about.”

I know I shouldn’t have anything to worry about, after all, I don’t intend to lie – but something about Katherine’s smirk makes me nervous.

Do you intend to reveal any of the classified information you are given?”

“No.”

Would your answer change if you knew people were being hurt or even killed?”

I hesitate. I tell the truth, she might not let me in on the secret, but she’ll know if lie. I suppose the truth is the only option.

Yes.”

Katherine nodded and marked the answer down. She didn’t seem surprised. “Would that answer change if someone offered you a large sum of money?”

“No.”

Or if you ever left the company?”Property of Nô)(velDr(a)ma.Org.

“No.”

If you left it on bad terms?”

“No.”

“Would you like to be let in on the responsibility of keeping this company’s most important secrets?

I think of her question about people being hurt or killed. I don’t want to get myself involved in something criminal… but I can’t stand the idea of having a chance to understand Klaus better and turning it down.

“Yes.”

I’m sure this will be the end of the interview.

Katherine puts away her notebook, but as I get up to leave, she shakes her head.

“We’re not quite done yet. What are your feelings for Klaus?”

What? Is this part of checking if I’m trustworthy enough to keep his secret? Or is Klaus going off script?

I try to stall for time, wondering what I should do.

I’m sure that Katherine is going to be pissed if she realizes I see Klaus as anything other than my boss.

“Uh… I thought was supposed to give yes or no answers only?”

“Do you have feelings for Klaus?”

Crap. I can’t admit to it, but I can’t lie either?

What kind of feelings? I mean, I admire him as my boss. I think he’s a great CEO.”

Help, someone, help me! Please let someone walk-in…

Katherine snorts impatiently. “Do you have romantic feelings for Klaus?”

The door bursts open. Klaus is there, and he looks mad. “Katherine, what the hell are you doing?”

Conducting Rubina’s interview, Just as you asked me to,” she says sweetly, though her eyes are cold.

Funny, I don’t remember an employee’s romantic feelings about anyone being part of our standard questioning.”

“I was just-”

“Enough, Katherine! That will be all. You may leave.”

I let out a shaky laugh as she slams the door behind her. “That was close.

I’m sorry you had to put up with that Katherine is… well, you’ll understand more after I bring you in.”

“When does that happen? I mean, assuming I passed the test.”

Klaus briefly scans my answers.

“Yes, you passed. Not that I thought you wouldn’t. It’s just a formality. Come to my office first thing tomorrow, and I will tell you everything.”

I want to know now, but I suppose I can wait for tomorrow.

Amelia is waiting at my desk when I return. “How did it go?”

“Mostly ok. I passed, but Katherine tried to sneak in some unauthorized questions.

Fortunately, Klaus put a stop to it.”Look, Ruby, when he tells you tomorrow… don’t freak out.”

“I think I can handle a few corporate secrets. It’s not like I’m joining the CIA.”

Amelia doesn’t laugh at my joke. She doesn’t even smile. “This isn’t like anything you’d expect. I know you’ll probably be scared when you find out – we all were – but I promise you, it’s not as bad as it seems at

first.”

“Now you’re worrying me. What is going on here that everyone is so on edge about?

I can’t tell you, but if you passed the test, you’ll find out soon enough.”

That’s all I can get out of her for the rest of the day.

I hardly sleep that night, wondering about what earth-shattering secret I’ll be given the next day.

I arrive half an hour early to work, having woken up early and not been able to get to sleep.

Klaus is early too, and he gestures me into his office. I’m glad I don’t have to wait. Whatever bombshell he has to drop, I’d rather get it over and done with.

Ruby, please sit down. Let me just remind you that whatever you hear, whatever you feel, you cannot reveal this secret to anyone. Even if you want to quit your job after this, you have to keep quiet.”

I won’t say anything, Klaus. You can trust me.”

He nods, his hands clenched together on the desk. Apparently almost as nervous as I am.

Vamp Investments is not what it seems.”