I placed my mouth against my fingers that were pressed together with my elbows resting on the table waiting for the impromptu meeting to end. It was long and winded and I was trying desperately not to show how bored I was. The sales team had called for this 'urgent' meeting to finalise the upcoming launch of our newest creation. 'The flame pendant.' It had been exquisitely designed and several months in the process. However, I loathed these meetings. To be honest, I didn't need to be here but Luca, my right hand man and best friend suggested I had to make an appearance every now and then. I fiddled with the ring on my left hand whilst they rambled on before finalising the details. After what felt like hours, the meeting adjourned, Luca followed me out as I passed the other people in the room. I was trying to ignore the women, but with my peripheral vision I could see that they were attempting to catch my attention.
In my mind I was growling at them, but I let out a sigh and rolled my eyes as I passed them. This wasn't the first time I have had to endure women like them. When I was a young man, I had welcomed the attention but now it grated on my nerves. Luca walked with me to the elevator and sighed when he was just a second too late to catch it. The doors closed and I felt a surge of energy again, but this time it seemed off. It faded slightly, but I could still feel it from the workshop. I allowed my mind to wander until I was brought back to the present by Luca's overly dramatic sigh.
"Damn! We almost caught it," he said with a smile.
His bright, brown eyes were filled with amusement as he winked at the few women gathered around us. We both knew they were there mainly for me but that didn't stop him. Luca has always been the attention seeker. Standing at just over five foot five, he was smaller in comparison to my six foot frame, but he never let that stop him. Many considered him handsome and openly flirted with him. Had we not been best friends I may have approached him too. He had short, spiked black hair, though he had attempted to grow it out like mine, which grew almost down to my ass. However, we both quickly realised how stupid he looked. He joked that only I could pull off the 'Thor' look. After I looked at him confused he showed me what he meant and I chuckled. I would only wear my hair in either an intricate braid if I had the time, but if I was in a rush it would be just tied in a ponytail. Never would I have my hair out when at work, but I do at home. Having long hair is annoying at the best of times and I've been thinking about a change.
"Come on Mica, smile for the pretty ladies," he said whilst wiggling his fingers at one.
I sighed at him and rolled my eyes whilst I walked away into the empty elevator without looking back. Deliberately not waiting for him I quickly pressed for the twelfth floor and smirked at Luca as the doors closed. This allowed me to have some time to myself in my office. The twelfth floor was all mine, though I only have two big sections, one was my office that was built with a two-way mirror, which meant I could look out but no one could look in. The second section was my own bedroom for when I worked late. Luca being my right-hand man shared my floor and worked outside my office door. Obsidian Jewels is my company, and is divided across three floors. The tenth floor was mainly for PR, sales and admin. The eleventh floor was where the design department was housed, it is where the magic happens. Everyone knew not to go up to the twelfth floor unless they were summoned. I hold a lot of major conferences in-person or via video calls.
As I sat at my desk I noticed a message on my answering machine. It was from Tang Cai, the creative director of the design department. He had informed me the new designer had arrived. I smiled as I thought about my new employee, FuXi! He had been someone I had wanted ever since I judged a competition he had been in a few years ago, even though I never got the chance to meet him. As his designs had been impressive. I then made it a point to learn as much about him as I could. Though I never got the chance to judge his designs again, I still followed him on his instagram. He had been in several more competitions and won each time. So, when HR passed me the information on the potential new designers I was very happy to see his application. The interviews were merely a formality. Unfair I know but I had to at least see them all. Once I'd interviewed them all I sent Hilda, head of HR, his details as my top choice.
Ever since I saw his designs all those years ago, I had been flooded with ideas. It was because of his inspired ideas which focused on the elements that we were able to create so many successful designs recently. Before I saw his work I struggled with ideas and the creative flare was fading, I began to lose my love of it all. Having lived well over three hundred years can do that to you.
As a young man I had courted my fair share of women. Being of noble birth, although I wasn't quite a prince but I felt like it at times when the ladies approached me. It was because of my natural charisma I never needed to try as hard as Luca. Every so often a new woman would come up to me, seduce me whilst I would play hard to get, or persuade them by nudging them into my other friends to give them a chance to woo them. However, there was one lady I fell for, but she had kept turning me down. Despite my wounded pride, I never backed down from a challenge, so I kept pursuing her until she finally gave in. However, it cost me my life, literally. It was the night of my 30th birthday. It took me so long, but I finally had her in my bed, it was then that she had surprised me. Her eyes turned blood red and fangs appeared in her mouth. I tried to flee but she had me pinned to the bed, she was too strong. As she sank her fangs into my neck, I felt her venom penetrate through my bloodstream. I remembered the pain was excruciating before I fell into a deep slumber.
When I woke up a few days later, I was her new vampire mate. She explained that she was my sire. I tried to revolt and returned home. When my mother saw me, she cried in fright and screamed 'phantom!' I learned she had faked my death meaning I could no longer go back to my family or life. At the time I had no choice but to stay with my sire for over one hundred years, only to discover that she had massacred my entire family a few years after turning me. I was enraged and I tried to kill her but she was still much stronger. Defeating her seemed impossible. I tried to leave, but because she was my sire, she commanded me to stay, I didn't have a choice. She'd taught me how to hunt humans, I had a real taste for OB negatives. She was only satisfied when she drank them dry, but I still had my humanity so I found a way to only take what I needed without permanently damaging them. I would erase their memories so they had no memory of us. My sire didn't like that I wasn't following her in her footsteps, 'Pathetic' she would often say to me. I was beyond delighted to say the least when she decided to leave me. It was good timing as well because the country started to boom with trading from other countries. I seized the opportunity to fulfil my dream of setting up my own jewellery business. I'd used the money I had incurred over the years. It was easy enough to do and I soon became popular and renowned, especially amongst the high society.
The business had grown so much that there was not a jewellery shop that wasn't mine, I practically ruled the county. Anyone who was anyone has one or more of my pieces but it had started to become stagnant, predictable and boring. Until he came.
As soon as I knew he would be working for me an idea started forming. A new project, a new design, one that I knew only he would be perfect for. I desperately wanted to meet him again but I decided to let him get used to the environment for a few days before I gave him the next legacy.
Luca walked in with his usual scowl on his face. His defiant look is a reminder of how he looked when we had first met. Had it really been a hundred years already. He had just been robbed and left for dead in some dark alley. I heard his cries and was going to ease his passing but the look in his eyes stopped me. Fire burned within, a fire that said he wanted to live, he wasn't ready to die. I had been on my own for quite some time and I decided to give him the choice that wasn't given to me. Though the choices weren't great, death or be a vampire and my companion. Surprisingly, he chose to stay with me. I learned that he had a family he was supporting, a mother and three younger siblings. Though he knew he could never return to them he wanted to help them in some way. I, instead, approached his family to tell them their son and brother were dead. Naturally, they had been distraught and worried about how they would survive. Then I told them that before his death he had saved my life, so I was indebted to him. Luca, through me, made sure his family was well taken care of until they could provide for themselves comfortably.
"Why did you leave me?" he asked, feigning hurt.
"I was in no mood for silly girls and their fantasies. How did they put it? Ah yes! Kissing the hot CEO," I told him.
He sighed dramatically before laughing. We both have had our share of men and women, sex was just sex to us, it didn't matter the gender of our partner. However, lately I had also lost interest in the casual hook ups he often enjoyed. I wanted something more and with no idea what to do about it. I eventually avoided all sexual contact with anyone. I had no idea how, but I hoped one day soon someone would come in and shake my stagnant life up, make me feel things like I had as a young man.
After Luca left, that strange feeling I had earlier came upon me again. It was stronger than anything I have ever felt in all my three hundred years. Something was close by but I couldn't tell what, it reminded me of what I felt when I interviewed FuXi but fainter. When nothing came to me, I shook my head and tried to concentrate on some paperwork in front of me.
The new proposal was one that I needed to get ready, but all I could think about was FuXi and wanting to meet him again.
Then it hit me, I'd felt this when I met FuXi. What was it?