Page 25 of Seductive Architect
“What are you wearing?”
I had barely opened the door to our suite when Janet accosted me from behind the reception desk. She referred to it as her kingdom and often called the guys her peons. There was no point in fighting that battle.
“What? I’m dressed like usual.”
She waved me over to her desk. Bitter that the renovations took away her office with areception window, she retaliated. She wheeled her office chair into the parking lot and set it on fire. Along the wall behind her, she installed shelves, and over the months, the troll dolls had multiplied. Every time Wyatt sped by, their hair whipped to the side.
Standing, she pointed. “I mean, what’s that?”
I looked down. Black t-shirt with the symbol of the Cybele Cult in shimmering silver. “A t-shirt?”
“It doesn’t have anything telling people to shove a random item into an orifice.”
True. It was about as close to formal as I’d ever get. “I toned it down today.”
“For him?” Janet didn’t have a modicum of subtlety in her body. “Is somebody trying to impress?”
I set my frappe down on the desk and held up her placard. Turning it about, I pointed. “Really? Empress of Operations? Do you even know what we do around here?”
“I know you came into work—” She checked her watch. “—thirteen minutes late. I know Wyatt has been putting his chocolate habit on the company expense account. Drew has… I don’t have any dirt on him yet.” She leaned back, crossing her arms. “By my calculations, we’re running at a pitiful fifty-six-point-seven percent efficiency.”
She had no idea what the title meant. “That’s not operations, that’s blackmail.”
Reaching out, Janet flicked the placard, knocking the title onto the desk. When I turned it around, the next oneread, “Spiller of Secrets.” Okay, that I could believe. I set it down, bumping into one of her trolls.
“Whoa now. I do not condone violence against trolls.”
She grabbed the little naked man, giving him a quick shake. Her fingers rubbed the jewel in his belly button as she blew his hair. Done with the luck ritual, she moved all the items on her desk back into place. Her eyes fell on my drink, then back to me.
“Ahem.”
I lifted my drink, slurping the frothy contents. She produced a handkerchief, wiping down the counter. “Come in here and trash my office like you own the place. Do I come into your office and destroy it?”
“Yes! Yes, you do! Remember the Cinco De Mayo party? I’m still finding tiny bottles of tequila.”
“You’re welcome.”
With most people, I couldn’t interpret the difference between their expression and meaning. People had a tendency to not mean what they say. I understood rhetoric and sarcasm, but it gave me empathy for Wyatt. He struggled with both. Then there was Janet, who said whatever came to mind. I rarely had to interpret her words or her intentions. I simply couldn’t understand the chaos in her skull.
“You didn’t answer my question.” I’d describe her as relentless. “Is this costume change for a special somebody?If I check, are you going to be wearing clean underoos, too?”
“Has anybody told you?—”
“I’m beautiful?”
“Insufferable.”
“You’d suffer under the weight of being this awesome.”
She shook her head, blonde curls flying about before she gave her best model pose. I bet if I asked, she’d have a story about a time she walked the runway in Milan. It wouldn’t stop there. By the end, she’d have somehow saved at least one prince and stopped a terrorist from destroying the Vatican. The majority would be true, but we’d never know which part.
“As much fun as our morning chats are?—”
“Fun? I hate to tell you, good buddy, but you’re exasperating.”
Ignored. “I need to meet with the better-looking Coven.” I glared back as her eyes narrowed. Try as she might, she still hadn’t acquired laser beams.
“We both know that’s a lie.”
