Page 16 of Seductive Architect
I snorted as he gave it his damndest. “Me too.” When he raised an eyebrow, tongue still wagging, I couldn’t stop myself from grinning. “I’m having fun.” Fun hadn’t been the goal, but it seemed my priorities had shifted. When was the last time I muttered those words? It didn’t stop the nagging feeling that something about Hudson required more research. Though, instead of scouring databases and security cameras, I might need to give this a personal touch.
“Should we head back?” I asked, not wanting it to end.
He shook his head. “Not until we’ve had dessert!” He eagerly went digging in his pockets, producing two plastic baggies filled with trail mix. I could see he favored the chocolate morsels over the nuts. Wyatt would be in love.
“Who can say no to this bounty?”
“Now…” He slid a bag across the picnic table. “Tell me your favorite places in Vanguard.”
This wasn’t an interrogation anymore. This was me,smiling like an idiot. I expected to get as much information out of him as possible. He didn’t filter. Didn’t scheme. Instead, it morphed into a lunch date between employees. He asked with such an energetic tone that it almost wiped away my need to figure out his place on the wall. For now, I’d play along.
“Let me tell you about Skye’s Arcade and Pizzeria…”
6
Arthur:Where are you?
Drew: Is everything okay?
Wyatt: He’s with a handsome man.
Janet: How handsome? Why are there no photos? Speaking of…
Arthur: Stop asking for nudes!
Janet: I already have yours.
Arthur: …
Wyatt: Friend Janet, why are you not sharing?
Arthur might complain about taking an extended lunch break, but he couldn’t argue with the results. When I returned to the office, I immersed myself in the HeroApp™ code. We no longer had delayed reports. Photos compressed an additional 13.7%. Our villain locator now provided accuracy within a dozen feet. Who knew laughing with a curious goofball would make me more efficient at my job?
I’d still be working if Kiki hadn’t knocked at my door. I waved my hands, and the holograms showing the interior of the HeroApp™ vanished. At first glance, it was obvious she didn’t work here. While Wyatt and Drew arrived in dress shirts, Arthur insisted on a three-piece suit. I had toned down my “Destroy theMan” t-shirts and now wore one with a hand with a single extended digit. Yes,thatdigit.
Kiki, on the other hand, appeared almost angelic. She loved long, flowing gowns. Each week, it featured a different floral print. Her circular glasses were oversized, making her eyes appear bigger than usual. It only accentuated her expressive brows.
“I almost forgot we had an appointment.” Every time I paused to examine my handiwork, my mind drifted to sour cream and then that goofy smile. She didn’t need to convince me. I had things to discuss.
“Let’s do this.”
Her eyebrow went up, the disbelief almost palpable. “No fighting?”
“Not today.”
“No threats of violence?”
“I’ll save it for next week.”
I breezed past her, heading to the room Arthurdesignated, “The Self-Improvement Suite.” It had become her unofficial office, holding nothing more than a couch, chair, and shag rug. At first, Wyatt was the focus as she helped acclimate him to Earth’s customs. It had only taken six months before he stopped referring to us as Earthlings. Now, it seemed I spent more time sprawled across her couch as she encouraged my integration into society.
I plopped down on the couch as she stood at the room’s threshold. Like us, Kiki had powers. Instead of saving the world, she used her abilities to counsel those who required the utmost discretion. As soon as she flowed into the room, her body twitched. She called it “geo-centric memory,” but it meant that when she left this room, she’d forget our conversation. She’d only remember the notes in my file. It made her the perfect therapist for superheroes.
“Does it get tiring not remembering what we discussed?”
She giggled, her head rolling back. Pushing her large circular frames up her nose, she shook her head. “It allows me to help my clients. Not only that, I have the luxury of not bringing my work home with me. I can only imagine the stories supers share.”
“That would drive me nuts.”
