much research she could read.
Still, Zane’s role as her manager didn’t seem as if it
precluded a different kind of relationship. Not a serious one, of course: Akira
didn’t do serious. Not when even her casual relationships burned out fast. It
was amazing how quickly guys could move on when they found out she could see
ghosts, or thought she could.
But Zane already knew about the ghosts. And oh, he was cute.
Those blue eyes, the grin, the muscles, the lean hands . . . she really liked
his hands. She’d spent more than a pleasant minute or two imagining them touching
her.
“Are you flirting with my uncle?”
Akira hit the send button. Then she looked at Dillon, who had
crossed his arms and was frowning at her. “Got a problem with that?” she asked.
She might be sharing her life with ghosts these days, but she was not going to
let them think they could push her around. She might have wimped out on sending
that text, but not if Dillon disapproved.
He uncrossed his arms. “I guess not.” He shrugged. “But, um .
. . my uncle’s kind of . . . well, he’s had a lot of girlfriends.”
Ah. Dillon wasn’t warning her off, he was worrying about her.
That was unexpectedly sweet. He was a bit of a worrier, though. He warned her
about how fast she drove, the preservatives in her food, emissions from her
cell phone. Akira had never asked him about his death, because it wasn’t always
a safe topic with ghosts, but she did wonder how such a cautious kid had wound
up overdosing. Maybe he’d been more of a risk-taker before he died.
“Thank you,” she answered, before smiling at him. “Don’t
worry, I’m not a happy-ever-after type. I won’t start any great romantic
fantasies about him.”
Her phone shivered in her hand. She looked down. Wish I
could. Trapped in meetings .
Darn. The pang of disappointment she felt was too strong.
Casual flirtation, she reminded herself. That’s all she was doing. Nothing to
feel disappointed about.
Need to see you, though. My office, 4PM.
Hmm, that sounded almost formal. Need, not want? Akira
wondered. Suddenly that little glimmer of anticipation was gone, replaced by a
twinge of anxiety. OK , she typed. Should she ask what about?
See you then. His reply came too fast, and sounded too final. With a frown,
Akira slid her phone back into her bag. She and Dillon would just have to lunch
alone.
And while she ate, Dillon could fill her in on Zane’s past
girlfriends.
***
“Nothing.”
It was 4:02 PM, and Akira was standing in the
doorway of Zane’s office, unsure whether to interrupt. Grace was perched on the
edge of his desk, her back to the door, blocking Zane from view.
“Try again,” Grace ordered.
“Grace, nothing means nothing.” Zane sounded both
resigned and impatient.
Grace sighed and stood, tucking a piece of paper,
maybe a photograph, Akira thought, into a file folder. “Do you want her to come
here or do you want to go there?”
“Neither.”
“Lucas took the job, Zane. It’s done. You just
have to do it.”
“Or not,” Zane grumbled, before adding, “Talk to
them, tell them how unlikely it is that I can help. If they still want me, I’ll
fly up there tomorrow. And tell Lucas that his next job is going to be in
Antarctica.”
Grace reached over and rumpled his hair, saying
with a smile, “Lucas would love to go to Antarctica, sweetie. You’re going to
do have to do better than that.”
Zane pulled away from her. “I hate jobs like
this, Grace. Tell Lucas—oh, hey, Akira.” His motion had been enough to bring
him into her line of view. Akira gave him a tentative smile.
Grace glanced over her shoulder, spotting Akira,
and immediately turned and crossed toward the doorway. “I’ll let you know, but
you know they’re going to want to see you. Hi, Akira.”
Akira dipped her chin, acknowledging Grace’s
greeting, but feeling awkward about having interrupted them. “If you’re busy, I
can come back later,” she
Still, Zane’s role as her manager didn’t seem as if it
precluded a different kind of relationship. Not a serious one, of course: Akira
didn’t do serious. Not when even her casual relationships burned out fast. It
was amazing how quickly guys could move on when they found out she could see
ghosts, or thought she could.
But Zane already knew about the ghosts. And oh, he was cute.
Those blue eyes, the grin, the muscles, the lean hands . . . she really liked
his hands. She’d spent more than a pleasant minute or two imagining them touching
her.
“Are you flirting with my uncle?”
Akira hit the send button. Then she looked at Dillon, who had
crossed his arms and was frowning at her. “Got a problem with that?” she asked.
She might be sharing her life with ghosts these days, but she was not going to
let them think they could push her around. She might have wimped out on sending
that text, but not if Dillon disapproved.
He uncrossed his arms. “I guess not.” He shrugged. “But, um .
. . my uncle’s kind of . . . well, he’s had a lot of girlfriends.”
Ah. Dillon wasn’t warning her off, he was worrying about her.
That was unexpectedly sweet. He was a bit of a worrier, though. He warned her
about how fast she drove, the preservatives in her food, emissions from her
cell phone. Akira had never asked him about his death, because it wasn’t always
a safe topic with ghosts, but she did wonder how such a cautious kid had wound
up overdosing. Maybe he’d been more of a risk-taker before he died.
“Thank you,” she answered, before smiling at him. “Don’t
worry, I’m not a happy-ever-after type. I won’t start any great romantic
fantasies about him.”
Her phone shivered in her hand. She looked down. Wish I
could. Trapped in meetings .
Darn. The pang of disappointment she felt was too strong.
Casual flirtation, she reminded herself. That’s all she was doing. Nothing to
feel disappointed about.
Need to see you, though. My office, 4PM.
Hmm, that sounded almost formal. Need, not want? Akira
wondered. Suddenly that little glimmer of anticipation was gone, replaced by a
twinge of anxiety. OK , she typed. Should she ask what about?
See you then. His reply came too fast, and sounded too final. With a frown,
Akira slid her phone back into her bag. She and Dillon would just have to lunch
alone.
And while she ate, Dillon could fill her in on Zane’s past
girlfriends.
***
“Nothing.”
It was 4:02 PM, and Akira was standing in the
doorway of Zane’s office, unsure whether to interrupt. Grace was perched on the
edge of his desk, her back to the door, blocking Zane from view.
“Try again,” Grace ordered.
“Grace, nothing means nothing.” Zane sounded both
resigned and impatient.
Grace sighed and stood, tucking a piece of paper,
maybe a photograph, Akira thought, into a file folder. “Do you want her to come
here or do you want to go there?”
“Neither.”
“Lucas took the job, Zane. It’s done. You just
have to do it.”
“Or not,” Zane grumbled, before adding, “Talk to
them, tell them how unlikely it is that I can help. If they still want me, I’ll
fly up there tomorrow. And tell Lucas that his next job is going to be in
Antarctica.”
Grace reached over and rumpled his hair, saying
with a smile, “Lucas would love to go to Antarctica, sweetie. You’re going to
do have to do better than that.”
Zane pulled away from her. “I hate jobs like
this, Grace. Tell Lucas—oh, hey, Akira.” His motion had been enough to bring
him into her line of view. Akira gave him a tentative smile.
Grace glanced over her shoulder, spotting Akira,
and immediately turned and crossed toward the doorway. “I’ll let you know, but
you know they’re going to want to see you. Hi, Akira.”
Akira dipped her chin, acknowledging Grace’s
greeting, but feeling awkward about having interrupted them. “If you’re busy, I
can come back later,” she
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