quite
pinpoint, their presence irritated her.
Duke trailed her back to the office. Once
again he commandeered one of the couches and sat, panting. The
generator had kicked in and the air was cooler. Madeleine blinked
until her eyes adjusted and looked around the cramped office which
had become her home.
Maybe her life did suck. She certainly didn't
have time to drool over shirtless men or spend more than the
minimal amount of time on her nails or hair. She'd rarely had time
for men and only dated when she was desperate for some sort of
human interaction that extended beyond work. She hadn't dated a
non-coworker in nearly a decade and her relationships since then
had been much like everything else in her life: convenient, timely,
minimal, purposeful, and non-interfering in her work.
She tossed her sunglasses on the table in
frustration. She couldn't help the sense that everyone had a normal
life but her.
There'd only been one man that she truly felt
a connection with, the man who stood her up and sold her out for a
promotion. She'd sworn off men since.
She looked at the panting dog and crossed to
the Styrofoam cups by the coffee maker. She poured bottled water
into one and set it down on the floor near the dog. Duke hopped
down, knocked over the flimsy cup in two licks, and continued to
eat the cup.
“No, Duke,” she muttered, and pulled free a
new cup. She poured in more water and squatted beside the massive
dog, holding the cup for him.
He slurped, spraying her arm and the
surrounding area with water.
“Good dog,” she said with a grimace, patting
its large head awkwardly. She cleaned up its mess and rose just as
Eric entered with his trademark smile. He was sweating but his hair
neatly in place.
“I’ve been trying to call you since I left,”
she told him.
“I was … I thought I would help them a
little.” He added, “I know how important the lobby work is to
you.”
She eyed him, well aware of political
wrangling when she heard it.
“You can help when I don’t need you,” she
said. “At least keep your phone on. I tried to call back for
information.”
“Great, no problem,” he agreed quickly. If
Eric was one thing, he was non-confrontational. She grabbed a
bottle of water, tossing it to him.
“Do we have a lot of work tonight?” he
asked.
“Don’t we always?” she returned.
“Of course,” he said. “I thought you might
need a break. Jake and Toni are going for burgers and tequila. It
might help you relax.”
She said nothing.
“Or, you know, if you’d like to work without
interference or don’t think you’ll-- ”
“Go,” she said curtly.
“Maddy, I’ll help if you need it,” he said.
“I went out last night.”
“Yes, you did,” she said as she sat. “Go on
and go. Keep your phone on.”
“Great, sure!”
She expected him to give token resistance,
but Eric snatched his jacket as if believing she would just as
quickly change her mind. When she looked up from the desk again, he
was gone.
Her eyes fell to the dog.
“Just us, Duke.”
He panted in response, but the whiff of lunch
roiling in his stomach made her nose wrinkle. She leaned forward to
grab the Lysol out of the cleaning supplies bin. She sprayed and
eyed the dog before her attention returned to her papers. Precisely
at six, the door cracked open. She didn't bother to look up; Duke
gave a cheerful yap and launched off the couch toward its master at
the door.
“Heya, Duke,” Jake said warmly. “He been good
today?”
“He’s been fine.”
“We’re taking Eric to the bar. You up for
it?” he asked, crossing to the desk and placing the rolled
blueprints on the edge.
“Looks like you have enough company,” she
replied, and leaned back, meeting his gaze. She was somewhat
disappointed and relieved to see he was fully dressed once
again.
“Always room for one more,” he offered with a
half-smile.
“Thank you, but I have work.”
“You’re not staying here tonight."
“I haven’t
pinpoint, their presence irritated her.
Duke trailed her back to the office. Once
again he commandeered one of the couches and sat, panting. The
generator had kicked in and the air was cooler. Madeleine blinked
until her eyes adjusted and looked around the cramped office which
had become her home.
Maybe her life did suck. She certainly didn't
have time to drool over shirtless men or spend more than the
minimal amount of time on her nails or hair. She'd rarely had time
for men and only dated when she was desperate for some sort of
human interaction that extended beyond work. She hadn't dated a
non-coworker in nearly a decade and her relationships since then
had been much like everything else in her life: convenient, timely,
minimal, purposeful, and non-interfering in her work.
She tossed her sunglasses on the table in
frustration. She couldn't help the sense that everyone had a normal
life but her.
There'd only been one man that she truly felt
a connection with, the man who stood her up and sold her out for a
promotion. She'd sworn off men since.
She looked at the panting dog and crossed to
the Styrofoam cups by the coffee maker. She poured bottled water
into one and set it down on the floor near the dog. Duke hopped
down, knocked over the flimsy cup in two licks, and continued to
eat the cup.
“No, Duke,” she muttered, and pulled free a
new cup. She poured in more water and squatted beside the massive
dog, holding the cup for him.
He slurped, spraying her arm and the
surrounding area with water.
“Good dog,” she said with a grimace, patting
its large head awkwardly. She cleaned up its mess and rose just as
Eric entered with his trademark smile. He was sweating but his hair
neatly in place.
“I’ve been trying to call you since I left,”
she told him.
“I was … I thought I would help them a
little.” He added, “I know how important the lobby work is to
you.”
She eyed him, well aware of political
wrangling when she heard it.
“You can help when I don’t need you,” she
said. “At least keep your phone on. I tried to call back for
information.”
“Great, no problem,” he agreed quickly. If
Eric was one thing, he was non-confrontational. She grabbed a
bottle of water, tossing it to him.
“Do we have a lot of work tonight?” he
asked.
“Don’t we always?” she returned.
“Of course,” he said. “I thought you might
need a break. Jake and Toni are going for burgers and tequila. It
might help you relax.”
She said nothing.
“Or, you know, if you’d like to work without
interference or don’t think you’ll-- ”
“Go,” she said curtly.
“Maddy, I’ll help if you need it,” he said.
“I went out last night.”
“Yes, you did,” she said as she sat. “Go on
and go. Keep your phone on.”
“Great, sure!”
She expected him to give token resistance,
but Eric snatched his jacket as if believing she would just as
quickly change her mind. When she looked up from the desk again, he
was gone.
Her eyes fell to the dog.
“Just us, Duke.”
He panted in response, but the whiff of lunch
roiling in his stomach made her nose wrinkle. She leaned forward to
grab the Lysol out of the cleaning supplies bin. She sprayed and
eyed the dog before her attention returned to her papers. Precisely
at six, the door cracked open. She didn't bother to look up; Duke
gave a cheerful yap and launched off the couch toward its master at
the door.
“Heya, Duke,” Jake said warmly. “He been good
today?”
“He’s been fine.”
“We’re taking Eric to the bar. You up for
it?” he asked, crossing to the desk and placing the rolled
blueprints on the edge.
“Looks like you have enough company,” she
replied, and leaned back, meeting his gaze. She was somewhat
disappointed and relieved to see he was fully dressed once
again.
“Always room for one more,” he offered with a
half-smile.
“Thank you, but I have work.”
“You’re not staying here tonight."
“I haven’t
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