“I’m so sorr—” The words die on my lips when I see who it is.
“Watch where you’re going, firefly,” Theo snaps, brushing a hand down his suit like my touch personally offended him.
“Will you stop calling me that?” I whisper-yell. “You don’t get to use that name anymore.”
“Why do you call me firefly?” I ask, confused at the nickname he’s started giving me. I’ve only known him a short time, but he’s used it from the minute we met.
“Because you’re my light in the dark,” he whispers.
“Don’t like reminders of the past? Shame. I’ll just have to do it more, knowing it pisses you off.”
“I thought ten years would make you grow up, but I can see you're still the same insecure man-child you were back then.” I roll my eyes. “Does being so insufferable come naturally to you?”
“Only when I’m stuck with someone who irritates the crap out of me,” he quips, a smile on his face.
I shouldn’t like this interaction. I shouldn’t like the way I feel alive for the first time in years. But I do, and I hate myself for it.
“I hate you,” I state, not having anything better to come back with.
“Why?” he asks incredulously. “I’m lovely.” With a wink that says more than words, he turns and walks away.
I shake off the unsettling feeling that he’s done something and continue down the hall to the library. I tried working in my office, but it felt stuffy and closed in, like there was no air to breathe, so I spend all my time in the library's open area. Stacks upon stacks of books line the walls, ready to be opened so they can share something that will crack a case.
Some of the greatest minds are in here, along with some of the most challenging cases solved through sheer will and determination. Books on different laws and their loopholes all neatly placed within easy reach, if you know where to look for them, that is.
I set my bag down on my desk and head to the bookcase that houses kidnapping legislation. It’s always been fascinating to me how each law came about. How an individual can commit a crime so heinous that a ruling has to come in to protect people.
I place the book on the desk, pull out a chair, sit, and open it to the page where I left off.
After thumbing through the massive tome for the last few hours, I jump when an alarm sounds. Considering how quiet the library is,I’m not surprised. The noise blares in my ears, but I can’t tell where it's coming from. Fire alarm?
It stops as I look around. Noticing that no one else seems to be bothered by it, I go back to reading, shrugging it off as a glitch. Then it starts up again. Annoyed at the sound, I begin to stand so I can figure out where it's coming from, only to hear a rip when I push away from the desk.
The hell?
My ass is stuck to the chair. I’m hovering, unable to move lest my skirt rips anymore. Sweat beads on my forehead as I realize the only way out of this is to stand up fully and risk my skirt being ruined so badly that my ass is on show until I can get a replacement… or stay here for the rest of eternity.
I move again, and the rip sounds louder, all while the alarm continues blaring in my ear. People are now emerging from their offices or stopping by the library to see what’s going on. My cheeks flush red with embarrassment as colleagues start pointing and staring at me.
Luckily, I wore my nice panties this morning. Unluckily, it’s a tiny black thong that leaves very little to the imagination.
“Well, well, well, firefly,” Theo drawls from behind me, clapping his hands. “I must say this has brightened my morning.”
I swing my head around, leveling him with a death glare. “Someoneput glue on my chair, you big buffoon,” I whisper-yell, though it's more of a shout over the alarm. “And where is that godawful noise coming from?”
“Oh, that?” Theo smiles, one full of teeth and a calculating look in his eyes. “That’s just a little something extra to make this more fun.”
“Fun?” I gasp in outrage. “How is this fun?”
Theo pushes away from the doorframe and reaches into his pocket. He pulls out a little black device and pushes a button. The alarm stopsimmediately, and I get the answer to my unspoken question—this is his doing.
“You couldn’t have come up with something less intrusive?” I growl, gripping the side of the desk for support. “This is taking it too far, even for you, Theo.” Tears line my eyes as my cheeks flush further.
“Why? You’re used to sharing your body with other people,” he mocks, his tone deadly. “Even when you profess your love to someone else.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” I murmur, my body freezing in place.
I keep my eyes trained on him. He looks at me, the sneer on his face slowly dropping as he sees the panic on my face. Then the pity starts, and I lose it. I stand up, my skirt torn to shreds. A sob works its way up, and I quickly grab my bag, placing it behind me to cover myself the best I can.
