Page 7 of (Mostly) Human Resources

She brushed a hand over her navy slacks. Could they use a good steam? Probably. Was there a coffee stain on her top hidden carefully behind a blazer? Sure. And maybe her hair was still desperately attempting to escape the ponytail she’d scraped it into, but at least shelookedlike she worked in an office rather than a museum.

“Isn’t it a bit early in the morning for you to be this judgmental?” Nic flashed her a knowing smile, and Alexys’s cheeks flushed.

Alexys tried to ignore the tone of his voice. Even thoughhearranged their meeting time, it was so like him to act inconvenienced.

“I don’t see why I can’t just email my proposal,” Alexys quipped.

“Indeed, what a pity our boss made you traipse all the way down to the dark and dusty halls of R&C,” he said sarcastically.

“They wouldn’t be quite so dusty if you left your cave to clean them every so often.”

“But that would requiresocializing.” He nudged his glasses further up his nose. The thick lenses amplified his gray eyes and made them even more striking. “Now, shall we make this as brief and painless as possible? You know how much us researchers dislike long meetings.”

Alexys smiled coolly at him. “Of course, Dyre. I wouldn’t want you to have to learn how to interact with other humans.”

“See, this is what I admire most about you, Keane. Your consideration for others.” They stared at each other for several moments, neither willing to concede to the other. He tilted his head, amused, and she bit her tongue.

There wasn’t a rivalry between their departments, per se, because rivalries were childish and ridiculous.

Obviously.

There was, however, a strong disagreement on whose part of the job was more important. Alexys believed the company couldn’t run without someone to manage the Wardens, and Nic (wrongfully) believed his monster research trumped everything else. Nic and his researchers never joined the monthly drinks or quarterly socials, and they never lingered in the cafeteria over lunch. In short, they kept to themselves, and it showed.

“So, do you wish to discuss the case?” he finally asked. “Or would you prefer to sit sullenly in my office until you get to go on lunch? That’s time theft, you know. The company frowns upon that sort of behavior.” Alexys rolled her eyes in response. She wouldn’t lower herself to his bar. Not first thing in the morning, at least.

She dropped the folder onto his desk and slid it toward him.

“In-field evaluations are ridiculous,” she said to fill the silence as he looked over her report. “But discussing them in-person like this?” She threw her hands up. “I don’t need to be hereorout in the field to demonstrate my ability to manage them. But …” Alexys dismissed the thought before she started ranting. She wouldn’t admit it to Nic, but it was easier for her to focus on her irritation at the company’s new process instead of her fear of going out into the field.

Both Natalie and Alexys’s mom had already heard more than enough about the whole thing, but her frustration still clung to the inside of her chest like a thick smog every time she thought about it. She’d never wanted to be out in the field. And never mind the factthat they’d performed Warden evaluations over the phone for years and never had any issues. It was yet another corporate “idea” that would torment her for the next few months—or at least until the reviews were complete. Then she could put all of this behind her and refocus her attention elsewhere.

“Hmm.” Nic flicked through her report stoically, which only compounded Alexys’s irritation.

She let him finish reading the file before she said, “I know Silver Giants aren’t usually a case worth investigating since there hasn’t been a verified sighting in decades, but I thought it would make a good test case as it still requires interacting with locals.”

“Why not put the Warden on another Black Dog case?” Nic asked. “There’s been a notable increase in sightings over the last two quarters.”

“Because I don’twantan actual case, just a test case to observe him. With a Black Dog, there’s a very high probability the sighting will be verified. Silver Giants, on the other hand, aren’t exactly running rampant through my District.” She squirmed under his intense gaze. “Look, I just need something safe and easy for the few days I’m going to be out there.”

Nic hummed, and Alexys took that to mean he agreed with what she’d said. He skimmed through the contents a second time while she waited, impatiently bouncing her knee.

“Can you finish the preliminary research and a recommended Plan of Action Report by next week?”

“Send me a copy of the file. I’ll send Kristin my approval, and I can have the research drafted for you by next Thursday.” He handed over the folder and turned toward his computer, effectively dismissing her from his office.

Alexys didn’t move. “I need it by Monday, actually. Or, at a push, first thing Tuesday morning. I’ll be conducting the evaluation from Wednesday evening.”

“Ah, then you should have come to me yesterday.”

“What?” she snapped. “We only arranged this meetingyesterday.If you’d known you’d need more time, you should have made the time to speak with me then.”

He didn’t look up from his screen. She could see him scrolling through a document, the blurry image reflected in his glasses.

“I’ll have it in your mailbox before you leave, fret not.”

Alexys inhaled slowly through her nose, closed her eyes, and then exhaled through her mouth. She was a professional in her place of work, and her job meant more to her than winning an argument with Nic. She rose to her feet.

“Thanks, as ever, for yourprecioustime,” Alexys mocked. Nic smirked.