Island of Dragons (Published, Sample)

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"Miley!" Charles called. Miley stopped mid-step, her long brunette hair swishing over her shoulders. She was through with Siegel Images. After six months of disappointment, she was bored here. Everything was the same, bare land two miles from the city or a vacant lot five inches from their building; she hasn't had the opportunity to find something interesting. This was far from what she had been offered originally and even farther from what she had hoped for out of her experience.

"What is it, Charles?" Miley groaned. She tipped her head back letting out a sigh as she pinched the bridge of her nose. She turned around and pushed her hands down the length of her pristine multi-colored dress and looked up into his cold eyes.

Charles was far from her type of man. He was stiff and boring, not to mention a complete dork. His dark hair was combed to the side and thick glasses adorned his thin pointed nose. Miley had yet to figure out why he was such a sexist pig and prick; she was sure he really could not get any woman to look his way. Charles tugged at his grey suit and cleared his throat.

"I can't do this without you," his voice betrayed his stiffened cold form, he was defeated. Could he really be turning a new leaf? Would he try to become a nicer boss? Would he let her do the job she was hired to do? The thought flashed in her mind for a moment, and her features lit up. "Uh..." he said. "You know I can't let a woman do any more than you already do."

"That's why I am leaving!" Miley shouted with fervor. "You're so sexist."

"I'm not sexist, Miley; it's just a fact that men are better at dealing with our type of clients," he tried to reason.

"I'm done." Miley shook her head while backing down the hall as she sneered at him. She wasn't going to let Charles push her back with condescension into the position she was fighting to get out of.

"Wait!" he begged, rubbing his hand through his hair and looking down at his feet. Miley could tell her leaving was raking Charles's thoughts. "What if I give you a place to check out..." he asked looking up at her. "Would you stay...? A raise maybe?"

This was Miley's chance. She knew Charles knew better than to let her go. Finding someone with her experience and background was unlikely. He would be looking for months, maybe even longer to find someone who was as unique as she was, and he knew it. Loser. He should not have been such a prick and hit on her at every chance. Ha!

"Why?" Miley said. She just had to do it... she had to know what his reason was.

Charles shrugged. "I just don't think a man can pull it off."

Miley rolled her eyes. "I am not going to use sex appeal," Miley grunted.

"That's not it..." Charles said almost too quickly.

She had caught it though and raised an eyebrow at him. "Uh... I ... Okay... Fine," Charles puffed. "They have turned down twenty men for the contract. I just thought..."

"What kind of place?" she asked. Miley was calm and relaxed; she could walk off this job and get another within a short period of time. Heck, she had even thought of starting her own freelance photography and digital images company. She had plans for her life and they were not just to sit and waste away.

Miley had been considering leaving since she broke it off with Toby. It seemed like paperwork was all she did for Charles and his cronies.

"This is a very special client. One I was going to give to Peter but..." Charles wavered. "Look, Peter turned it down. He said there is no way he would be interested in traveling to such a remote place just to take pictures of rocks and trees. I'm desperate here." Charles sighed, his shoulders slumped, and he leaned back against the wall for support.

"Ah... the truth comes out." Miley laughed.

"I'll double your pay, cut the hours if you wish... and I'll try my best to let you choose first dibs on assignments if you would like as well. I just need you to stay," Charles begged.

"Let me see the file." Miley groaned for effect, but she had to give him some credit. He was offering to double her pay, which was awesome. Not like she needed it. She worked for entertainment, really. Though she wasn't quite sure she could believe the man on the fairness and first dibs part, double the pay... she might have to give it a shot.

Miley held out her hand, waiting for Charles to pass over the file he had held in his grip. Charles grinned, stretching out his hand and moving forward toward her. "It's," he began.

"Just. Let. Me. Look," Miley drawled, snatching the file from his grasp.

"I will be in my office," she told him. She hadn't cleared it out yet. She had just told him she was quitting this morning. Therefore, Miley turned and sauntered her butt down the hallway toward the horribly small office. "I'll have to demand a new office too..." Miley smirked as she muttered to herself. She had Charles right where she wanted him; groveling and desperate.

She flicked on the light and then closed the door; walking around to the back of her desk, she curled herself into her office chair. Sitting up to push herself toward the desk, she reached out and opened the file.