Page 25 of Beginning at the End
“Nope.”
He grinned.“Good.See you tomorrow for dinner or paperwork.”
“Oh, surprise me.”
He laughed and waited until she was in her building behind the security doors, and then he returned to his car.
Eudora was still smiling when she reached her apartment and went inside.Another day gone, but she had gotten a lot done.The garment bag was hung on the inside of the closet door.Paranoia made her make sure the dress was hers and not Fen’s.When that was confirmed, she breathed easier.
In an unusual move, she got ready for bed and set her alarm on her slick new phone.
She thought of Sern and smiled again.He was giving her a gift she hadn’t anticipated.He was giving her herself back.
The next morning, she sat at her desk, gnawing on a bagel and sipping some coffee.The exercise videos were ready, and so was Eudora.Headphones went on, and the world went away.This was her favourite thing.
The smell of a burger caught her attention, and she turned her head to see Den grinning with a paper bag bearing a familiar logo and a set of drinks.
“Lunch, Eudora.Come on.”
She blinked blearily at him.“Lunch?”
He gently took her headphones off and set them on the desk, then saved and locked her computer terminal.
“Sern has entrusted me with making sure you eat.He knows you want to finish this project, and to do that, you need fuel.Come on.”
She stood up and blinked, scrubbing her hands over her face.“You are not the boss of me.”
He chuckled and escorted her to the break room.“No, but my brother is interested in running for the position.”
Eudora snapped to attention.“What?”
“Don’t worry.He’s not in a rush.He genuinely likes you.”
She blinked.“Oh.”
“Yeah, come on, eat and get back to the video.The bit I saw over your shoulder looked like a lot of fun.Where did you get the idea?”
“I saw a woman reaching into a car and grabbing a bag of groceries and then reaching back for a toddler.She stood, straightened her back, and that is the same move I do before I powerlift.That got a ripple going in my brain.”
She snorted and took the food he offered.
She ate, focusing on not cramming food into her face.A steady, measured pace.
“So, when do you head to the gym next?”
“Friday night, if I get everything done early, and I think I might.I got nearly a minute done today.”
“Who is the runner?”
“Serena.She’s done footage for commercials before and has her own equipment.Also, she likes running.How was lunch with Fen?”
“Informative.I grilled her for information on you.”
She paused.“I had not considered that a possibility.”
“She is lovely, but not for me.I am betting that if I stay near you, my mate will appear.”
“So, you are looking for a certain something?”
