Survey?”
“One of those conservation funds, at least in part, I think. Don’t recall which one.” He shook his head. “I see where you’re going. Although I might not particularly like Dr. Stickler, I don’t believe he would be involved in anything unethical.”
We chatted at length about think tanks and the potential impact of their findings on policy making and politicians. Matt was in no hurry to get back to the office. If he was OK with a long lunch break, who was I to argue with the boss.
It had been good to talk things out with Matt. I decided not to let Stickler bring me down. I was going to finish what I started and do it right.
I dove into my notes and the photocopied data from my visit to the Library, meticulously comparing the details with the information in Hilary’s files. The data was almost identical – except that the source info was more specific whereas the internet data had been rounded off. I’d have to update Stickler, preferably on Monday. Hopefully, by then he’d be in a better mood.
Chapter 20
The Metro was packed even more than usual that afternoon. I held on to a pole, with both my hand bag and the tote bag hanging over my other shoulder. With each new jostle of the crowd, the tote bag threatened to slip off my shoulder.
As I watched the clumps of people getting on and off, I spotted a familiar looking man with short hair at the far end of the car. I couldn’t place where I had seen him before, nevertheless I was relieved to see him get off a couple of stops before me.
I hadn’t signed up to help at Cutie Pie, but extra hands are always welcome. It had been a rough day and I needed a distraction. Besides, I knew that Bruce had signed up for Friday and a sexy distraction might be the perfect thing to brighten my day.
Evan, Bruce, and Stacey were all there when I arrived. Stacy was wearing a low cut sundress and matching jacket. I had never seen her in anything other than pants. If I’m not mistaken, she had applied blush and eyeliner as well.
Stacey was surprised to see me. “Adina, what are you doing here? You’re not on the schedule.”
I bit my tongue before pointing out that she wasn’t either. Instead I replied, “I had a crappy day and no plans. Just wanted to visit with the dogs. I didn’t know I needed your permission.”
Stacey was clearly stunned by my surly response. She mumbled a quick “of course not” and slipped out the door with one of the dogs.
I let myself into the lab’s enclosure and sat on the floor. Brandy was happy to place his head in my lap while I rubbed his belly. When I asked if he wanted to go for a walk, he sprung to attention.
Stacey was coming in when we went out. I managed a weak smile and apologized for snapping at her.
I had been outside for only a few minutes when Bruce came out with both of the beagles.
“Better you than me.” I kept a cautious distance from the beagle brats. The last thing I wanted was to fall down again in front of this guy.
He hesitated before speaking. “Adina, I realize we don’t know each other very well. But you seem pretty upset about something. If you want to talk, I can be a pretty good listener.”
“Thanks for the offer. I’m OK now. It’s just some work-related stuff. I was still keyed up when I got here. I shouldn’t have spoken to Stacey like that. She didn’t deserve to take the brunt of my frustrations.”
“So exactly what kind of high-stress job do you have?”
“Actually, my job is pretty mundane. I work as an administrative assistant at a think tank. Even so, once in a while, the office politics can get to you. Nothing world shattering.”
The beagles were full of energy, bouncing all over the place. I noticed that Bruce kept his feet close together to keep the dogs from dashing between them, adeptly preventing the leashes from getting tangled. Smart move.
“Enough about me. What do you do when you aren’t walking dogs?”
“I’m a physiotherapist. I work at a
“One of those conservation funds, at least in part, I think. Don’t recall which one.” He shook his head. “I see where you’re going. Although I might not particularly like Dr. Stickler, I don’t believe he would be involved in anything unethical.”
We chatted at length about think tanks and the potential impact of their findings on policy making and politicians. Matt was in no hurry to get back to the office. If he was OK with a long lunch break, who was I to argue with the boss.
It had been good to talk things out with Matt. I decided not to let Stickler bring me down. I was going to finish what I started and do it right.
I dove into my notes and the photocopied data from my visit to the Library, meticulously comparing the details with the information in Hilary’s files. The data was almost identical – except that the source info was more specific whereas the internet data had been rounded off. I’d have to update Stickler, preferably on Monday. Hopefully, by then he’d be in a better mood.
Chapter 20
The Metro was packed even more than usual that afternoon. I held on to a pole, with both my hand bag and the tote bag hanging over my other shoulder. With each new jostle of the crowd, the tote bag threatened to slip off my shoulder.
As I watched the clumps of people getting on and off, I spotted a familiar looking man with short hair at the far end of the car. I couldn’t place where I had seen him before, nevertheless I was relieved to see him get off a couple of stops before me.
I hadn’t signed up to help at Cutie Pie, but extra hands are always welcome. It had been a rough day and I needed a distraction. Besides, I knew that Bruce had signed up for Friday and a sexy distraction might be the perfect thing to brighten my day.
Evan, Bruce, and Stacey were all there when I arrived. Stacy was wearing a low cut sundress and matching jacket. I had never seen her in anything other than pants. If I’m not mistaken, she had applied blush and eyeliner as well.
Stacey was surprised to see me. “Adina, what are you doing here? You’re not on the schedule.”
I bit my tongue before pointing out that she wasn’t either. Instead I replied, “I had a crappy day and no plans. Just wanted to visit with the dogs. I didn’t know I needed your permission.”
Stacey was clearly stunned by my surly response. She mumbled a quick “of course not” and slipped out the door with one of the dogs.
I let myself into the lab’s enclosure and sat on the floor. Brandy was happy to place his head in my lap while I rubbed his belly. When I asked if he wanted to go for a walk, he sprung to attention.
Stacey was coming in when we went out. I managed a weak smile and apologized for snapping at her.
I had been outside for only a few minutes when Bruce came out with both of the beagles.
“Better you than me.” I kept a cautious distance from the beagle brats. The last thing I wanted was to fall down again in front of this guy.
He hesitated before speaking. “Adina, I realize we don’t know each other very well. But you seem pretty upset about something. If you want to talk, I can be a pretty good listener.”
“Thanks for the offer. I’m OK now. It’s just some work-related stuff. I was still keyed up when I got here. I shouldn’t have spoken to Stacey like that. She didn’t deserve to take the brunt of my frustrations.”
“So exactly what kind of high-stress job do you have?”
“Actually, my job is pretty mundane. I work as an administrative assistant at a think tank. Even so, once in a while, the office politics can get to you. Nothing world shattering.”
The beagles were full of energy, bouncing all over the place. I noticed that Bruce kept his feet close together to keep the dogs from dashing between them, adeptly preventing the leashes from getting tangled. Smart move.
“Enough about me. What do you do when you aren’t walking dogs?”
“I’m a physiotherapist. I work at a
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