Chapter 1
Being able to see the future has its perks. It gives you a chance to prepare for all the bad things that might come in your way, but it mostly just sucks, because as it turns out actively interfering with your or other people’s fate is the surest way to fuck everything up. Then there is the whole secrecy issue. It shouldn’t be a big deal, after all what sane seer (or whatever you want to call it) would want to be either hunted and sacrificed on the altar of religion or hounded by people who want to know what fortune is waiting for them in the future?
Except it is a big deal, because it’s usually not about keeping your mouth shut about your wondrous abilities, but about not outing yourself accidentally by saying something you shouldn’t know. Like that your gorgeous, hard-ass boss is a pliable ball of fluff around her cats. Or that she sleeps in colorful, striped socks because her feet get cold. Or that she’s actually biggest dork you’ve ever seen.
Ariana does her best, really. She’s rarely late from work even if she has to sprint through the foyer of Wouldridge & Mason with a piping hot coffee in her right hand and her bag in the left. In five inch heels and a pencil skirt. So, okay, she’s usually a spectacle, but the girls at the reception desk are used to her just like Phil, the security guard, who always greets her with an exasperated smile. But she’s always in the office before her boss, waiting for Ms. Mason’s arrival with a sunny, if totally fake, smile plastered onto her face.
Ms. Mason rarely smiles. Her disgustingly beautiful face is always etched into a pinched, stressed out expression when she storms into the office, barking orders even before taking her coat off. She’s terrifying and bossy as hell, which drives most employees crazy, but Ariana just can’t muster up the energy to feel threatened by her. Because striped socks and fluffy kittens. So it’s hard, but not unbearable, because at least, Ariana doesn’t have to dream about Ms. Mason having sex with her boyfriend, like it happened one time with her best friend.
She doesn’t even really think about why Ms. Mason frequents her dreams so often. They spend a ridiculous amount of time together, even if Ms. Mason only deigns Ariana worthy of her attention when she wants something. Or when she’s chewing her out for whatever dumb mistake Ariana is accused to have made. Or when she’s demanding more coffee. Either way, it’s natural that her dreams latch onto her, because Ms. Mason is practically the only person she sees for more than a couple of hours at best.
And it’s not like Ariana minds the dreams. They’re sweet and harmless, but above everything, they don’t make Ariana feel guilty for not preventing some life-changing event to happen. Not to mention, seeing a different side to her boss gives her a sliver of hope that maybe one day, Ms. Mason will finally understand that she doesn’t need to try so hard to be respected by her employees. She’s a brilliant computer programmer and every single person working at Wouldridge & Mason knows this.
Ariana is content to let things go on without saying or doing anything for as long as the dreams keep finding her, but then everything changes and her dreams are not so sweet anymore. It starts with her seeing Ms. Mason’s boyfriend fucking another woman, which is not only maddening as hell, but also unfair. Because the thing about interfering with people’s lives making everything worse? Honestly true. Which means Ariana has to keep her mouth shut even though she wants to do nothing more than bash the bastard’s face in when he saunters in the next day, all charming grins and shamelessness.
“Hey there, Anna,” he greets cheerfully, mispronouncing her name like always. “Sophie in?”
“Ms. Mason is at a meeting with Mr. Wouldridge, Mr. Thompson,” Ariana answers as politely as she can. “Do you want to leave a message?”
“What, no coffee and offering me
Being able to see the future has its perks. It gives you a chance to prepare for all the bad things that might come in your way, but it mostly just sucks, because as it turns out actively interfering with your or other people’s fate is the surest way to fuck everything up. Then there is the whole secrecy issue. It shouldn’t be a big deal, after all what sane seer (or whatever you want to call it) would want to be either hunted and sacrificed on the altar of religion or hounded by people who want to know what fortune is waiting for them in the future?
Except it is a big deal, because it’s usually not about keeping your mouth shut about your wondrous abilities, but about not outing yourself accidentally by saying something you shouldn’t know. Like that your gorgeous, hard-ass boss is a pliable ball of fluff around her cats. Or that she sleeps in colorful, striped socks because her feet get cold. Or that she’s actually biggest dork you’ve ever seen.
Ariana does her best, really. She’s rarely late from work even if she has to sprint through the foyer of Wouldridge & Mason with a piping hot coffee in her right hand and her bag in the left. In five inch heels and a pencil skirt. So, okay, she’s usually a spectacle, but the girls at the reception desk are used to her just like Phil, the security guard, who always greets her with an exasperated smile. But she’s always in the office before her boss, waiting for Ms. Mason’s arrival with a sunny, if totally fake, smile plastered onto her face.
Ms. Mason rarely smiles. Her disgustingly beautiful face is always etched into a pinched, stressed out expression when she storms into the office, barking orders even before taking her coat off. She’s terrifying and bossy as hell, which drives most employees crazy, but Ariana just can’t muster up the energy to feel threatened by her. Because striped socks and fluffy kittens. So it’s hard, but not unbearable, because at least, Ariana doesn’t have to dream about Ms. Mason having sex with her boyfriend, like it happened one time with her best friend.
She doesn’t even really think about why Ms. Mason frequents her dreams so often. They spend a ridiculous amount of time together, even if Ms. Mason only deigns Ariana worthy of her attention when she wants something. Or when she’s chewing her out for whatever dumb mistake Ariana is accused to have made. Or when she’s demanding more coffee. Either way, it’s natural that her dreams latch onto her, because Ms. Mason is practically the only person she sees for more than a couple of hours at best.
And it’s not like Ariana minds the dreams. They’re sweet and harmless, but above everything, they don’t make Ariana feel guilty for not preventing some life-changing event to happen. Not to mention, seeing a different side to her boss gives her a sliver of hope that maybe one day, Ms. Mason will finally understand that she doesn’t need to try so hard to be respected by her employees. She’s a brilliant computer programmer and every single person working at Wouldridge & Mason knows this.
Ariana is content to let things go on without saying or doing anything for as long as the dreams keep finding her, but then everything changes and her dreams are not so sweet anymore. It starts with her seeing Ms. Mason’s boyfriend fucking another woman, which is not only maddening as hell, but also unfair. Because the thing about interfering with people’s lives making everything worse? Honestly true. Which means Ariana has to keep her mouth shut even though she wants to do nothing more than bash the bastard’s face in when he saunters in the next day, all charming grins and shamelessness.
“Hey there, Anna,” he greets cheerfully, mispronouncing her name like always. “Sophie in?”
“Ms. Mason is at a meeting with Mr. Wouldridge, Mr. Thompson,” Ariana answers as politely as she can. “Do you want to leave a message?”
“What, no coffee and offering me