My head tilted, and I smiled as she rubbed her temples, making me wonder whether she needed more of the tea I’d brought her.
“See something you like?”
Jaz’s voice behind me caused me to drop the folder of papers I’d brought as a prop, my body jolting forward. I may have yelped like a little girl.
“Where did you come from?” I hissed, stooping to pick up the mess I’d made. The woman was barely five feet tall and wore heels that added another six inches, yet she apparently had cat-like abilities.
My heart was still in my throat when I stood to my full height, turned, and looked at her.
“Don’t answer my question with a question, science boy. Why are you creeping around my boss’s office?” she asked, her hands on her hips.
“I was waiting to see if she was available. I just happened to be passing by and thought I’d check.”
“Ehhhh,” she said loudly, her voice imitating a buzzer. “Try again. That’s the fifth time you’ve “happened” to pass by. Why don’t you email her and get on her schedule like everyone else?”
My mouth opened, but nothing came out. She was so intimidating that I had been rendered speechless.
“Niko? Did you need something?” I swung around when I heard Leyla speak from her now-open office door.
Looking between the two women, I took a deep breath and said, “Yes, yes. I was wondering if you had a minute.”
Leyla looked at Jaz, who was chuckling as she sat at her desk, then back at me. “Okay, I’ve got about ten minutes. Come in.”
I followed her in, and when I shut the glass door, Jaz pointed two fingers at me, then back at her eyes, making me shudder. That woman was scary.
“Take a seat and tell me what’s on your mind,” she said, rolling down her silky sleeves and buttoning them around her wrists.
“Oh, well, nothing pressing,” I said, sitting down in the chair opposite her, nervously holding the folder in front of me like a shield.
“Something in there you wanted to show me?”
“This? No, no. I wanted to say thank you again for having me over the other night. I like your friends.”
She rolled her eyes but laughed. “It’s one of those ‘can’t live with them, can’t live without them’ deals. Sorry they got too nosy. I was worried they’d put you off with their antics.”
I chuckled and shook my head. “No. I was a little nervous, but I enjoyed being there with all of you. Strangely, I didn’t really need my prepared topics. That doesn’t happen often when I meet new people.”
“That makes me so happy to hear. They really are the best people. They love wholly, without condition, and will do anything for me, including embarrassing me,” she said with a smile. “Mike looked like he had a good time, too.”
My smile diminished, but I hoped it wasn’t obvious. “Mike can have a good time with a light pole,” I said jovially, pushing down my unease with her mention of my best friend. The one who made her and all her friends laugh repeatedly. “He enjoyed meeting all of you.”
“Is he seeing anyone?”
My attempt to cover up my dismay at her question must not have been successful because she quickly added, “I only asked because the girls teasedyouabout being able to bring someone to game night next time, but they hadn’t asked him.”
“Mike dates casually, but he hasn’t had a serious relationship in quite a while.” I watched for her reaction, but her face remained neutral.
She looked down and picked at her nail. “And you? Mike said you were interested in someone.”
“About that.”
Leyla looked up and waved her hand. “No, it’s okay. I’m not upset that you didn’t mention it to me when I offered to help you.” She cleared her throat and scratched her neck. I wondered if she was coming down with something.
“I, I, um, it was a little embarrassing, I guess,” I answered, trying to choose my words carefully.
“You don’t have to be embarrassed around me, Niko. Iwantto help. I was the one who offered, remember?”
“Yes,” I said, sighing. How could I forget? “That’s actually what I wanted to talk to you about. I was hoping we could make a plan for our first…”
