“Not unless you’re a cobbler.” I forced a smile, taking off my other shoe and putting both into my bag. I’d get the damn coffees barefoot and then pull out the emergency flats I kept in my desk for just such an occasion. Heels did wonders for my height issues, but they were also prone to cracking far more than they should have, which was at least half the reason for the massive array of heels that I wore daily. Of stinking course , the one I’d just broken was one of the expensive ones. Of course.
“Sorry, that isn’t among my talent’s .” He nodded and headed for the outside doors, moving with the grace of a big cat, smooth and deadly. Why had I thought that? He’d been nothing but nice. Not deadly at all.
I appreciated the retreating view for a moment, then took the ten steps to the cafe next to the elevators. At least I didn’t have to leave the building.
The barista, someone different from a few hours ago at my failed breakfast date, glanced at my feet, then met my eyes and smiled brightly. “How can I help you?”
Smart woman. I wouldn’t have been surprised if she’d known exactly what the problem was, and had probably gone through it herself at least once in her life. “I’d like a chai latte, a cold brew, a macchiato, and an espresso to go.”
Five minutes later, pastry display successfully resisted and order in hand, I ignored all glances at my feet as I headed back up. When I walked in, Jane stared at me with one eyebrow up.
"Oh, stop. I don’t need it from you, too. Elevator accident. Could you take the coffees to Trevor and Yolande while I get new shoes on?”
She tried not to giggle as she took the drinks from my hand, but her gaze kept darting downward, toward my feet. “Of course. I’m so sorry, they were Louboutins, weren’t they?”
Not the time to cry. “Yes. Yes, they were. I’m pretty sure I’m going to buy a plot and bury them in it.” My smile might have been a bit feral as I made the joke.
June made calming sounds as she walked around her desk. “I’ll take care of this.”
Flats didn’t go with the maxi dress, but barefoot was too earth-goddess-y and also not legal in most places. Also, they were black, and the dress was white. It wasn’t as if I had a pair of emergency flats in every color, although I was tempted to change that now. Oh, well.
Deal with it, Andromeda. First world problem.
Pushing my serious-but-not-serious problem out of my mind, I opened the NDA. It specified I couldn’t reveal any personal information about the client(s) ever. That was pretty standard. Couldn’t reveal what the clients wanted. Or pretty much anything. It said this all without telling me who the clientswere.
So how was I supposed to research them again?
No-go. Franklin could stew.
I pushed back from the desk and my coffee fell on its side, soaking me before I could jerk out of the way. I yanked back, peeling the material of my sundress away from my skin before it could go from pleasantly warm to the inside of a volcano. What the actual eff? I wasn’t normally this clumsy or inept! What was happening?
A sign. This was all the universe telling me I was done with today. I had personal time to burn, and I was going to use it. Todayandtomorrow. Then a single day at work before the weekend.
Three emails later, I changed into the casual outfit I stored in the office. People had said I was paranoid for having changes of clothes and shoes, but who wasn’t wearing a coffee-stained white dress and broken shoes now? Me, that’s who! …and walked out of the office, waving at Jane as I went.
My phone buzzed on the way to the elevator, and I glanced at it.
Cathy, an old friend who’d ended her most recent relationship a few months ago. We traded ice cream and wine meetings.
How’s your day?
I typed as I stepped onto the elevator, no worries about heels getting stuck when the heels were flats. Ha.Sucky.
Wanna split a bottle at your place this eve? I’ll bring food. Boss is being a jerk.
I laughed under my breath. Cathy was self-employed, an artist. She was her own boss.
Sure!
Finally the day was looking up.
2
BRAN
Reynard slappedhis palm in the center of the circle that controlled his vehicle, and I winced in anticipation. The strange vehicle emitted a noise like a braying donkey, only louder and more unpleasant.
The seething number of similar machines packed together like a mass of iron cattle all made those sounds along this enormous roadway.
