Page 4 of Phoenix Rising

A woman walked up to her desk and waited for Becky to glance in her direction, but Becky was engrossed in reading about Dr. Lucinda's accomplishments and honors.

"Chief Thompson?" The sweet, airy voice wrapped around Becky's name like a caress.

The chief glanced up, and there she was. Luscious dark curls, steely grey eyes. The ghost that had been haunting her every thought.

"Dr. Everett!" Becky rushed to shut her laptop, knocking over her cup of coffee on a stack of paperwork. "Oh shit." Becky snatched the ruined papers from her desk before the liquid could leak on anything else.

Dr. Everett glanced between Becky and the mess. Her gentle British accent and polished clothes did not match the chaos of Becky's office. "Did I catch you at a bad time?"

"No, no. Just finishing up some work before it's time to head home." Becky sat back down and motioned for Dr. Everett to sit.

She did not.

Everett's picture didn't do her justice. Her black hair was pulled out of her pale, freckled face. She looked like a sculpture in the Louvre with her slight frame and large eyes. Becky tore her eyes away, trying to look anywhere else.

"What can I do for you, Doctor? I thought our meeting wasn't scheduled until tomorrow morning."

Everett glanced around the cluttered office, her eyes obviously clocking the towers of papers and empty takeout boxes stacked in the trash and a disapproving look on her beautiful face.

"I hope I'm not"— her eyes shifted to Becky's hastily shut laptop—"interrupting something?"

Just busy googling you. No biggie.

Becky's cheeks heated. This was definitely not how she wanted to meet this woman. She hadn’t even brushed her hair and suddenly when faced with the immaculate doctor, she was very aware of that fact. "Not at all. What can I do for you?"

Everett handed over the two folders."One is paperwork from Ms. Rhodes. The other files are the procedures I plan on suggesting in tomorrow's meeting. I wanted you to be"—he paused, looking for the right words—"prepared for discussion."

Annoyance hummed in the back of Becky's brain. "I am quite prepared, thank you." She stood, accepting the files, her heart hammering in her ears. "I promise I'll be a formidable opponent tomorrow."

The doctor studied her face cooly. "Opponent? I thought we were to be allies." Sarcasm dripped from her words like venom.

"My job is fire safety and security. I've been managing emergencies just fine for a while now."

"And because you've been doing this for a while, you cannot comprehend the thought of something new?" Everett's voice didn't convey any emotion.

Becky smiled, stifling her bumbling anger. "Ms. Everett?—"

"Doctor," she corrected.

"Doctor, my apologies. Why don't I take a look at your file and we can continue this conversation tomorrow with fresh minds?" Becky's smile was tight.

Get her out of here. Get her out of here. Get her out of here before I fucking lose it.

The other woman didn't smile, only nodded.

Becky rounded her desk, leading Everett to the door. "I will see you first thing tomorrow, Doc."

Everett turned, making Becky catch the faint sweetness of her perfume. It smelled like spring flowers with sticky pear juice clinging to their leaves. Becky wanted to push the doctor out of her office but also wanted to lean in closer to grasp the sugary scent.

"Were you reading about me, Chief Thompson?"

Becky felt her ears get hot. "Well, I…yes.”

"So you've seen my credentials?" Her gray eyes were steely as she looked up at the chief.

Becky raised an eyebrow. "Yes." Everett's mouth tugged into a knowing smile. "Then you know I'm more than capable of handling my job and emergency operations. Please keep an open mind about me before you judge my methods. I expect we'll make more progress during our meeting tomorrow?"

Becky leaned against the open doorway. "Looking forward to it." Her voice was pinched.

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