We sit in silence for a few long minutes.
“Is Magma back at work?” I ask.
“He is.” He checks the mirror. “Back to full speed, if you can believe it. Ran a full debrief his first day in. He’s pulled every report from the last two weeks, even though he was there for most of it. Actually, it’s already back to how it was before he left.”
“So he’s okay then.”
“He’s perfectly fine. His bones have healed. He has a spring in his step.”
Lucky him!
I still feel deflated and a little lost.
“He’s seeing someone.”
Scratch that, I wasn’t feeling deflated before, but I’m feeling deflated now.
“Oh really?” I try to sound upbeat and pull it off.
Go me!
“Yep, a shifter from Mistveil. She left her number, and he called her.”
“Good for him.” I nod a few times, having to force myself to stop. “That means he’s definitely feeling better.”
I feel a stab of jealousy that physically hurts. It has to be that Brook lady I met the other day. The gorgeous female with the long, toned legs and perfect breasts.
“It’s great for him. Really, really great.” I look outside and roll my eyes so hard it hurts my sockets.
“I think so too. It’s about time he had a life outside of work.”
Why would he pick now of all the times? Why?
I need to stop.
The streets outside slide by.
“So,” I say, and then I run out of things to say.
“So,” he says.
I glance at him. His mouth is a straight line, but his eyes are amused.
“You know what,” I say, “I think we can do better than this.”
“I think we can,” he says.
I lean back against the seat. “Okay, let’s actually have a real conversation. What do you do when you’re not at Security Central?”
He thinks about it. “I train. Box mostly, and I run. I’ve been getting into rock climbing this past year. The gym on the eastside has a great indoor wall. I ride my bike…love that. I enjoy shifting into my dragon form. I can’t wait for this vaccination to be out of my system so that I can get my permit to shift whenever I want.”
“So you’re physical, outdoorsy. All of those things, which are all great, by the way.”
He shrugs. “I don’t love sitting still.” He glances over. “What about you?”
“I read. I cook when I’m not being lazy, which, if I’m being honest, is maybe half of the time. I go to the market on most Sunday mornings.”
“What else? I’m sensing there’s more.”
