Chasing Aurora
Chapter 1

Dreams are an interesting thing. Are they a portal into our subconscious mind, or are they the manifestation of our limitless imaginations? Either way, my dreams all pointed me to one thing. The enigmatic and magical Aurora.

The first time she appeared in my dreams was when I was about four. Looking back, I can remember every moment of that dream. I was sitting in a park I’d never seen before. I was watching the kids playing around me and just waiting for something to happen. That was when the beautiful Aurora sat down beside me.

I remember thinking she was my polar opposite in every way. I preferred to wear boy’s clothes and always kept my brown hair tied back. My legs were covered in bruises from playing with the boys. She was delicate in every form of the word. Her white-blonde hair fell around her face in beautiful curls and her eyes were a shining green. She was dressed in a light pink dress that floated around her. She was the most beautiful girl I’d ever seen in my life.

“H-hi.” I stuttered out.

“Hi, I’m Aurora.” She said with a beautiful smile that showed off her dimples, “What’s your name?”

“Piper, but everyone calls me Pip.”

“Alright Pip, what are you sitting by yourself for?”

“I’m waiting for my dream to start. If I wait then something interesting starts.” I looked back out over the park. I wondered what tonight would bring. I was hoping for dragons. Dragons always made for the most interesting dreams.

“Well, that’s not fun.” She pouted slightly, “Come play with me.”

“But what if something cool happens and I miss it?”

“That’s dumb.” She stood up and pulled me up with her. “You’re it.”

The rest of the dream was just us playing tag. No dragons, no flying through the air. Yet, it has stuck with me for over twenty years. That was the thing with my dreams with Aurora. They were always so mundane, nothing really happened besides the two of us talking. Yet, I remember them perfectly. Those epic dreams of dragons and quests I craved were gone with the sunrise but never Aurora. No, she would remain with me forever.

A banging at my bedroom door pulled me out of my dreams with the sound of my dog Samson barking following right behind it. “Pip, I swear to god, you better get your ass out of bed before I bust the door down.”

I groaned at my trainer and best friend’s voice immediately regretting giving him the keys to my place. “I’m coming!” I pushed myself out of bed. I looked over at Samson. He was a big white mutt of a dog that I got from a shelter 2 years ago. He was the happiest dog I knew. I gave his head a quick scratch before getting dressed in leggings and a tank. I went out to the living room to see Robby plopped down on my couch with his feet on my coffee table. Samson went right over to him to get his scratches. I shook my head as I looked at Robby. “I really hate you sometimes.”

“You’re the one who wanted to up your cardio. Now eat and drink some water so we can get going.” Robby ordered.

I yawned before I went into the kitchen. I poured Samson a bowl of food and filled up his water bowl. I grabbed my overnight oats and a tall glass of water and shovelled my food down. I went to the bathroom and caught my reflection in the mirror. I was so different from that four-year-old who first met Aurora. My brown hair was chopped short with the sides shaved in a fade. My features were stronger, more mature, and there were still bruises that coloured my body. Only those were from the years of mixed martial arts training I had. What can I say, I leaned into the tomboy lifestyle over the years.

After finishing up my morning routine, Robby and I did some warm-ups before we left to go run with Samson right beside us. Once our feet met the pavement of the city block below my apartment, we were off. The world was still waking up, the light from the dawn still shining casting the world in a hazy glow. As much as I hated waking up, I also loved these mornings. The city was just starting to wake up. Coffee shops were opening their doors, dog owners were out clutching their coffees, people passed on their walks of shame and other joggers wove around them all just like Robby and I did. It was life in the city, and I loved it.

When we finished our loop and ended our run Robby came up with me to my apartment. He started his cool-down stretches. “So, will I see you at the gym after work today?”

“No, dad has me meeting with some people from a company we might be merging with. I have to go to show just how committed we are to family values or something.”

Robby let out a deep laugh, “Really? You and family values don’t exactly mesh.”

“Fuck off. My parents and I get along great and I will be taking over the company one day so they might as well get to know me cause they are going to be seeing this beautiful mug a lot.” I stuck my tongue out at him as I made my way to the shower.

“Whatever you say. I’ll see you tomorrow Pip!” Robby called out before he left my apartment. If there was one thing I wished would go away, it was that stupid nickname. It was cute when I was a kid but as a woman who stands at six feet, it just doesn’t fit.

I showered and got dressed in a navy suit with a white button-up underneath. I gave Samson his toys before I made myself a protein shake, grabbed my lunch, and headed out. I went to the parking garage and went straight to my new black Mercedes. I pulled out of the parking garage allowing the engine to rev a bit on my way out. As much as I wanted to take it out on the highway and feel the power as I drove, I was running late for work. So, I drove through the city to my dad’s building.

I pulled into the parking garage and headed up to my office on the top floor. People usually called nepotism at my success. While they would be partly correct, I also was very good at my job. If I wasn’t my dad would have no qualms at demoting me. The single-minded intensity I learned from my MMA background came in handy in the tech world.

I put my lunch away in the executive lounge fridge and headed off to my office. I walked by the empty desk of my secretary Natalie with a touch of annoyance. I swear that she was hired for her looks. I was the one who hired her, but that doesn’t excuse the fact that she is late every day. I need to remember to get laid before I make any hiring decisions. I sat down at my desk and pulled out my tablet. I looked over the day’s agenda while I finished up my protein shake. Looked like a dull day was ahead of me. Whenever Natalie gets here, I need her to get me a coffee if I’m going to stay alert.

I started my morning while keeping an eye out for Natalie. It was around ten when I finally saw her saunter in. I didn’t let her sit down before I buzzed her on the intercom. “Ms. Mercier can you please come in here,” I said before I relaxed back in my chair. I watched as she smoothed out her skirt that was teetering on being too short for work.

She opened the door with a smile. Her long blonde hair fell in perfect waves that almost reminded me of Aurora, but everything else was too different to allow me to maintain that illusion. Her clothes were too tight, her lips weren’t natural, and she wore more makeup than Aurora ever needed. Her eyes were close, but her eyes were closer to blue than Aurora’s startling green. I sighed as Natalie stood at the end of my desk. I needed to get my head out of the clouds for this conversation.

“Ms. Mercier, can you please tell me why you were late today?” I asked.

“Oh, well, I overslept. I’m sorry, it won’t happen again.” She apologized but there was no sincerity. Especially as this was becoming a weekly occurrence.

“I’m sorry but that is not good enough. This is happening too often, and you are over an hour late. I need you here, at your desk, right at nine. You’re lucky that your absence didn’t cause a bigger problem. I’m going to have to write you up.”

Natalie’s eyes widened. I’m sure she wasn’t used to be told off, but I wasn’t like the rest of the executives I knew. I don’t mix business and pleasure. It didn’t stop her from trying. She leaned forward over the desk, arching her back and giving me the perfect view of her tits that were threatening to spill over her low neckline. She bit her lip and gave me a little smirk. “Surely we can solve this without getting HR involved.”

I won’t lie, it was tempting. It had been a while and I would love to bury my face between her thighs. I needed to stay strong and force myself to remain professional, no matter how difficult that may be right now. “Ms. Mercier. This has become a habit with you that I cannot allow to continue. If you continue to be late, I will have to replace myself a new secretary. Now, get back to your desk.”

Her eyes met with mine in an attempt to win me over, but I stood firm. Her eyes narrowed slightly, and she stood back up. “Fine then. I’ll get back to work.” She turned around and walked away with her hips swaying sensually.

Once she was out of my office I relaxed back in my chair with a deep breath. I turned around to look over the beautiful view I had of the city. I was never hiring the hot secretary again. They were just more trouble than they were worth. Next time, I am going to hire someone who is actually good at their job.

As I looked over the city my cell phone started ringing. I saw Robby’s face on the screen and directed the call through to my Bluetooth. “Hey Robby.”

“Hey Pip. So, I’ve got good news and I’ve got bad news. Which do you want to hear first?”

“Give me the good news.”

“Alright, so the good news is that you are no longer fighting Mindy on Friday.”

“How is that good news? I’ve been training for a month for this fight.” I sighed. I hated when a fighter backed out like this. It made my training useless. All those hours spent studying their technique and the gruelling workouts were for nothing.

“Well, now you’re fighting a new girl to our league. She is supposed to be really good, but I haven’t been able to replace any videos on her, so you’ll be going in blind.” He said. I swore under my breath. I was good, but if I had no time to prepare there was a chance that I could lose. I didn’t like to lose. “Do you want me to pull you out?”

“No. I can deal with this.” I sighed, “We’ll hit the ring hard this week and work on my weak points. I should go do some work, but I’ll talk to you later to get a full game plan.”

“Alright. See you later.”

“Yeah, see you.” I hung up the phone and leaned back in my seat. Could today get any worse?