“Yes. I wanted to make it so that you don’t have to be constantly going around to check on things.”
“That’s—” Cove stopped, looking back at the monitors again as if he hadn’t quite finished absorbing what they were showing him. “That’s really helpful.”
He stepped closer to the desk, leaning forward without sitting yet, his attention already shifting across the different feeds with the quiet focus I had come to expect from him.
He set the smaller insulated bag down beside his shoulder bag at last, almost absently, as though the movement had only occurred because his hands required somewhere to put it while his attention reorganized itself around the room.
“This is going to make it a lot easier to keep track of things,” he continued, still studying the screens. “Especially with the predator systems running on different cycles from the reef tanks.”
“That was the intention. I’m glad to hear it will be helpful.”
He nodded faintly, then turned to me as if remembering something.
“I should probably—um—figure out what I’m supposed to start with today,” he mumbled quickly. “Like if there’s a schedule you want me to follow or if you want me to just start doing rounds first or—”
“Have you eaten breakfast?” I asked.
He blinked, taking a second to respond as if my question had completely derailed his train of thought. After a moment, he said, “Yes… um, before I left this morning.”
“That is good.”
He added with a small, almost apologetic smile, “I could go for a coffee though.”
“There is cold brew in your refrigerator,” I told him.
His nose crinkled cutely in confusion.
“In my…?”
“In your refrigerator,” I repeated.
His gaze skittered across the room as though he were trying to locate what I meant. It finally settled on the little counter and fridge underneath.
“Huh…”
He got up and crossed the room, crouching to open the refrigeration drawer, and the surprise on his face when he saw what was inside was both immediate and entirely unguarded.
“This is the second time you’ve had something stocked and ready for me.”
Was that bad?
I hesitated to answer, not knowing what the proper response would be, but luckily, I had Ben.
He stepped forward from where he’d been lingering just outside the doorway.
“Mr. Kelly wished to be prepared fully for your arrival, so that you’d have all you needed to comfortably get started right away,” he explained, his expression friendly and welcoming.
Cove’s fingers hovered briefly over the bottles inside as though he was uncertain whether he was actually meant to take one.
“Please help yourself. The kitchen is available to you as well,” I said, relieved when his fingers finally wrapped around one of the cold brew bottles.
“This is… really thoughtful,” he said, softer now. “Thank you.”
I nodded.
Ben stepped further into the room, reaching over to pick up a slim matte badge attached to a short retractable clip, and the envelope beside it.
“Before we get too far into things,” Ben said to Cove, handing the items over to him, “we should get you set up with this.”
