Page 73 of Never Enough

One corner of Midas’ mouth tipped up into a smirk as he did as she asked, and he flashed a look at Nemo. Nemo smiled in return.

“Yes. This will do. Keep the table version of the map, but can you reprint the version that’s on the screen?” Her look was apologetic. “Sorry for the extra work. It will just be better if we’re working on the same scale.”

“No problem, Gem. I assume you want the grid overlay on the new printout as well?”

“Yes. That definitely makes it easier for reference.”

She rerouted her focus back to the map. Absently, she gave Scheherazade a quick scratch behind the ear and gently pushed back on her chair. Nemo stood up straight and helped turn the chair back so she could exit the table. She walked to the telescreen and began to run her fingers across the map.

28

SEPTEMBER 10, 2022

Nemo

It was fascinating watching Gem in work mode. Nemo knew she was exceptional at what she did, but seeing her in planning mode was intense. It was actually a turn-on watching the analytical brain. He decided that sitting down in the chair she had vacated might be prudent, given the hard-on he was getting from observing her.

When the new map with overlay was done printing, Steel, Waters, and TB began to assemble it on the table and tape it together. Midas was still in his seat, but his eyes were also on the girl up at the telescreen. Since he’d been sitting next to her at the table, he was able to keep his voice low enough for only Nemo to hear him.

“Never thought I’d see her in planning mode.”

“I know. She’s like a whole different person.”

Demon walked up between the two men and pelted Nemowith an empty cup. Confused, he looked up at the medic. “You’re drooling. Medusa’s gonna get pissed if she has to have the upholstery cleaned in her jet because you’re having sexual fantasies about your favorite burglar. Now quit eye-feckin’ her and get back to work.”

With that, the medic walked away.

“Wow, he’s extra cranky,” Nemo commented.

“Yeah. He and Cherry had a knock-down, drag-out fight.”

“Uh-oh.”

“Those two are so confused over their hormones; it’s like watching two teenagers figure out how to negotiate the dating game. He does crazy-ass nice shit for her to make her think he’s changing, then pulls back into bad habits to push her away. She pretends his habits piss her off when really all they do is scare her to death, so she gives him impossible directives on what she requires for them to be together. Then she tries to live her life, causing him to forbid shit he has no right to forbid. He won’t follow through with her because he thinks he’s not good enough for her. To make sure he doesn’t get her, he purposely does things that make his belief true, and so the cycle begins anew. It’s all kinds of fucked up.”

Unwrapping a piece of gum from his pocket and popping it in his mouth, Nemo commented, “So? That’s been the everyday soap opera of the office for the past five years. Why is he more pissy today?”

Midas snorted. “Since when isn’t he pissed off? I’m guessing her being a target and nearly getting blown up scared him straight? Who the fuck knows. He doesn’t talk to any of us. Well… not that I know of anyway. Maybe he’s talking to Steel cuz that motherfucker doesn’t let anything slip when you tell him stuff, but I doubt it. More likely, he’s talking to dolphins and sharks while out on his surfboard.” Midas surveyed the area over his shoulder to see if anyone was lurking. “Basically, he played her. Got her all hot and bothered, then informed her she couldn’t come along for the ride, and she was under house arrest. If she so much as puts a toe outside of the office, he threatened to let security tase her.”

“And you know this because…?”

“The idiot forgot to turn off the security cameras in the conference room,” Midas mumbled.

“Dude. Stream some porn, for fuck’s sake. First Waters, now Demon?”

“Hey!” Midas got pissed. “It’s not my fault Waters didn’t give me the code word. As soon as I realized what was going down, I shut it off and erased the footage. As for Demon, it’s not like he warned me what he was up to. I don’t go looking for you all to be getting your freak on at the office. But there are women involved now who were never an issue before, so now I’m not just in control of all the computers and all the surveillance and all the intel and all the hacking, now I’m a fucking censor, too!”

“Jesus, dude, calm down. You really need to get laid.”

Midas snorted. “Yeah. Cuz that’s as likely as snow in hell. I leave the building less than God does.”

“Wonder if there’s a delivery program for women like there is for rideshares and food delivery?” Nemo teased.

“Fuck you.” Midas smacked him good-naturedly, knowing his brother was teasing him. “Not my type, and you know it.”

“I keep wondering what your type is.”

“You and me both,” his brother muttered.

---