Page 14 of Breathless Recruiter

“How are you doing?”

I held out my hand like Earth Mom had taught me. Zaster didn’t reciprocate, which took an already awkward situation and made it worse. I had spent my session with Kiki talking about Dustin, but perhaps next time, I’d talk about how I always seemed to approach this man wrong. It was like he didn’t follow normal human rules.

“If we keep bumping into each other like this, people are going to talk.”

Weren’t they already talking? I eyed Tia, who was arguing with somebody on the phone. Did we not want people to talk?

“We wouldn’t want that,” I said. “How’s your day going?” Casual conversation. Kiki wanted me to practice small talk with people. She promised it’d build my confidence. If she only knew how much my confidence wavered.

“I’m nearing a breakthrough that will revolutionize mankind.” His eyes lit up when he talked about his work. “These assholes have ignored my work for too long. I’ll show them. Then they’ll regret turning up their noses at me. I’ll be published in every scientific journal.”

If he cackled, I’d list him as a supervillain in the HeroApp™. “What are you working on?”

He stepped close enough I could smell the alcohol in his cologne. With each step toward me, I backed up until he had me pinned against the door. Zaster continued looking me up and down as if I were a tiny creature he could pounce.

“Want to discuss it…” We were chest-to-chest. “Over drinks?”

“I like to drink.” The words slipped out before I untangled what he meant. Drew and Orion invited me out for drinks allthe time. We’d find a quiet spot in a bar and talk about our adventures in Vanguard. Did Zaster want to share his?

His face scrunched as he leaned forward. Zaster’s eyes fixated somewhere below my eyes. His breath hit my cheek, leaving it damp. I was about to take a step back and out the door when his hand shot toward my face. When he stepped back, he was holding a thin, wiry hair. Had he plucked it from my beard?

“You had a hair out of place.”

Beard care mattered. Had the conditioner, moisturizer, oil, and shaping cream not done their job? Self-conscious, I wrapped my fingers around my beard, smoothing any remaining runaway hairs.

“Who knows where drinks might take us?”

Home. It’d take me home. Alone.

His eyes changed focus, intent on the hair held between his fingers. Zaster ranked high in the oddest human category. I’d place him at the top, but then again, I had a naked mime outside my apartment building.

“I look forward to it.” My smile showed more teeth than necessary. I turned about and pushed at the door, sliding out of the office. I had faced my fears, and where did it get me? Threatened by a vengeful woman and a meetup with a man who made my skin crawl.All that, and not even a quick hello with Dustin.

I wandered back to work, wanting to forget I tried being brave.

“Show me the money!”

Drew’s victory cry echoed throughout the hallways of Secret Identities. I snickered at the thought of Arthur shaking his head.Without a doubt, if I walked down the hall to Drew’s office, he’d be dancing. I enjoyed his ability to take small wins and turn them into noteworthy triumphs.

“Who da man?” Janet knew it’d drive Arthur crazy.

“I’m da man!”

After our first day of work, I asked Earth Mom if co-workers could be friends. Humans had a strange habit of setting boundaries around their environments. She liked to remind me, “Friends are the family we choose.” The thought left me chewing my lower lip.

I considered Secret Identities Incorporated family… and Earth Mom.

A white rectangle shimmered to life above my desk. On the semi-transparent screen, Janet fixed her hair, pushing back a rogue curl. When it fell across her forehead again, she growled. Had she accidentally dialed my office? Despite the new technology, she refused to read an instruction manual or ask for help. At least this time, she wasn’t giving ‘the girls’ extra perk.

“Somebody is here wanting to talk with you.” Had a hero come in? She leaned closer to the screen, holding her hand up as if she were about to whisper. “And he’s a beefcake I wouldn’t mind?—”

“Send him in!” She pouted. I couldn’t have her getting into a sexual harassment suit with one of our heroes. Janet didn’t make any move to turn off the screen. “Janet, I’m turning off the camera.”

“Next time, I want to watch.”

I clicked the X in the corner, and Janet vanished. Now, I had a clear view of Dustin leaning against the doorframe of my office. The black uniform hid the curves of his belly but not the thickness of his tree trunk legs. His arms folded across his chest, showing off the muscles in his biceps. While I wanted to admire him, it was the smirk on his face that made my pulse race.

“Don’t worry, there’s no mouse this time.”

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