London Harmony: Squid Hugs

By Erik Schubach

Self publishing

P.O. Box 523

Nine Mile Falls, WA 99026

Cover Photo © 2016 Yurka Immortal / NRT / ShutterStock.com license

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  This book contains material protected under International and Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties.  Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited.  No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without express written permission from the author / publisher, except by a reviewer who wishes to quote brief passages in connection with a review written for inclusion in a magazine, newspaper, blog, or broadcast.

This is a work of fiction.  Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Manufactured in the United States of America

FIRST EDITION

ISBN 978-0-9966241-8-3

Mondays are always brilliant in my opinion.  After a couple days rest, relaxation, and recreation, I'm always ready for another exciting week at work.  I have to have the best job in the entire world as the receptionist for London Harmony, the elite, invitation-only music label in the entertainment industry.

You never know what interesting characters are going to walk through the door next.  With only a couple notable exceptions, the artists that June and Vanessa find to wow the music industry with, are nothing short of amazing.

And the people I work with are the quirkiest, most unique individuals I can call not just my co-workers, but my mates, my slightly bonkers family.  I don't think there is a single one of us who fits the template that the stuffed shirts would call 'normal.'

And the music!  I fell in love with music before I could even walk, and now I get to hear the world's most influential hits before anyone in the general public.

I feel as if I work in a wonderland.  And I get to wear all the high-class business wear that makes me feel feminine and professional all at the same time.  I'm something of a clothes horse.  I'll never be sexy, so I wear what makes me feel good.  That is, except for the new Jimmy Choos I bought yesterday, they are already a pain in my foot, but they have to be broken in some time.  I just loved the color and the tapered kitten heels on them are adorable, so what if they will be torture for a couple days?

I stepped up to the black door on the corner of the unassuming brick building that London Harmony was located in.  June owns the entire building, but she rents out the little shops on the lower level at discount rates so that she can cast her illusions to the outside world.  When people come to London Harmony, they are expecting exclusive, elite... well basically, they are expecting Oz.  But when they arrive, they see a little black door on a business block along with an old shoe repair business, film processor, and a Eurasian convenience store, to name a few.

It is almost masterful.  I think she stole a page from the Doctor Who Handbook on disguising something amazing as something mundane.

While London Harmony looks like nothing special on the outside; I ran my electronic key card across the hidden plate in the wall beside the door and walked in when I heard the buzz; it is as though you stepped through the wardrobe into Narnia once you are inside.

I smiled and knelt to pick up Saturday's mail which was stuffed through the mail slot beside the door.  Then I stood and walked across the dark space, my heels clicking and echoing in the lobby; my lobby; clacking on the polished marble and wood floor.  I said into the air, “How about some lighting please?”  The system recognized my voice and the lights increased from the dim, almost imperceptible glow of night mode, to a brilliant glow, illuminating the grand space that would put even the poshest hotel lobbies to shame.

I felt like dancing this morning and twirling I don't know why I was just in a great mood.  I said, “No, let's try something a little warmer today.”

The lights softened from the stark white to a warmer orange tint.

It really made my black marble receptionist desk stand out.  I smiled at the optical illusions that June had built in even here.  The subtle things that just screamed at you that you had arrived, that you had made it.  The dark wood inlays in the floor angled in slightly, just a few centimeters from the entry to my desk and the stairs and elevator beyond.  Making it all look farther away, giving a larger feel to the place than it actually was.

My desk was purposefully higher than a normal level making it imposing like it was guarding the access to the upper levels.  I smiled at the old stairway that had been restored to the original grandeur of the building, which just played off of the original wood columns to spectacular result.  Giving rich character to the otherwise modern look of the lobby.

I lifted a hand to run my fingers along the brass lettering on the glass elevator on the other side, the studio's name, before twirling and sitting on my tall walnut and glass office chair behind the desk.  I had to sigh now that the new leather of my shoes weren't digging into the backs of my heels.  It was worth it, though, they were so pretty.  No pain, no gain.

I said as I put in my earpiece,  “How about we disarm the alarm before we get all sorts of bobbies raiding the place shall we?”  I saw the red indicators by the door and on the surface of my desk change to green.  I murmured, “Thank you.”

I know it's silly, it's just a computer but if I don't treat her like a lady, she gets testy.  I feel sort of spooked at how good the voice recognition system is, and how it trains itself as I vary my requests.  June wants only the best and most impressive.  She wants people to feel that way about the place.

I flipped up one of the leather desk mats to uncover one of the many monitors built in flush to the surface and looked at the security feeds from the different levels and the outdoor feed.  Then looked at the little watch embedded into my bracelet to make sure it was in sync with the computer's clock.  I loved my watch, it had a pearl band and was a gift from my mother when I turned twenty-one, along with the matching necklace.  It was 8:45, people, would be arriving soon.

I started going through and sorting the mail.  We didn't get much here, most was delivered to a post office box just down the lane, and I picked that up twice a week after lunch along with any packages.  Then I straightened my skirt and checked my manicure.  I'd have to make an appointment this week.

I smiled at the monitor as I stood.  As usual, the first person to arrive, and last person to leave was June.  Well besides me that is.  I open things and June closes down once she leaves for the night.  I have never seen a woman work as hard as she does.  There is a reason the label is successful, and it isn't because June's mother was famous.

The door opened and June stepped in, deep into a playful argument with Vannie.  The two only had eyes for each other.  I had to smirk a little at June's clothing.  If you didn't know what you were really looking at, you'd think she was just dressed to go to a concert or something.

But she had impeccable taste in clothes that rivaled mine.  Like everything else, what she wore was an illusion, made by the best designers in the entertainment clothing industry.  She had the air of a pop queen and the look.  Each piece was tailored to fit her.  When she wasn't at work, she wore high-end fashion clothes that just made me drool.

They both paused in their argument as they got up to my desk.  June shot me one of those smiles that you just know are reserved for a friend.  “Hi, Jen.  How are you d...  are those Jimmy Choos?”

I had to giggle a little at the fact that my shoes derailed her.

I crinkled my nose. “Yes, I saw them in Fenwick this weekend and just had to have them.”

June beamed. “You always have the best taste.  I may need to steal those.”  Then she teased, “After you've broken them in of course.”

Vanessa snorted at us. “You two and your clothes and shoes.”  She winked at me as she pushed past her wife, taking the proffered mail I held out to her. “They look nice Jen.”

June raced after her, taking her mail from me, as Vannie mounted the stairs. She protested, “Hey!  You say you like it when I dress up for you.”

I just chuckled at their banter as they made their way to their offices on the third floor.  Then I grinned when I saw someone approaching the door on the monitor.  I hustled to the door and waited until I heard the mechanical buzz of the door unlocking, and I swung the door open.

I had to hide my mischievous smile as Annette stood there with her hand poised to knock on the door.  She's a little obsessive compulsive and has to knock on every door she goes through three times.  I love playing with her.  She is our office assistant extraordinaire who keeps everyone organized and the database more efficient than mere mortals deserve.

Not to mention the secret she kept from us here at London Harmony, the fact that she and her roommate slash girlfriend are two halves of the hot pop superstar, Minuette.  But she has to keep herself busy or go bonkers, so she still works here.  She says it is the best job she has ever had, and I understand completely.

The short woman looked up at me and scrunched her face and narrowed one eye.  Then she cutely reached past me and knocked on the door three times.  I smiled at her and she grinned back.

“You are an evil, evil woman, Jen.”

I nodded my agreement and said, “And a good morning to you, Nett.”

She blushed, she was always embarrassed when people were nice to her and it made her too cute.  She nodded and gave a tiny wave and started for the stairs just to make a glurking sound as she was pulled back to the door.

My heart started racing as I tried to remain calm as I saw two pale arms wrapped around her from behind, with slender hands, and graceful fingers tipped with highly glossed black nail polish, which was as expertly done as my manicure.

Annette was blushing profusely now as she was rocked side to side before she was released.  I tried to maintain my cool aloofness as she turned and said, “Morning Zil.”

Zilrita Marx... sigh.  Our resident goth here at London Harmony has this hug fetish, nobody seems to mind at all.  I mean why the heck would anyone mind a sexy goth woman giving you a hug?  She did more work than five others could as the general manager.  June couldn't have picked a better person than one of her best friends for the job.

She spoke in that tone that just set off a vibration in my core that spread through my veins like warm honey.  “Hiya Nett.”

She turned those dark eyes on me, they were so deep you could swim in them for years and never find their depth.  I tried hard not to look at her glossy black lips.  I don't know what it is or what she does to me, but I almost can't breathe around her.  Which freaked me out a little bit at first.  I mean, I've never thought I was gay or anything.  I love my men, and the more manly, the better.  But I've never reacted to someone as strongly as this woman.

She has this smile that you would march twenty miles through a storm just to see.  Which was odd for a goth to be so happy and smiling all the time like she did. It gave her youth and a... I don't know, vitality?  That gave the woman who was approaching thirty a cuteness belying her age.

I swallowed and watched Annette head toward the stairs, counting her steps carefully as she went.  Another one of her endearing quirks.  I turned to Zil and put on my best smile for her.  She looked at me with that expression she got when she looked at me.  I couldn't read it, but she always hesitated like this.

Then she asked, “Hugz?”

It always sounded like she used a z in the word, and it wasn't just her American accent.  I smiled internally at a thought, maybe it is Z for Zilrita?

I nodded and she gave me one of her patented squid hugs, you have to wonder just how many arms she has when you are captured in her warm grasp.  Like always, she held on just a little longer than she normally did with everyone else.

I had mixed feelings about it.  I didn't know why she hesitated around me or why the longer hugs.  My paranoia and insecurity have me thinking that she has problems with me because I am a trans-woman.  Maybe being born a biological male before I went through my transition to become physically the woman I have always been inside weirded her out.  Maybe she felt bad about those feeling so she had to prove to herself and others that she was ok with me?  So she held on just a little longer.

It hurt because she was my best mate.

Bloody hell I was insecure.  Most likely I imagined it all because of how my body reacted whenever she was around.  I had to fight away the fantasies that ran through my mind every time she hugged me.

She released me and looked down and blushed.  It was easy to see on her pale face.  She tucked some of that raven black hair behind her ear in an adorable manner and said, “Morning Jen.”

She wouldn't meet my eyes.

I smiled at her. “Morning Zil.”

She hustled off toward the stairs and I just stood there like a muppet, watching her hips sway and her tight butt muscles work as she went upstairs.  Oh, dear Lord, it was hot in there, I'd have to check the environmental controls.  I bit my lower lip and willed my arousal away.  Bloody hell was she sexy.

I jumped in surprise and squeaked when someone poked me in the ribs from behind.  I spun to see a grinning Fran.  Small Fry was Vanessa's little sister and everyone here including me saw her as our little sister too.  Who cares if she is a full grown woman now, she wasn't when she started here.  We've watched her grow into the person she is through secondary and now college.  She graduates this year.

She crinkled her nose at me and said, “You're blocking the door Jen.”  She moved her head around me to see Zil disappear up the stairs. “You off in fantasy land again?”

I blushed, caught.  Everyone here seemed to know about my infatuation with Zil, except Zilrita herself.  “You're just a mean little pipsqueak, Small Fry.”

She placed a hand on my arm and gave it a little squeeze.  “You really need to say something to her woman.  With your refinement and sex appeal, and her Zillness, you'd make a sexy couple.”

I sighed and she gave me a crooked smile and headed for the stairs.  Right, as if I had sex appeal.  When I look in the mirror, all I see are my flaws glaring back at me.