Page 7 of Party Favors

The microwave beeped and she pulled her food out, cursing as she burned her fingers. She put it on a plate and came over to join me on the couch. I held up the remote, intending to press play, but stopped.

“All kidding aside, you really do have to behave.” I didn’t want to lose my job because Vella let a raccoon loose in the duct system after someone stole her afternoon yogurt.

“I will, I promise.” She hesitated for a second and then, like she couldn’t help making another joke, added, “But if Adrian makes me mad, is it okay if I set his hair on fire?”

“No, because despite my joke earlier, I don’t have enough money to get you out of prison if you get arrested for arson and attempted murder.”

“Fine,” she playfully grumbled as I started the show up. “But I absolutely will put superglue on his keyboard if I see him being mean to you.”

That seemed like a fair compromise considering her original intention.

And while I knew Vella was more bark than bite, it worried me that maybe I’d just made a big mistake.

CHAPTER THREE

The next morning I had to pound on Vella’s door for several minutes before I heard grumbling on the other side.

“We’re going to be late!” I told her.

“I’m going to scream into my pillow for six minutes and then I’ll get ready,” she yelled back.

Or at least that’s what I thought she said. I couldn’t be sure. “Scream later, get ready now. I’ll feed you if you do.”

I went into the kitchen and made her some turkey bacon and eggs. She stumbled into the room, her eyes barely open, and mumbled, “What’s this?”

“Breakfast. I know you may not have much familiarity with it, given that you’re normally asleep when it happens, but it is known as the most important meal of the day.”

She collapsed onto a chair. “The most important meal of the day is the one you eat before you go out for the night so you don’t get too drunk.” I laughed and she began devouring her food, like she was a grizzly bear and I’d just served her up a heaping pile of fresh salmon.

After she finished eating, I managed to corral her into the bathroom, reminding her about the time situation and ignoring her protests that nothing should happen this early in the day.

Despite her complaints, it took her only about ten minutes to get out the door. I was impressed, but then she complained the entire walk to the office. “Don’t we have public transit for a reason?”

“I’d rather not get my neck licked today,” I told her. “Plus, walking is good for you and it’s actually faster.” I’d timed it just to be sure.

“People always say things are good for you when they want you to do something terrible and unfun,” she said, and I couldn’t disagree, given that it was partly true.

We arrived at the office and I took her to HR, where they had her start her paperwork. I hurried to the kitchen to make Adrian’s favorite green smoothie. I’d just put it on his desk when he came into the office.

“Good morning, doll!” he said to me with a big grin.

My heart fluttered in my chest. Whenever Adrian was in a particularly good mood, he would call medoll. While part of me knew I should object on behalf of womankind—it was a bit demeaning for him to call me a term that Don Draper ofMad Menmight have used—I did like that Adrian had a pet name for me. It was something personal that we shared.

“Nice shoes,” he said, glancing at my feet.

I was wearing flats. I always wore flats to the office. Because I was 5'10" and Adrian said he was six feet tall but seemed to be the same height as me. When I’d started at Elevated, I’d always worn high heels and I’d towered over him. He’d made a couple of comments about how tall I was, and so I had quickly stopped wearing them.

Which was a shame because I had high arches and had always found heels much more comfortable.

“Thank you. Your agenda is on your computer, and you have a follow-up meeting with the head of events from Origin Telecom this morning. She wants to go over a couple of last-minute details.”

When Adrian looked at me with concern, I smiled back at him, knowing why he looked worried. I added, “I’ve already set up the program on your computer to record the entire meeting, and I’ll give her a call later on today with answers that you might not have.”

Answers he won’t have because he didn’t do any of the work,a voice said inside me, but I ignored it.

“What would I do without you?” he asked, again giving me that approving smile that felt like the sun beaming directly onto my face.

There was a short coughing sound behind us and I tried hard to not let my face fall.

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