Chapter 1
I was totally getting fired.
My co-worker had just told me that our supervisor wanted to see me in her back office, and all I could think about was this is it. Had I called out sick too many times? No, that didn’t make sense. I barely called out as it is. Had I been late coming back from lunch enough times for her to snap and want to get rid of me?
I got up from behind the massive circular desk and made my way towards the left side of the building, where the backrooms were. No, I couldn’t be getting fired, I suddenly realized. I barely called out sick, I always came back from lunch early. I wracked my brain the entire way to my supervisor’s office about what I had possibly done to warrant being sent to her office.
Then it hit me. The hookup I’d had last month. That’s what this had to be about. I’d been flirting with this patient here at the center, drawing his blood for analysis, and he’d flirted back. Charming words and deep laughs had been exchanged, and then next thing I knew, my pants were around my ankles as he fucked me in one of the bathroom stalls.
I’d been found out. Someone knew it had been me. Despite how careful I’d been and now I was going to be held accountable for my actions.
I was totally getting fired.
Knocking on the door, my supervisor’s sweet voice came from within and told me to come on in. With a hesitant demeanor, I tried to give her a widened grin that failed to cover up the massive flashing guilty sign I felt burning a hole in my forehead.
Babs was kind, a beautiful woman with dark skin and blonde hair that was pulled back in a ponytail, per usual. Her green eyes were wide and friendly, but they did nothing to ease my concern as I sat down in front of her mahogany desk. Babs sighed and my heart lurched. I’d only been working at the blood center for a few months now, ever since I had lost my last job due to lay offs. I really didn’t want to have to go back on the job market.
“Thanks for stopping in,” Babs said, her sweet voice even and unreadable. “Before I start, this isn’t anything bad. I’m not firing you or anything.”
Unable to stop myself, I exhaled the breath I hadn’t noticed I was keeping in until it all came rushing out. I laughed a little and wiped my hand over my face. “Oh thank god. I was really nervous.”
“Why?” Babs laughed, then her face soured, turning serious again. “Have you done something that youcouldbe fired for?”
“Of course not.” I assured her, the thoughts of the hot bear and our bathroom rendezvous flashing through my memory. “I’m just naturally neurotic.”
Babs grinned again. “Well, the reason I asked to see you is actually because I was hoping you wouldn’t mind being moved to the Orb wing.”
My relief turned to confusion as her words danced across my face. This was about the Orb wing?
At the blood center, we mainly did blood work for humans, transfusions if needed, that sort of thing. That’s what happened here on the human wing. But in the Orb wing, we tended to the non-human beings that depended on blood in order to survive.
It’d been twenty-two years since the creatures had come out of the shadows and announced themselves to the world, claiming to only want to live harmoniously with humans. There were all kinds of creatures, with various appearances and things that made them unique. Some of the humans that had first witnessed the creatures and their “coming out” had said they looked like creatures from another realm, though they claimed to be living amongst humans on Earth for millennia. That’s what we referred to them as en masse: Orbs. It stood for Other Realm Beings. The nickname had stuck, and even the creatures themselves referred to each other by the collective moniker.
“The Orb wing?” I asked hesitantly. Surely she had other people who’d been here longer that were better suited to be Orb attendants. “Me? You’re sure?”
“I know you’ve only been here a couple months but I’ve been watching you work. You’re one of the best I have. And I hope you don’t have the same aversions to Orbs that some of your co-workers do.”
Ahh, so that was it. She’d asked other people and they’d refused. Human and Orb relations weren’t necessarily as good as they could be, but ever since Orbs had been signed into society and awarded the same rights as everyone else, things had been peaceful. Well, as peaceful as I could remember anyway. I was only six when they’d announced themselves to the world.
I never had any issues with Orbs or thinking that they were anything less than humans. If anything, I thought they weremore interestingthan humans. The ones we served here at the blood center, the Orbs dependent on blood, were always nicefrom what I was told. I’d never interacted with one, since I only ever worked on the human wing.
I guess that was about to change.
“I’d be willing to give you a pay increase.” Babs went on, trying her best to really sell the idea of me transferring over to the Orb wing. “I can offer you two more dollars an hour.”
“And people refused this?” I said incredulously. “I mean, the other people you asked before me?”
“You’d be surprised how quickly prejudices are evident when people are pressed enough.” Babs shook her head. “So does that mean you’ll do it?”
“Of course I’ll do it.” I said with a chuckle. “I don’t have any problems working with the Orbs.”
“Fantastic.” Babs looked ecstatic as she started typing away on her computer. “I’ll start drafting up the paperwork and have it ready for you by lunch. Then you can sign the new job offer and we can get you started first thing Monday morning, if that’s okay.”
That would give me the weekend to chill and prepare for being one of the Orb attendants, so I didn’t see any reason to refuse. I nodded, and Babs furiously went back to hammering the keys of her computer’s keyboard.
“Thank you, Bas.” She said. “I really appreciate it. That’s all I need for now, unless you have any questions.”
“No, I’m good.” I beamed, standing up from the chair. “Just come get me when the paperwork is ready to sign.”
