Page 36 of Stalked By Pestilence
Our receptionist had her head bent, voice low, probably on the phone with someone who required a patience level most of us didn’t possess. Ginny was a goddamn saint, and she was one of the few people I’d miss now that I was no longer working here.
“Oh, fuck. Look who it is,” she squealed, but then abruptly realized she was still on the phone and whoever was on the otherline had heard her outburst. “Shit.My apologies. I have a guest, sir. Just a short hold and I’ll be right with you.”
I covered a smile and walked closer, eyeing the glass doors leading to the usual offices. “Hey, Gin. I thought you weren’t supposed to be working today?”
She growled under her breath, stink-eyeing the offices I’d just glanced at. “Yeah, well, plans change, I guess. I thought you were supposed to be off being a badass somewhere that wasn’t this shithole.” The last bit was said under her breath, lest we forget that she was still on the clock and lawyers had weirdly good hearing.
I bent over and gave her my killer smile. “Oh, perfect. Another thing I can use against them today.”
“My hero,” she murmured in admiration. “I’m thinking maybe it’s time I also find me a new home. One with less assholes.”
“Amen,” I told her, searching through my purse. “I’m here to see the partners. I’m sure they’re expecting me.”
Her eyes went wide. “Wow. I’d wondered about that meeting. Maybe they finally figured out who’s really running this place.”
“Don’t count on it.” I laughed.
“I’ll let them know you’re here, but you better not lose my number after you get a new phone and officially slash professionally tell these guys to fuck right off. We’re friends, right?” She scowled at me, if you could call it that when she was as cute as a button. Ginny was also incredibly too smart to be working in this office. They’d fall apart without her.
My evil smile emerged at the thought of helping her find a new job that gave them an extra kick in the ass. “If you need help finding a new home, I’m here for you,” I told her with a sly wink. “I might have contacts in need of a receptionist. You know, less assholey ones.”
Her smile grew three sizes bigger, which was a feat with her tiny face. “Then I’ll be in touch.”
The cute ginger-haired darling snuck a few pieces of candy across the top of the receptionist desk and then flicked her eyes to the most comfortable place to sit, unashamed to play favorites.
She and Asha would’ve gotten along if my apartment-dwelling best friend was open to meeting more people than me. Well, and her boyfriend. But Asha wasn’t much for socializing. She got weirdly quiet around others. Maybe because everyone who mattered made her feel unimportant and like a burden growing up.
Thank god for her hot new beau who got my bestie out of her shell. I might not like that it was him and not me, but I adored the glow on her before she was whisked away. My girl looked so damn happy. Maybe after they got back, I could get her out to meet a few more people.
After defeating my literal demons, that is.
I swallowed my envy and tried to reassert the promise I’d find a new glow after I figured out what the hell I did to get myself on a demon’s radar and fix it.
Right before I turned around to claim my comfy seat, Ginny’s eyes went wide and a little breath whooshed out of her. “Whoa, hot guy alert,” she whispered to me, ducking her head like it’d somehow hide her thirsty-ass stare. It didn’t.
I glanced over my shoulder and wasn’t even the least bit surprised Zelus, my stalker, had come inside. Ginny’s eyes were firmly on him, but his were firmly on me.
I turned to her and kicked my smile up to a million watts. “That’s my stalker. Don’t let him inside.”
Ginny’s mouth fell open. “You’re joking.”
“Call security if you have to,” I told her.
And when I turned, Zelus was laughing with every part of his body—his eyes, his mouth, his shoulders. Fucking asshole. I took a seat, and the jerk had the audacity to drop down in the chair next to mine.
Ginny continued to stare, not sure how to gauge if I was being truthful or not. Confusion became concern, which quickly slid into despair because our security team hadn’t seen action in a while. And by a while, I meant never.
I threw her a bone and saved myself another hassle. “I’m kidding, Gin.”
The way the girl sagged in outright relief would’ve made me laugh if I wasn’t royally pissed off at the guy next to me. I sneered at him when he made a move to take my hand, as if everything was totally fine.
“Don’t be cross, love.”
I folded my arms under my chest and hoped the partners didn’t make me wait long. I was already regretting the trip. I wanted to go home and ignore Zelus existed. Maybe try to figure out how to stay out of Hell.
I had resources. Okay, places to start that could be resources. Google, of course, but maybe Alexa had some Catholic trick she picked up when she was young and forced to go to church. Exorcism or something. Holy water and mumbling old guys. I might have to ask her and start wearing crosses unironically while I got rid of my demon problem.
“Icing me out, Viper?”