Check in
I ended up spending the next few days killing myself on the treadmill and watching as many documentaries as possible, the more intense the topic, the better.
It was my second run of the day and I was trying to burn away any residual memory of the tingling I felt with Bo’s touch. Muscle searing was what I wanted, but damn, I still couldn’t forget. It might have helped break my perseveration if I left my apartment, but alas, it was hard to break my reclusive habits. I wondered if I should join a gym. At least then, I would be in the company of other people, no matter if I chose not to talk with them.
Maybe after this last job I would. Ever since my talk with Bo, I started thinking about what I wanted. Maybe I would follow through on my promise to my mom and travel. See the world and more importantly open myself up to it. I had a stack of travel books on my shelves, untouched little dreams waiting to set sail. Maybe I could start small, buy a Westfalia and drive around the country. Who was I kidding? That was a bit too roughing it for me. Maybe, just a plane ticket somewhere. Roundtrip so as not to put too much pressure on myself and then I could go from there.
My thoughts then went back to a dimpled brunette. I’d spent the majority of the last few days lingering in the memory of her warmth. My heart raced every time I was in her presence but soothed whenever her presence settled over my like a warm hug that you really need when you feel down. She was also so engaging and she was able to pull me out of my shell. Even in the short time we had known each other, I felt drawn to her and when I was with her I felt more like my old self than I had in years.
The beauty of my day dreaming was that it made the run fly by. Five miles down and I hadn’t watched the miles creep up 0.1 miles at a time like usual. Good for me. I should make it a goal to daydream more instead of focusing so much on work. I nodded in satisfaction as I stripped off my workout clothes. As soon as I did, I thought of how nice it would be for a certain brunette to peel them off for me. Damn. So much for clearing my mind.
After a burning hot shower, I ambled out of the steamy bathroom to put on some presentable clothes for my scheduled Web meeting check in with Evony. She always insisted it be virtual, rather than by phone, so she could read me in her invasive, leering way. She largely left me to my own devices, but always touched base a couple weeks into an assignment to make sure I didn’t need more resources like a tail to keep track of the target if they were erratic or, something I never took advantage of, a partner to fill some need like a date to an event or otherwise.
As the tinkle of the ring patched through, I saw Tasha immediately answer.
“Hey Tash! How’s the beast today?”
“Oh, she’s in rare form,” she rolled her eyes, “like usual.”
“Thanks for the warning.”
“Anytime. How’s the assignment going? Gonna break Tamsin’s wrap-up record?” she joked. “She got close to it on this last one too. She was in here just yesterday making sure everyone knew. I think she’s trying to impress the new Hunter too. If you call snark and general rudeness flirting.”
I chuckled, “No way that’ll ever happen…not the sleeping with the new Hunter business, as while I agree that her style is offputting, it works more often than it should…but the time record. Tamsin has more of a nuclear bomb technique, whereas my style takes finesse…and time,” I defended as Tash laughed at my description.
Tasha was maybe the closest person I had to a friend. We never really hung out outside of work, but she always managed to dish the most salient office gossip. I rarely spent time with the other Hunters, but knew more about them then I probably should thanks to Tasha.
I smiled as Tash looked down off screen before looking over her shoulder towards the corner office. “Good seeing you, “Lillith” is ready for you.”
The screen flashed before I saw Evony’s piercing stare. “Lauren, my darling. How are you? Case going swimmingly?” she enunciated.
I shook my head, “No problems thus far. I’ve made contact and have plans for further infiltration. She’s invited me to her bar and I hope to meet all of the players there. She thinks we’re new friends.” I held my breath, letting my well-crafted, but natural poker face reflect towards her. I had to hold in the blush at the thought that maybe Bo gave off the vibe of more than friends and how that thought made my heart race. I couldn’t let her know that anything was amiss. Even though that was true.
She squinted subtly at me for a moment before humming, “hmm, alright then. You’d let me know if there were problems, wouldn’t you darling?” It was more thinly veiled threat than concern but it solidified my conviction that I had to pull myself together.
Despite my nod, she paused a moment longer. Did she see my blush? I felt like we were locked in a staring contest. I was unwilling to break my mask for fear that it was the only thing shielding my feelings from her being scratched by her perfectly groomed nails. Would she replace me? Force me to work with a partner? The seconds ticked by and I thanked my natural inability to blush before my miserable panic was finally interrupted.
“Well then, I love how you keep things short, but more emphasis on sweet in the future, Lauren,” she purred before the screen blacked out.
Did she know? The interaction seemed odd, but if there was anything I was good at, it was keeping my feelings to myself. My mask reflected the hardened apathy I had developed to life over the last few years. I had better lean into it and get myself together. “Last job,” I chanted silently before I moved to get ready to meet Bo.