Savannah’s desk.
“There you are,” Bath said, rushing over to me. “Where have you been? We’ve been worried sick.”
I glanced at my pink rhinestone-encrusted watch. “I’m five minutes early?”
“For your shift, yes. But what about the last two days?”
Last two days? “What do you mean? I was here with Savannah at work last night.”
Bath shook her head, looking frustrated. “Savannah’s been out sick for the past two nights, and you were a no-show. I had to call Beau to get him to send someone over to help out. Everett volunteered, but he’s still learning the systems. Marie held down the fort last night.”
My eyes widened. Two days? “No way. I swear, I was here. With Savannah. It was just last night . . .”
Hugh leaned closer to me, his breath whispering in my ear. “Do you recall our conversation about time?”
I thought for a moment, distracted by his nearness, which was making my monster flicker under my skin. Time? The only time we’d talked about time was when . . .
Oh, no. When we’d talked about time, he’d said that it passed differently in the fae realm. And I’d unthinkingly demanded that he take me to see the primordials, never realizing that spending an hour there meant losing days here. “Two days?” I asked Bath again. Marie had mentioned that I’d been MIA for two days, but I thought she’d been griping that I was ignoring her. I didn’t realize she’d actually meant two days had completely gone past.
“Two days,” she repeated, the worry in her voice taking the snap of annoyance out. “I was about to call the police.”
“I’m so sorry,” I said lamely. “I guess I just . . . lost track of time.”
“I see,” Bath said primly, her gaze going to Hugh. She took him in, and her head tilted. “Is . . . excuse me, sir. Are you a shifter?”
“I am a primordial—”
“He’s a were-tiger,” I interrupted quickly. “From out of town.”
“One of Vic’s?” She looked over at me, her expression chilly. “Are you dating a client after all the agency’s been through the last few months?”
“No,” I said in a high, fake laugh. “Don’t be silly.” No one had to remind me of the chaos that had disrupted our small office when Marie had been caught dating vampires. It had nearly started World War Three between the shifters and vampires, and Bath was still sensitive that her agency had been used as the vehicle for the illegal dating. “Nothing like that at all. Hugh here is not local and he’s not good at meeting girls, so I said I’d take him under my wing for a few days and show him how to flirt. I hope that’s okay?”
She nodded absently, glancing over at Everett, who had a phone to his ear and was typing. “It’s good that you’re here,” she murmured. “You can handle the Speed Dating meet-up tonight at Konstantine’s. I was worried we’d have to reschedule.”
Oh, rats. I normally ran the speed dating matches, but tonight wasn’t great for me. For one, I had Hugh tagging along at my heels. “I’m not sure . . .”
“You said you want to date the harpy?” Everett was saying into the phone, a look of consternation on his face. “No, no, I don’t know if she’ll do that, sir. What she does in her personal life is up to her.” He shot Bathsheba a “help me” look.
“Oh, dear,” Bath said, hurrying back over to Everett’s desk. “I’d better help out. Glad you’re back, Ryder.”
“Sure,” I echoed, heading over to my desk. I set down my purse and turned on my computer, watching as Hugh took a standing stance next to my desk, since the stool had been moved. Bath was giving him an odd look as she pointed out things over Everett’s shoulder. “Hugh,” I whispered as I logged in to my computer. “We need to set up your profile. Can you write?”
“Write?”
“I’m going to guess that’s a no. Okay, I’ll help you, then.” I pulled out a piece of paper and one of my pink, glittery pens,
“There you are,” Bath said, rushing over to me. “Where have you been? We’ve been worried sick.”
I glanced at my pink rhinestone-encrusted watch. “I’m five minutes early?”
“For your shift, yes. But what about the last two days?”
Last two days? “What do you mean? I was here with Savannah at work last night.”
Bath shook her head, looking frustrated. “Savannah’s been out sick for the past two nights, and you were a no-show. I had to call Beau to get him to send someone over to help out. Everett volunteered, but he’s still learning the systems. Marie held down the fort last night.”
My eyes widened. Two days? “No way. I swear, I was here. With Savannah. It was just last night . . .”
Hugh leaned closer to me, his breath whispering in my ear. “Do you recall our conversation about time?”
I thought for a moment, distracted by his nearness, which was making my monster flicker under my skin. Time? The only time we’d talked about time was when . . .
Oh, no. When we’d talked about time, he’d said that it passed differently in the fae realm. And I’d unthinkingly demanded that he take me to see the primordials, never realizing that spending an hour there meant losing days here. “Two days?” I asked Bath again. Marie had mentioned that I’d been MIA for two days, but I thought she’d been griping that I was ignoring her. I didn’t realize she’d actually meant two days had completely gone past.
“Two days,” she repeated, the worry in her voice taking the snap of annoyance out. “I was about to call the police.”
“I’m so sorry,” I said lamely. “I guess I just . . . lost track of time.”
“I see,” Bath said primly, her gaze going to Hugh. She took him in, and her head tilted. “Is . . . excuse me, sir. Are you a shifter?”
“I am a primordial—”
“He’s a were-tiger,” I interrupted quickly. “From out of town.”
“One of Vic’s?” She looked over at me, her expression chilly. “Are you dating a client after all the agency’s been through the last few months?”
“No,” I said in a high, fake laugh. “Don’t be silly.” No one had to remind me of the chaos that had disrupted our small office when Marie had been caught dating vampires. It had nearly started World War Three between the shifters and vampires, and Bath was still sensitive that her agency had been used as the vehicle for the illegal dating. “Nothing like that at all. Hugh here is not local and he’s not good at meeting girls, so I said I’d take him under my wing for a few days and show him how to flirt. I hope that’s okay?”
She nodded absently, glancing over at Everett, who had a phone to his ear and was typing. “It’s good that you’re here,” she murmured. “You can handle the Speed Dating meet-up tonight at Konstantine’s. I was worried we’d have to reschedule.”
Oh, rats. I normally ran the speed dating matches, but tonight wasn’t great for me. For one, I had Hugh tagging along at my heels. “I’m not sure . . .”
“You said you want to date the harpy?” Everett was saying into the phone, a look of consternation on his face. “No, no, I don’t know if she’ll do that, sir. What she does in her personal life is up to her.” He shot Bathsheba a “help me” look.
“Oh, dear,” Bath said, hurrying back over to Everett’s desk. “I’d better help out. Glad you’re back, Ryder.”
“Sure,” I echoed, heading over to my desk. I set down my purse and turned on my computer, watching as Hugh took a standing stance next to my desk, since the stool had been moved. Bath was giving him an odd look as she pointed out things over Everett’s shoulder. “Hugh,” I whispered as I logged in to my computer. “We need to set up your profile. Can you write?”
“Write?”
“I’m going to guess that’s a no. Okay, I’ll help you, then.” I pulled out a piece of paper and one of my pink, glittery pens,
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