Page 28

They head out, and I follow a few minutes later, waiting for the elevator to arrive.

Like it does every time I leave the safety of my desk, an electric awareness skitters over my skin.

Am I going to run into him? Where is he right now? Up in his office? Coming down to leave for lunch?

The elevator opens, and it’s empty.

Ignoring the tiny pulse of disappointment that moves through me, I hit the button for the lobby.

Ten minutes later, I walk into a little bistro down the street from the Bureau and find Holly already waiting at a table near the back. It’s a place that serves only vegan food, which is fine with me after my steak-flavored kiss from wolf-boy, and right up Holly’s alley.

“Hey,” she says when I sit down. “Is Nora coming?”

I shake my head. “She’s got noon class today.”

It’s been awesome to see Nora get her groove back with summer courses at a local university, finally finishing the degree her asshole ex convinced her to drop out of. Elias is, as always, her biggest cheerleader, but Holly and I are a close second.

We give the server our lunch orders and Holly turns back to me as he goes.

“So,” she says. “The dragon. Let’s hear it.”

We missed our thirsty Thursday last night since Nora was closing at work, so I haven’t yet been able to fill Holly in on all the details. I do now, and by the time I’m finished telling her about the awkwardness at the Bureau, the kidnapping, and the kiss in Blair’s office, her eyes are wide and she’s got her elbows leaned on the table, hanging on every quiet word.

We’re close enough to the Bureau that it’s not totally out of the realm of possibility someone from work might overhear. Not wanting to take any chances, I’m leaning in too, keeping my voice down.

“Fuck, Kenna,” Holly says, and it’s a testament to just how bananas all of this is that she’s using profanity. Since she went all peace and love and zen on us, her swearing has pretty much gone out the window.

“Yup,” I say, leaning back and taking a sip of kombucha, which, I admit, I was pretty skeptical of, but Holly’s converted me.

“And it’s not a mating thing?”

“You know, funny you should ask…”

That launches into a whole dissection of Blair’s behavior and his flat refusal that this is anything more than some kind of passing fascination for him. Like me, Holly doesn’t look like she quite buys it.

“What does Nora think? Has she talked to Elias about it? Or to Blair?”

I shake my head. “I asked her not to. She did… mention something. Something about Blair’s baggage when it comes to having a mate.”

Holly frowns. “What does that mean?”

“Your guess is as good as mine. Nora didn’t think it was something she could share.”

She chews on her lip for a moment in contemplation. “I suppose that’s fair, if it’s something personal. And, anyway, the more important question is how you’ve been doing through all of it.”

“I’ve been… fine, I guess.”

She opens her mouth, and I can almost hear the words before she says them.

“No meditations,” I say, “and no affirmations. I would just like to wallow, please.”

Holly shakes her head and gives me a rueful smile. I’m game for vegan food and kombucha, but I’ve got to draw the line somewhere. Granola girl, I am not.

“Fine,” Holly says, a rare wicked smile turning up the corners of her lips. “No woo-woo. How does hitting a few bars tomorrow night sound instead?”

I grin right back at her. “Now you’re speaking my language.”

Walking downtown between bars on Saturday night, I breathe the night air deep.