Kaden
The past month has been hell. Once we got back from Cologne, it's been a string of one unfortunate event after the other. It started with a small, somewhat innocuous breach of a new client we just signed on. I figured it was a random job by a small fry hacker, and quickly shut down the threat and strengthened their firewall. Next, we lost an account we'd been working on for a while. The client just pulled out without warning, and with no explanations. Despite numerous meetings to resolve the issue, we still lost that account. Now, our biggest client Next Gen Investments just got hacked with thousands of their customers' financial details leaked. We've been working round the clock to fix it. I've practically been living at work for the last week.
Sitting at my desk, I'm unable to appreciate my view of the Yarra River from my sixth floor office. I have run my hands through my short hair so many times, I'll probably go bald before I'm forty. Closing my eyes, I doze off briefly, so I'm startled when my door is thrown open.
"Kade, I've been able to fix the bugs and restore their firewall." Dayo bursts in with his tablet in his hands. Like me, he also looks slightly disheveled and stressed; his locs have been packed up haphazardly on top of his head, and there is no single piece of jewelry in sight.
Sighing, I collect his tablet and flip through.
"Thank you. I am just wrapping up here too. Now, we need to figure out where this all came from."
Slouching in the chair across the desk, Dayo asks, "What do you mean?"
"I mean…this was not random Dee. Three of our clients are hit within a month? What are the odds? We've been in this business for five years and suddenly bugs are crawling out like vampires?"
Looking thoughtful, my best friend mulls my words over then asks me "So, what do you want to do?"
Rubbing my temple to disperse the headache I can feel brewing, I lean back with a sigh and say, "I've called Detective Mitchell. He'll swing by sometime tomorrow to get the ball rolling."
'OK." Watching me closely, Dayo asks the one question I've pushed to the back of my mind for a month. "And Sera? Are you still trying to find her?"
Suddenly agitated, I start pacing. There's a lot to that topic I'm unable to even unpack now. I know Dayo is still watching me carefully, so I give him an answer. Not the best one, but the one that cover how I feel right now.
"Man, I have put that on the back burner for now, but once I sort this whole mess, I am going to find her."
"Ok, bro. Whatever you need, Ok?"
"Ok, Dee. Thanks. Now, let's go home for the weekend. We'll keep monitoring things but I need to de-stress and sleep in a proper bed tonight."
Sera
I take a sip of my cinnamon tea and recline back in my seat. The past month has been a whirlwind of events. From sneaking out of Kaden's bed, to packing up my things and moving back home, I have been really busy.
Not too busy to dream of Kaden though.
Shaking my head, I try to dislodge the incessant thoughts of the man I met in Cologne. It's nearly impossible but I force down thoughts of gray eyes heavy with desire and focus on my screen. I just started work as an Editor for a publishing house. It's only been a week, but I am enjoying the work. It's pretty sedentary work though, so I have been trying to exercise by dancing around my small flat in between manuscript readings and editing. My current script is a romance book with sinister undertones. It's wildly captivating but I think the author can make some adjustments. I send an email to the author for lunch to discuss their work and close up for the day.
Standing up, I stretch and wander to the kitchen. I am a little hungry, so I check the fridge. I have been really busy and grocery shopping is a definite must right now. Grabbing my keys and phone, I head out. Despite the massive construction projects going on in the area, there are easy-to-find shops and supermarkets sprinkled around. There is a cute store I noticed when I moved in, so I mentally map out my route and walk to the place. I make sure I pay attention to the way as I have a bad habit of forgetting directions, even if I have been going there for years.
The store is quiet, and I happily pick up a basket and fill with the essentials. Fifteen minutes later, I look at my choices and sigh. Mila would chide me for the alarming non-percentage of fruits or veggies, so I add some apples and some fresh carrots and spring onions. I'm about to make my way to the counter when my phone beeps. I quickly check it and smile at the random emoji Mila just sent. Talk of the devil indeed. Sending her a thumbs up and a question mark, I slip my phone back into my pocket, pick up my basket, and turn without checking.
"Ooomph." A slight gust of air feathers over my hair from the hapless fellow I just slammed my basket into.
"Oh my God, I'm so sorry," I drop my basket and raise my head to apologize when I slam my head against the bottom of a man's jaw. "Oh God, I am really sorry. Are you hurt? I can…"
Two suit clad arms shoot out to hold me in place while a strained voice says from above me "Lady, please stop moving before you permanently damage me."
I freeze in place at that voice.
No, no, no. It can't be. I must be dreaming. No, I'm awake, so I must be hallucinating. Maybe the bump on my head is causing all this.
Shakily, I raise a trembling hand to touch my head, but my victim probably thinks I'm about to do more harm to him and a large, warm hand closes around mine, causing my eyes to snap up to meet equally surprised, wide gray eyes.
"K..Kaden?"
"Sera."