"I understand Sigrid is going to be taking you over to a condo building at lunch to check out an available unit. All of the units on specific floors in that building are sold to people like us. This is done in every building we share with Humans as a precautionary measure. The buildings have a mix but the floors are not intermixed. Even numbered floors are for Humans. Building management in these buildings is always run by someone from the Hidden Races and they ensure this division is maintained. There are many buildings in the city like this. If this one doesn't appeal we can try to find another. I'd like to exhaust those options before risking you staying in a non-controlled building."
"I lived in the attic of an old cottage in a swamp. I think anything with actual working electrical outlets will be fine," he said with a small smile. "I can't begin to tell you how grateful I am for your support and guidance. I'm completely out of my element."
"Outside of ensuring you switch back to your true self at night to recharge and let your body remember its real shape, nothing in your life really has to change. Your job is still the same. I need you to rescue us from the technical nightmare we've found ourselves in. That's just technology. You like technology." Stanley grinned and nodded. "Act like you usually do-" she paused as she suddenly realized something. A smile spread across her face. "You don't seem to be having trouble speaking with me now. Is that because of what we did last night?" she asked with an impish smile.
Stanley's face turned quite red but he shook his head.
"No, no. I- uh, just seem to have gotten over my stutter. Last night... well probably everything that happened last night had something to do with it," he reluctantly agreed.
"That's good," she smiled. "Thanks to you I won't have to feed for a few more days."
Stanley stared at her as she recalled the moment and gave herself a little shake.
"I guess I'd better get started," he said as he squirmed. She noted his discomfort.
"I'm sorry if I've upset you Stanley. I'll do my best to keep our relationship purely professional from now on," she said contritely.
"Thank you," he said with a grateful smile and stood.
She nodded to him and he went back to his office carrying the tablet. Siobhan looked up and smiled at him. "Siobhan, I need you to call the workers who will be preparing the new server room. Have them meet me in the board room, please."
"Right away, Mr. Garin," she responded.
"Stanley, please," he said as he turned to head down the hall.
"Yes, Mr. Garin."
He looked back in surprise and saw she was on the phone but there was just the hint of a smirk on her lips. Cheeky girl.
Stanley shook his head and went to the board room. He took it all in once more and the plan began to form in his head.
The funky glass wall on the hallway side with the liquid crystal privacy membrane could stay as it added exceptional sound proofing.
The carpet and underlay would need to be pulled up and the concrete under it would need to be free of any dirt and dust. He would order the server room raised flooring system.
There was a noise behind him and he turned to see a group of men enter the boardroom. There had to be at least twenty of them and they were all wearing the same outfits. Grey slacks, white dress shirt with a black tie and black shoes.
He took a deep breath to settle his nerves and addressed the one in the center as he'd seen Camila do.
"I need this table disassembled and put into storage with all of these chairs. I need the projection system including its screen disconnected and put into storage as well. When all of this is done let me know and I'll give you the next set of instructions. Understood?"
The center worker nodded and the nodding rippled outwards through the rest of them. Stanley's skin crawled. He made his way back to his office and saw Siobhan was off the phone.
"I need a tape measure. A big one."
"Yes, Mr. Garin," she responded with a cheeky smile and picked up her phone. Stanley sighed and looked to the doorway to see the workers passing by, each carrying a chair. He went to his office and realized he still didn't have a computer. He needed something now. Something powerful but portable as he expected to be taking his work home with him on occasion. He went back out to tell Siobhan that he was heading out for a bit. He'd stop by the accounting department to see if they had a company credit card he could use.
At her desk a worker was delivering a large reel type tape measure. "Thank you," Stanley said and took the device from its hands. The worker nodded and joined the others in the hall and Stanley saw the table was going by in sections. He thought he might as well get the measurements now so he made his way back down the hall to the new server room. He enlisted the aid of one of the workers and they took measurements of the room while the others took the last of the furniture out.
Another worker arrived with a ladder followed by another with a tool box. They set up under the projector and began disconnecting it from the cables while some others worked on taking down the screen.
Stanley entered the dimensions of the room into his phone then handed the wound up tape measure to the worker assisting him. "This can go back to where it came from," he said and the worker left with a nod. Stanley watched him leave and realized he could work with these guys... as long as he didn't think of them as anything other than guys. Another shudder went through him.
The room had been quickly emptied and the workers came back for further instructions. Once more he addressed the one in the center.
"Ok, now we need the carpet and underlay removed. I don't know if you will reuse the carpet so maybe you can just roll it up and put it in storage? Once you have the floor back to concrete the whole room needs to be cleaned. This means washing the walls and floor with damp rags to ensure they are clean and as clear of dust as possible. Understood?"
The worker nodded and the acknowledgement rippled outwards. Stanley didn't think he'd ever get used to that. With a nod of his own he made his way back to his office.
"Siobhan, I'll be out for thirty minutes or so."
"Yes, sir. Where shall I say you are?"
"I'm picking up a new computer for myself. Back soon," he said with a smile and she returned it.
He took the elevator to the next floor down and went looking for the new CFO. He spotted some workers replacing a large section of drywall and tried not to think of how it might have been damaged. He found the corner office and was greeted with a huge smile from the executive secretary at the desk just outside the door.
"Good morning Mr. Garin! I'm Anna, Ms. Summerly's assistant. How may I help you today?" the middle-aged woman asked. She was very smartly dressed and had one of those auras of total competency that led one to suspect she could run the department if the need arose.
"Good morning Anna! Ms. Summerly is the new CFO?" At her nod he continued. "I was wondering if she had a moment to speak with me."
"One moment." She spoke quietly into her phone then gestured to the closed door with a smile. He nodded his thanks and knocked before entering.
A woman stood up from behind her desk and came around to shake his hand. Stanley's smile froze a little as he realized Ms. Summerly was identical to the woman sitting at the desk outside the door. Including the clothing she was wearing.
"Anna is my twin," the woman said with a smile as she read his surprise. "My name is Eve."
"Stanley. Pardon me for asking but doesn't working with your twin present some difficulties with mistaken identity?" he asked.
"Not so far but this is only our first day in the new job so we'll just have to see!" she replied with a friendly smile. "I understand it was partially due to your intervention with the former inhabitant of this office that I was able to get this promotion."
"What? No, I couldn't have had anything to do with that. I'd only met the man once and it was a very strange and rude conversation at that. My first and only impression of the man wasn't very good," Stanley admitted.
Eve gave him a smile for his modesty then gestured for him to sit as she returned to her chair behind the desk. "What can I do for you this morning?"