Her

Chapter 1 RAINING CATS AND DOGS

Nicolette. The name only plays over and over again in my mind; but who is she? She is someone I've never encountered and I'm wavering if I want to ever be acquainted with her. My inner voice wants to know everything. It peaks her interest and mine. She is a thief of knowledge. However right now she wants to know: who is this Nicolette?

Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring.

Device in hand, I briskly pilfer my skin against the green button. It's always a green button. "Go" Sniffling my nippy nose. The cold biting at my flesh leaving small love bites to trace my arm. "Miss, we need your help." Huh. Now you want my help; my inner goddess snickers to herself. "Sure, Mr. –" "Tachi" "Yes. Tachi" I nod to myself in acknowledgment making a note to myself of his name. I just wish I had a face to put to this name. Meandering around my apartment stepping side-to-side, surveying the society that operates below me. "I will be there as soon as I can." "Thank you." An eerie beep blankets the room. That's the end. A sigh is all that leaves my mouth, a lonely mouth if I must add to that. I ponder. After a while of deliberation I come to the conclusion that I'm in dire need for entertainment. Knowing exactly how to solve my winsome problem, I click open the door. A flood of wind scratches my skin. I feel a chill. Nicolette. Who is this again? My mind traces back to her. No memory, no sense, no recollection of her existence yet her name diverts my mind. I shake my head once to rid her name. It leaves a bittersweet taste. Never mind, she chortles once again. Entering into the room. Picking up a block of black plastic, I run my fingertips around the buttons that lace the device. A flicker of light consumes my screen; I'm online.

I'm Alice Lee; I have a destiny to be in the online world. I'm just another number in the code of the universe and yet I have no function that has been made aware to me. I call myself self-employed, well that's up to debate. I run my own company. It's only small, and if I do say myself we are doing well. I am just another computer geek some say, I'm just a hacker others argue. I retort with a simple answer. "That's why I'm self employed."

No one knows me. Heck I don't even think I know myself. It's always complicated when you step off on the wrong foot. You either lose your footing and fall into doom or you carry on losing all self-esteem and confidence you once had in yourself. It's only a brutal road from there. And I am one of those hapless fellows.

Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring.

"It's one of these days." Don't get me wrong, its nice to know that I'm poplar here and then just to charge up the ego, but I desire loneliness at times like this. Its what's best for me and for him?

"Speak" frustration doctored in my voice. "I guess you never changed." Recognizing the proprietor of this voice, I smirk. "So how are you, Alice." I've always had a hatred for the way he pronounces my name. A shiver ranges down my neck. "So we aren't talking are we? Just like the old days, hey Alice?" he questions me with a tone that I'm unsure of. "Well you are talking." "That's new" he dwells on this new complication that he has enquired. "I like it." "Ha" a desiccated laugh resigns from my mouth. "What do you want?" I wait for an answer. "A penthouse and a new car..." there is a slight pause. Waiting for him to terminate what he had just said, I wait. But he doesn't. "I'll sort it out for you, okay?" I wasn't looking for an answer but I got one. "Thanks, Alessandra." I shake my head, dismissing his sign of gratefulness. Adducting my arm to my body, I just stare, nothing else rattling mind just my life. There are little tremors in the background; I hear his voice in the background calling out Alice. Who is Alice? I don't know who she is anymore. "Lee" A bellows leaks from my phone. I bring up the phone to level my view. My finger lingers over the red button. I always press a red buttons. It's routine. "Just stop" My last words; Rhett I'm sorry.

It was raining cats and dogs; I signaled a cab umbrella in hand and my bag slung lazily over my shoulder. My grey hoodie was now tinted shades darker and my denim jacket was lifelessly suspended from my shoulders. Finally a cab came to a halt and my leg slipped into the snug conditions of the vehicle. "To Li-Tech, thanks." The driver simply looks back and nods in recognition of the widely known destination. Passing various parks and businesses standing on their last limb, I cogitate on the vast road. I realize I do that a lot, ponder that is. After a short while, I am introduced to the ever so known building. "Here we are, miss." I nod in acknowledgment; I do that a lot as well. I pay the taxi driver in cash and hunch my body to retire from the vehicle. I got lazy and dragged my umbrella and bag out as I went. Standing up ever so carefully so I don't trip on the stoned pavement, I lift my foot to take the first step towards the monument. I slightly trip as I dragged submissive foot against the stone. Discreetly I cover it up by stretching ever so tactfully and making somewhat of a scene. I ignore the few stares I got and progressed to the revolving door. It's the fun way of entering an establishment, not pushing or pulling, but spinning. What great fun. I laugh it off and maze through the complicated doors and trod my feet on a polished marbled floor. "Miss Lee." Hearing my name being called out made my head turn towards the mysterious voice. "Hello, I'm Mr. Armando's secretary." And you're a cutie. "Excuse me" My cheeks are flushed a crimson red. I cough just to ease the situation. "Yeah..." I stop right there. "It's nice to get a little ego boost from a young lady like yourself." That's what I say; everyone needs to have his or her ego stimulated here and there. "Yes, of course." "You're a woman of few words I can see." "Yeah" A chuckle struggles from his throat, as my straight face remains the way it has always been: stoic and isolated.

Cutie leads the way to Mr. Armando's office and I follow him like a chick follows a fox: wearily. We enter the elevator me still with an ice-cold face and him with a smile playing on his face. "So, Miss Lee, I heard you hacked into the military base in Slovakia. Very impressive." "Thanks." My eyes flicker to my side and I see his head bow with the little smile of his tugging his lips. I grin. "I knew that you were looking at me." In shock, my eyes open wide to alert my head to turn back to its original position and the reserved look plastered my face again. This ride is taking quite a while now, don't you think? My inner goddess peeps out of her haven and erupts in giggles. As if they were responding to her giggles, butterflies are released into my stomach, fluttering and reddening my cheeks. This is going to take a while.

Finally, after a million years rotting from the inside out, we hear the stress releasing ring from the elevator. "Mr Armando, Miss Lee has arrived, she is waiting outside of the office." "Bring her in." I quickly step back a couple steps just to make sure that it's not obvious that I was eavesdropping on their little exchange. The door creaks open revealing a devilishly handsome secretary presenting the path into Mr Armando's office. "Hello, Miss Lee." Is he glaring at me? following his line of sight, my head turns towards behind me and I see a intoxicating smile drenching the secretary's face. He exits the room without any dispute and unfortunately, I am with a hostile CEO. Alone. Yes, alone. "So, thank you for coming on such short notice. I hear that Mr. Tachi was the one to relay the message to you. Is that right?" I nod my head to confirm that he can hear. "I also hear that your a woman of few words." I scoff, jeering at the amount of times I've heard that today. "Excuse me?" I hear the a lot." "Oh" He sounds surprise at how commanding and low my voice is or maybe he just always is shocked. I don't really know what the feeling of shock feels like anymore. I've always been traumatised when I was little, I guess I became desensitised. 

"I would like your company and my company to form an alliance." Against who. My inner goddess canters out of her sanctuary in excitement. 

"What exactly do you have in mind?"