Page 6 of (Mostly) Human Resources

She glared at him. “You’ve memorized the employee handbook?”

“Indeed. It’s all up here.” He tapped his head and smiled.

Alexys looked helplessly at Kristin, as if she might somehow make him disappear

“Schedule your meetings, if you haven’t already,” Kristin said, pursing her lips. “You’re expected to have your first round of in-person evaluations completed by the end of next month.” There were groans of acknowledgment from her peers. Alexys shut her laptop and gathered her papers with a bit more force than was necessary. She shot Natalie a knowing look and waved Kristin off.

Nic waited by the door expectantly, absently twirling a pen in his left hand. He was fully aware she needed to catch him, much to her own annoyance, since she wasclearlyone of the few team leads who hadn’t pinned him down yet.

At the sight of her, he tucked the pen behind his left ear, pressing down a thick curl.

Stupid pen. Stupid curl.

“Keane,” he said politely, reminding her that no one was worthy of being on a first name basis with him.

“Dyre,” she spat. “When are you free?”

He smiled, tilting his head down to meet her face. As his gray eyes wandered over her features, she fought theincrediblyirritating urge to make sure her auburn hair was still in a tidy bun.

“Hmm.” He checked his watch. “Tomorrow morning. Say, nine o’clock?”

“Fine,” Alexys snapped before brushing past him.

“Oh, and Keane?” he called after her. She resisted the urge to ignore him and spun on her heel, fists balled.

“Yes?”

“You have a bit of cookie on your chin.”

CHAPTER 3

“We understand the necessity of, and encourage the fostering of, a healthy work-life balance. Respect for scheduled work hours and healthy work boundaries are crucial for developing a positive work environment. When our employees thrive, our company thrives.”

Entity Employee Handbook: HR Edition

Research and Cataloging was located in Entity’s basement, two floors beneath Human Resources. Half of the offices were filled with filing cabinets, each one chock-full of the company’s extensive research on monsters, ghouls, and everything in-between. Alexys stopped to breathe it in: old paper and something vaguely medicinal. No one ever seemed to be down there, and yet, she knew there were dozens of researchers tucked away in dark corners, and hunched over desks, writing their reports and reading their books.

The company of paperwork was a silent one.

Alexys had originally wanted to work in R&C when she first applied for a job at Entity, but it was a notoriously difficult department to break into—with impressively low turnover. HR had been her second choice, and it was still a decent enough job, but shealways felt a pinprick of jealousy every time she stepped out of the elevator. Not a single phone in sight.

She took a moment to smooth out the wrinkles in her blouse before making a beeline for the Archives. R&C was a labyrinth of winding corridors and outdated carpet, but it did have well-stocked vending machines offering a variety of sugary snacks and energy drinks. A stark contrast to the healthy options made available to HR staff.

Oh, to be a researcher.

When Alexys reached the door labeled “Nic Dyre,” she took a deep breath and knocked twice.

“Come in.”

Alexys turned the handle and pushed the door open, with perhaps too much force, stepping into Nic’s cluttered office. Everywhere she looked were stacks of books or loose papers. It was insanely chaotic. How he worked in such a state was beyond her.

He beckoned her in, preoccupied by something on his computer.

“Good morning, Dyre.” Alexys had to move a few books and an empty mug from the chair before she could sit down. She forced a smile and carefully slid a stack of books and papers out of her way with the toe of her shoe. No matter how many times colleagues criticized his lack of organization, the man refused to change.

He lifted his index finger as if to sayI’ll be with you in a moment,and Alexys clucked her tongue in response. She counted the number of empty candy bar wrappers on his desk, the dozens of old conference flyers tacked to the walls. She regarded the candle that was burning next to his computer warily. Its wax giving off a strong earthy scent, felt apt given its name, “monster hunter.” Alexys faintly recognized it from the last office Christmas party—a gag gift, obviously. She wasn’t entirely surprised to find that Nic had not only kept it but was also burning it in his office, despite the obvious fire hazard. Health and Safety would have a field day in here.

She slid her gaze from his impossibly cluttered desk to him, and she barely suppressed a snort at the sight of yet another sweater vest and perfectly pressed tie. Surely his closet had to win some sort of Guinness World Record for largest collection of librarian attire. But she supposed they suited him. If you looked up the word “researcher” in a dictionary, she was certain you’d find Nic Dyre’s photo next to it. His mop of dark curls was on the very edge of tamed, and his confidence hinted at the vast collection of knowledge he kept secreted away, ready to be used against her at a moment’s notice. A confidence that crossed the border into arrogance more often than not.