Page 2 of The Lamb and the Llama
Heat rose in Ash’s usually cool body. “You can’t be serious, Zagan. That’s been the plan since we started stealing royal blood a few years ago. You promised!”
The last sentence came out more like a hushed whisper rather than a statement, and Ash hated the desperation in his voice. But he couldn’t help it. Zagan had dangled this in front of him for so long.
“I really need your crested gecko for our plan to work,” Zagan replied.
Ash opened his mouth to reply, but no words came out. It didn’t seem fair that after all his efforts, he was still not rewarded.
“Come on, Ash. Don’t you trust me?”
Ash let out a sigh as Zagan placed his hands on Ash’s shoulders once more. Zagan was more than a boss. More than a friend. Zagan had taken Ash in when his parents died, so Ash always felt he owed Zagan. Still… When was it going to be his turn to become something better than a crested gecko?
“Fine. But we are revisiting this after we kidnap Stan.”
“Sounds like a plan to me.”
2
Richard perused the stack of resumes from Stan, grumbling as he did so. Stan had been ready to send Richard an immediate replacement for his assistant, but Richard had been his usual stubborn llama self and demanded to have his choice in the matter.Why did I give myself an added stressful task?He thought.Especially since it looks like the one Stan recommended is, indeed, the best choice.
He sighed and pushed the papers aside. The last thing he wanted to do was replace Quinn, but the man had been promoted and moved on past being Richard’s assistant. Shame, really. Not a shame that Quinn had been promoted—the guy deserved it—but Quinn had been one of the best assistants Richard had ever had. The man knew not to take Richard’s shit, and it was rare to find someone who could put up with Richard’s ever-changing moods. What could he say? He’d always been a bit of a drama llama, especially before his coffee in the morning.
Of course, Quinn had been more than an assistant. Richard had taken to him—imprinted on him, which was something that happened in his type of llama. For them, it could be similar to adoption. Richard’s llama wanted to protect Quinn at all costs. It also meant Richard cared for him. Unfortunately, Richard hadn’t been the best at expressing this, and instead of being the kind of mentor Quinn deserved, he’d been, well, a dick, overbearing, seeming to hold Quinn back from opportunities. Richard regretted that.
But he was happy that Quinn was flourishing now. Quinn had a promotion and a mate and was living a full life. Considering all the torture Zagan had put Quinn through, he certainly deserved a happily ever after. Richard’s only problem with it was the fact that he needed to re-staff his office.
Richard sighed. The pile of resumes seemed a bit lackluster. He wondered how many people had decided not to apply for the position considering all the rumors of how difficult he was to work with. Sure, his ex, Carol, had given him the nickname Dick, but he deserved that since he wasn’t exactly a prince while dating her. With his assistants, though, Richard never expected the nickname to stick and take on a life of its own!
Oh well, nothing he could do about that now. He just needed to pick someone new and hope for the best. All of the applicants in his pile were more than qualified to perform the tasks of an assistant, but he was hoping for someone with more years of experience under their belt. Most of these were in their first year post-FUCN’A training and still pretty young. The only standout was the one that Stan had offered to send to him right away: Amira Kendal. She was older than the others and had gained plenty of office experience before enrolling in the Academy.
Richard let out a groan. He hated admitting when he was wrong. Telling Stan that he’d been right and that he should have just accepted Amira when Stan suggested her, would be admitting that he was being a drama llama, yet again.
Oh, well. It was either that or end up with an inept new assistant. One who would screw up the reports and cause Richard to shout, which would then continue to solidify his reputation as a dick, nicknamed Dick.
Which was worse? Drama llama or Dick?
Richard picked up his phone to dial Stan’s extension. Stan answered in less than one ring and immediately started talking.
“Listen, Richard, before you tell me that all the applicants are whatever it is you concocted in that brain of yours to explain away how unacceptable they are, let me tell you that youhaveto pick from the resume pool I provided you. You don’t have a choice in this.”
“Actually, Stan, I was calling to ask if Amira Kendal was on campus today. I’d like to schedule an interview with her after lunch.”
“Amira Kendal?” Stan paused. “The one I originally suggested?”
Richard gritted his teeth, hating the smug tone of Stan’s voice. “Yes. Amira, okay? You were right. She’s the best candidate out of the stack of resumes you gave me.”
“Of course I was right. I’m good at my job for a reason.”
“Can she meet me today or not? I’d like to interview her before I make my final decision.”
Richard heard a long pause at the other end of the phone before Stan spoke again. “She’s in the office here with me. Do you want to wait until lunch, or should I send her now?”
“If she’s got the time, sure. I’ll meet with her now.”
* * *
Knowing what had happened with Quinn, Richard tried to prepare his llama for the meeting with Amira.
We’re not imprinting on our assistants anymore. This won’t be some helpless waif that needs a big strong llama protector, okay?It was part of why he wanted an older assistant. He wanted someone who could take care of themself. One he didn’t find himself imprinted on and subsequently coddling or, as Quinn had thought of it, being an overbearing dick.
