Page 3 of I Dated a Retired Hero

Torun smiled. “If you can.”

She smirked, pulled the fabric away from his skin, and used her free hand to draw a line that had a perfect oval of cloth in her hand.

Torun blinked. “That’s... that shouldn’t be possible.”

Zera smiled. “This is why she’s getting a contract. She’s incredible. And she used to be a performer in the Capitol Ballet.”

Litha ignored them and used her com to examine the tear with an enhanced view.

She started to mutter notes, and Zera and Torun started making out.

She agreed to the contract with a few modifications and became the textile department head of Z-Tech. Her parents would have been proud.

Litha got the tour of the new building and saw the crews who were working to finish things.

There was a woman on the electrician team who looked weak, and Litha looked at her with thermal vision. “Oh, geez.” Litha walked over and said, “Excuse me, miss.”

The exhausted woman looked at her. “Yes?”

Litha cocked her head. “Do you need something to eat?”

The woman looked grateful. “That would be great.”

“Get up and come with me.”

The woman rose up on wobbly legs. Litha took her to the commissary and asked if she had ever considered office work.

“My two tickets make good money.” The woman ate her third meal.

“Yes, but they wear you out, which is causing you to lose a lot of the benefit by increasing that hunger.”

The woman blinked. “Oh. I haven’t actually run the numbers before.”

“Well, if you do so, I will cover the costs of your certification and security screenings.”

“Why?”

Litha smiled. “Because I recognize people that I think will fit my grand plan, and your electrical skills will keep me from having to call maintenance constantly.”

The woman paused and said, “I make seventy-eight thousand a year.”

“Matched. I need an assistant, and I think you can use a job that uses your brain instead of your body. Your body is exhausted.”

The woman sat back and sighed. “I... yeah. I am. Will I have to go through HR?”

“Yes, but I will fast-track you. I need a reliable assistant, and you feel like the correct choice.”

“You don’t even know my name.”

Litha smiled. “I don’t. Mine is Dr. Litha.”

“Drinella. Drin. I will state up front that I am the emergency contact for my nephew. If I get a call, I go. Is that acceptable?”

“Sure.” Litha chuckled. “Do we have a deal?”

“Yeah.”

“Great. Let’s go to HR and get you a stats sheet. Personally, my focus will be on sourcing, but they will want reports and things.”

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