Page 276 of Castings & Curses

“Oh my God, Val, this guy I was watching yesterday… seriously. This girl he’s been crushing on from across the hall in his apartment complex literally showed up at his doorstep dripping from head to toe because a pipe burst and…”

“Let me guess. They took one look at each other and realized they needed to run off into the sunset together,” I tease, knowing all too well how much Delilah actually loves that sort of thing. Her plethora of romance novels she keeps in her house somehow seems to continuously build, and I am worried the stories have warped her brain. I’m not sure if that is something that happened before death or—

“Would you let me finish?” she bites, crossing her legs as she settles back on my couch. Amidst all the white and gray, she stands out with her vibrant, red hair and bright blue velour tracksuit.

I sigh, relenting as I motion with my hands for her to continue. Just as Delilah opens her cute little mouth, another knock disturbs the space. Chance perks his ears up, and Delilah’s eyes furrow.

“Who could that be?” she muses as she turns in her seat.

I push off the counter, some stray blonde hairs falling out of my messy bun from the movement as I make my way back to my door, which seems quite busy this morning. I’m not sure who I expected to see, but it definitely wasn’t my boss. Matthew never makes house calls for anything.

“Good morning, Valory,” he says with a swift smile, but something about it seems… off.

At the realization that I am standing in my doorway in my pajamas, my cheeks heat. “Oh, uh… good morning… Matthew,” I say, hiding my embarrassment.

“May I come in?” His voice is plain, solid as it usually is, which only makes me feel more on edge.

What the Hell is he doing here?

“Of course.” I open the door further, waving him in.

Delilah looks positively alive with excitement at this bit of “tea,” no doubt.

“Can I get you a cup of coffee, or…” I ask as I push the stray strands of hair back into their bun. I feel fidgety, if only because the presence of Matthew in my house makes me nervous. I’ve never had a man in my house before. At least, not since I’ve been in Heaven.

Not to mention Matthew is…

Hot.

And my boss.

I push the thoughts away, focusing on making myself a cup of coffee instead.

“No, that won’t be necessary. I’ll make this quick,” he says as he slides his hands in his pockets, while standing in the doorframe between my kitchen and living room.

“Oh, okay then…” I say, but Delilah chimes in with the worst timing.

“I’ll take a tea, piping hot, please!” She whistles and I roll my eyes.

“Please ignore her. I promise she’s harmless,” I say as I focus on the scent of percolating coffee.

Matthew’s lips turn up in the corner just a smidge, his blue eyes lighting up for a moment as he steps closer to me.

“How did it go yesterday with the girl?” he asks in a low voice. The timbre of it is different, smoother than usual, but also carries a hint of secrecy. From this proximity, I can feel the warmth of his breath on my collarbone, and my heart starts to race.

“I took care of things,” I whisper back, confused. “I couldn’t find her in the system, but I assigned her a temporary HHD visa and sent you a memo, and—”

Matthew’s lips draw into a thin line. “Yes, you submitted the paperwork, and I got your memo. Except there was an error on your form.”

My blood runs cold.

There was a what now?

“That’s impossible, I-I don’t make errors, I—”

“I know, Valory. You are a good employee and you are good at your job, but no one is perfect. Sometimes things happen,” he says softly.

I know things happen, but not to me. I follow the rules; I do what I’m asked. I don’t make mistakes or break protocol.

---