Page 18 of Bearing North
“Whew!” Orson settled back in his seat. “I was afraid you were kidnapping me.”
How did he keep making her laugh when she was trying to have serious conversations? “My people are going to want to know where we stand.”
“We can do it standing,” Orson said slyly. “Or lying down or on your back. Missionary style isn’t to be scoffed at.”
Alex gave a snort of laughter, quickly smothered. “That’s not what I meant. That’s the opposite of what I meant. Look, I don’t want any misunderstandings. What are we doing here?”
She wished the drive was longer, or she’d started this sooner, and was glad when they hit a red light.
“You’re my mate,” Orson said.
“Notthat.” Even if she was wildly curious aboutthat, too. “Professionally. Snafu—Grizzly Protective Services is your business now. Where does that leave me?”
Alex glanced from watching the light to see him gazing at her, instead of out the window.
“Did you think I’d fire you? Is that why you put on that ridiculous act?”
Alex was silent, letting him draw his own conclusions, and the car behind them honked when the light changed.
She pulled through the intersection. The car behind them zipped impatiently around, and the driver flipped her off, but Alex refused to speed.
“Maybe I will fire you,” Orson joked. “Fire you up, I mean…”
“Quit fucking clowning around!” Alex snapped. Crap. That was too strong. She needed to back down. “Tee hee hee.”
“Don’t do that,” Orson said grimly.
Alex glanced at him, confused, as she switched lanes to pass a painfully slow semi. Was he calling her out for yelling at him?
“Don’t giggle like that,” he clarified. “It’s awful. You’re terrible at it. I’ll stop joking forever if you promise never to do that.”
Alex didn’t actually want him to stop joking. But she was happy never to giggle again. “I’m sorry I yelled,” she said flatly.
“You callthatyelling?” Orson scoffed. “Any one of my brothers could yell you under a bus.”
“I’ll have to appeal to them for lessons,” she said dryly.
“Anyway, I owe you answers. I didn’t think about how uncertain you must feel about your position.”
“I’m not—” But he was right. Alex was uncertain. And that never brought out the best in her. “Fuck. Look, I don’t want to give up my job. And I’m good at it. If I left, half the staff would quit with me, and you’d be screwed.”
Orson grinned at me. “I’m happy to be screwed byyou…”
“Are you going to makeeverythinga joke?” Alex demanded, chuckling despite herself.
“Ah, dammit. I already forgot my promise. Please don’t giggle.”
Alex did laugh, a shout of it, because what else could she do? “This is your new Fairbanks office,” she said, pulling up in front of the building. “Please don’t embarrass yourself.”
“Aren’t you more worried about me embarrassingyou?” he teased.
But for some reason, she reallywasn’t.
15
ORSON
Orson was more nervous meeting the Fairbanks crew as himself than he had been with the Anchorage office trying to be New Orson, but he didn’t need to worry.
