However, he stepped aside and allowed me to exit the car. “Something you need, Rocket?”
“I don’t like you, Crushette,” he said as his arms unfolded so he could point at me. “I think that –”
“It’s Karen now. At least until I pick a new code name.”
“Whatever. The point is, I’m watching you. Everywhere you go, I’m going to have my eyes on you.”
I smiled and moved past him towards the hallway. “Even in the shower, Robert? That’s a little dirty, don’t you think?” I glanced back over my shoulder to see his face glowing a lovely shade of scarlet.
“That’s not what I mean and you know it!”
I laughed and walked away, feeling somewhat better than I had since leaving the warehouse. Nothing like a little banter to get your mind off things. When I got to the entertainment room, Alexis was sitting on one end of the sofa, swiping through a social network app on a tablet. Omega-Girl sat at the other end, watching some entertainment news program.
The teen smiled and hopped up, tucking the tablet under her arm. “You’re back.” Her enthusiasm was contagious and I grinned wider despite myself.
Omega-Girl rolled her eyes and changed the channel. “Way to state the obvious, Lexi.” Then she arched a perfectly plucked brow and nodded her head in the direction of the elevators. “I take it Robbie gave you his warning?”
I heard Rocket’s footsteps behind me and I continued to look at the blonde on the sofa as I nodded. “Yeah. Apparently he’s interested in watching me bathe.”
Alexis gasped and looked over my shoulder to her teammate. “Robert!”
“That’s not what I meant. She’s twisting my words around.”
I turned, keeping the smile on my face as I looked at Alexis. “Want to show me where I can put my stuff?” Then I glanced at Rocket. “I also want to check to make sure the lock on the bathroom door works.”
The teen giggled, covering her mouth with one hand and moved towards the dorms. “This way, Karen.”
As I left the room, I heard his protests to Omega-Girl. “That’s not what I meant.”
Phantasm stopped in front of number eight and looked back at me. “I guess this is your room now.” She tapped the panel next to the frame and the door slid open. As I’d seen in the teen’s room earlier, there was a computer workspace, a polished titanium dresser, a large wall monitor, and a separate bath. The bed, however, was a king-sized mattress supported by a reinforced dura-steel frame. I also noticed the ceiling was easily twelve feet high.
Alexis followed my gaze and then looked at me with a slight frown. “Denise would sometimes have nightmares. Stuff from before she joined the team. Lots of times she’d get big before she could wake up.”
I put my hand on her arm, giving it a careful squeeze. “I’m sorry, Alexis.”
The teen wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand and then waved at the room with the other. “Anyways, Greg said that it would be perfect for your use and I think he’s right. Besides, it’ll be nice to have a neighbor.”
“What do you mean? What about the other rooms?”
“Oh,” she said with a shrug. “Richard sleeps upstairs in the penthouse, Greg’s room is down near the briefing room, and Daniel doesn’t sleep.”
“Doesn’t sleep?”
Alexis nodded. “Yeah. Says his brain is too busy. He naps from time to time, I think. But most of the time he’s working in his lab.”
I wasn’t surprised. Martin never slept more than thirty minutes at a time for the same reason. “What about Rocket and Omega-Girl?”
“Robbie lives with his girlfriend a couple of blocks from here. And Darla … she used to be in Number Three.” She pointed back at the hallway. “But now she spends most of her nights with Richard.”
My mouth swung open all by itself. “You mean she and Captain Awesome?”
The teen waved her hands. “Let’s not talk about it, okay? They act like there’s nothing going on, but everyone already
“I don’t like you, Crushette,” he said as his arms unfolded so he could point at me. “I think that –”
“It’s Karen now. At least until I pick a new code name.”
“Whatever. The point is, I’m watching you. Everywhere you go, I’m going to have my eyes on you.”
I smiled and moved past him towards the hallway. “Even in the shower, Robert? That’s a little dirty, don’t you think?” I glanced back over my shoulder to see his face glowing a lovely shade of scarlet.
“That’s not what I mean and you know it!”
I laughed and walked away, feeling somewhat better than I had since leaving the warehouse. Nothing like a little banter to get your mind off things. When I got to the entertainment room, Alexis was sitting on one end of the sofa, swiping through a social network app on a tablet. Omega-Girl sat at the other end, watching some entertainment news program.
The teen smiled and hopped up, tucking the tablet under her arm. “You’re back.” Her enthusiasm was contagious and I grinned wider despite myself.
Omega-Girl rolled her eyes and changed the channel. “Way to state the obvious, Lexi.” Then she arched a perfectly plucked brow and nodded her head in the direction of the elevators. “I take it Robbie gave you his warning?”
I heard Rocket’s footsteps behind me and I continued to look at the blonde on the sofa as I nodded. “Yeah. Apparently he’s interested in watching me bathe.”
Alexis gasped and looked over my shoulder to her teammate. “Robert!”
“That’s not what I meant. She’s twisting my words around.”
I turned, keeping the smile on my face as I looked at Alexis. “Want to show me where I can put my stuff?” Then I glanced at Rocket. “I also want to check to make sure the lock on the bathroom door works.”
The teen giggled, covering her mouth with one hand and moved towards the dorms. “This way, Karen.”
As I left the room, I heard his protests to Omega-Girl. “That’s not what I meant.”
Phantasm stopped in front of number eight and looked back at me. “I guess this is your room now.” She tapped the panel next to the frame and the door slid open. As I’d seen in the teen’s room earlier, there was a computer workspace, a polished titanium dresser, a large wall monitor, and a separate bath. The bed, however, was a king-sized mattress supported by a reinforced dura-steel frame. I also noticed the ceiling was easily twelve feet high.
Alexis followed my gaze and then looked at me with a slight frown. “Denise would sometimes have nightmares. Stuff from before she joined the team. Lots of times she’d get big before she could wake up.”
I put my hand on her arm, giving it a careful squeeze. “I’m sorry, Alexis.”
The teen wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand and then waved at the room with the other. “Anyways, Greg said that it would be perfect for your use and I think he’s right. Besides, it’ll be nice to have a neighbor.”
“What do you mean? What about the other rooms?”
“Oh,” she said with a shrug. “Richard sleeps upstairs in the penthouse, Greg’s room is down near the briefing room, and Daniel doesn’t sleep.”
“Doesn’t sleep?”
Alexis nodded. “Yeah. Says his brain is too busy. He naps from time to time, I think. But most of the time he’s working in his lab.”
I wasn’t surprised. Martin never slept more than thirty minutes at a time for the same reason. “What about Rocket and Omega-Girl?”
“Robbie lives with his girlfriend a couple of blocks from here. And Darla … she used to be in Number Three.” She pointed back at the hallway. “But now she spends most of her nights with Richard.”
My mouth swung open all by itself. “You mean she and Captain Awesome?”
The teen waved her hands. “Let’s not talk about it, okay? They act like there’s nothing going on, but everyone already
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