Page 20 of Collin: Episodes 13-15
Collin yawned in his face, then slapped a hand over his mouth. Eww. Morning breath. Not the best thing to offer his master.
Mr. Reevesworth kissed him again on the forehead. “We’re going in early. Get up, shower with me, get dressed. We’ll eat at the office. Today will be intense.”
Collin nodded, blurry eyed, hand still over his mouth.
When Collin made it out to the living room, he found Damian was also awake, blinking over a thermos cup of coffee, his briefcase at his feet alongside a backpack. Mr. Moreau handed Collin an extra bag. “Snacks, a change of clothes, a few other things in case the day gets away with itself.”
Collin rubbed his face. Even after the shower, it still didn’t feel like he was supposed to be awake yet. Mr. Reevesworth looked subdued but less from the earlier hour and more about what he seemed to be contemplating. He and Mr. Moreau kissed, embracing a little longer than normal, and then Damian, Collin, and Mr. Reevesworth shuffled to the door, putting on shoes and wrapping up in hats and coats. It was well into November now; northern weather had started to set in.
Security met them directly outside their door, full complements for Damian, Collin, and Mr. Reevesworth, plus Mr. Moreau’s detail, and the now semipermanent door guard for The Residency. Collin gave them all nods. He nearly knew all their names now and at least recognized all their faces. Hopefully, soon, they wouldn’t need so much security and they would be able to go back to walking to work on their own and enjoying more freedom.
Cars were waiting downstairs. The trip to the office was a bare few minutes, the normal morning commute crowd mostly not yet out and about. They had the elevator to themselves on the way up. Security went in ahead to scope the place out, and then Mr. Reevesworth unlocked his office. Damian and Collin dumped their coats. Collin looked at the clock. He had more than an hour before Chinese lessons.
His phone chimed. He glanced at the screen. “Bruiski will be up with breakfast soon.”
Mr. Reevesworth nodded and pulled out his chair. Damian perched on the edge of the desk. Collin grimaced. “It’s going to be a big day, isn’t it.”
Damian shrugged. “If we did our work right, it will be.”
“Should I still have Chinese lessons?”
“The storm will take time to develop.” Mr. Reevesworth turned on his computer. “Do your first hour, but end early. Language acquisition requires as much consistency and return as it does focus.”
“Yes, sir. I’m going to go check on Ash.”
Ash was still asleep, half a dozen screens glowing around him. The only reason Collin got in was that he now knew the combination code to the door.
“Hey.”
Ash lifted his head from the shirt he’d balled up under him as a pillow. “Collin.”
“Want breakfast?”
“Yeah. Gah, I need to shower. Don’t tell me I overslept. There’s like twenty alarms….”
Collin held up his hands. “I’m early. Mr. Reevesworth wanted to get ahead of everything today.”
Ash sat up and stretched. “Oh. So, I can still shower?”
“Totally.”
“Good.” Ash stood up, the blankets falling away to reveal his anime boxers and comic strip cat socks. “Give me twenty minutes.”
“Breakfast will be in the main office.”
“Yep, yep.” Ash started pulling clothes out of a filing cabinet. Collin smothered a sigh. Just because he wanted something different for his friend didn’t mean that what he wanted was right to push on him, but maybe, just maybe, once this week was over, he could at least talk Ash into a portable closet system.
Bruiski, Janice, and Carrie were huddled around the breakfast sandwiches when Collin got back. A quick check down the hall showed that most of the security detail was in the foyer. They seemed to be getting a brief.
Everyone in the office was talking quietly. Most people were glancing now and then at the clock. Hartwick kept squeezing a stress ball. Eliza wandered in, which she practically never did, coffee mug clutched in both hands. Veronica and Katharine showed up together, arm in arm and looking pink from the wind outside. There were people from other departments also. Ash appeared in black jeans, a Japanese action-figure level of belts, and an Assassin’s Creed –style hoodie with damp hair. He studied the room, then sidled around the edges to where Damian was standing. Collin couldn’t see what they said, but Damian passed Ash a breakfast sandwich and put an arm around the younger man.
Mr. Reevesworth tapped his knuckles against the nearest window casement. “Good morning, everyone. Thank you for coming in early.”
A chorus of responses flowed back.
“Please let Janice know if you have any personal needs today or if you need to update dietary requirements. Due to the expected pressure, we’ll also be ordering in lunch. Security will be at the front and back entrances all day, not just near my office. That’s for everyone’s protection and to let us do our jobs without being interrupted. Carrie and Hartwick both have printouts of people that no one should talk to, photos included. Bernstein and Barker would be top of that list. Unless you’re briefed to talk to the media, don’t.
“Other than that, let’s all do our best to stay focused on our work and let the rest of the world do what it’s going to do. You’ve all done an amazing job preparing for today and keeping us on track during these interruptions and distractions. My compliments to Eliza and her team for last week’s progress despite how much they were targeted. The same for Floor Eight and quite a few departments and groups that aren’t here. I’m really proud of what we’ve built and where we’re going. Today, the rest of this week, should stand as a reminder that we protect our own.”
