Page 34 of Mated To My Boss

I don't finish either of these things by the end of the work day, but I make enough progress to not feel bad about it.

“Damn, I need to get more stuff,” I muse. My mind travels to a crafts shop I saw on my way to work.

I bundle the blanket along with my other supplies and pack them all as neatly as I can before leaving my aunt's office.

People are already trooping into the halls, so I can't immediately spot Nate. Still, a quick sniff of the air alerts me that he's nearby.

As I pass her cubicle, Olivia waves frantically with a smile and draws my attention. She’s sitting at her desk, with Dave standing beside her. “Hey!” she calls.

I walk over to the pair, and Dave greets me with a small wave. Most of the interns are human, so I'm not as close to them as I could be.

Dave is one of the unfortunate ones who probably won't get called back here once he's finished with law school.

“Whatcha got there?” Olivia asks.

I happily show her my supplies and the blanket I’m working on. “It's a temperature blanket,” I explain.

“This is gorgeous; you did this? Dave, look at this.”

“Whoa,” he says, handling it. “You're knitting this?”

“Yeah,” I smile. “I've actually done quite a lot today, but I'm nowhere near done.”

Dave is so surprised by this sudden revelation that he leans in and lowers his voice. “Are you serious?”

“Um, yeah?”

“You're an intern,” he reminds me. “You can do stuff like this on company time, they could fire you for this.”

Olivia gives him the same odd look I do, but I can't take offense. He seems genuinely worried for me.

“Relax, Dave. I finished my work early today. Nate said I could have the rest of the day off.”

This seems even more unbelievable. “There's no way Mr. Barlow gave you free time.”

“I'm just that effective.”

I sense eyes on me and instantly know who's watching me. Olivia feels this, too, so we both turn in the direction of the hallway while Dave continues to look confused. Just then, I see Nate walking away.

“I have to go now,” I say, trying not to sound too triumphant. “I'll talk to you later.”

My next stop is the craft shop. The entire place is filled with arts and crafts supplies. It's not a huge place, but it's definitely what I need. I go to the section with knitting supplies, surprised by the multiple types of yarn on display.

“It's glorious isn't it?”

I spin around at the sound of the voice. The woman behind me flashes her wolf eyes, and my eyes widen in shock.

“Don't worry, no one saw me,” she says. Her voice sounds like she wants to do it again, just for fun. “I’m Hannah.”

“Madeline,” I say, accepting a handshake.

“Madeline,” she repeats. “I haven't seen you around here before. I come here enough to know everyone who pops up.”

“I haven't been in town very long,” I reply. “I saw this on my way to work and decided to check it out.”

“Well, you came to the right place. My buddy Lucca runs this place and she can hook you up with whatever you need. Are you ready to explore?”

“Yes!” I respond without hesitation.

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