Cloud to Cloud

Episode 38: Never Mix Business with Pleasure

The bells clattered against the door as Evan breezed through the front of the Connections store. He continued up to the office on the second floor. He offered no more than a curt wave to Hannah as she stared at the screen in her office.

He slid into the wheeled chair, a cocky grin across his face as he waited for the machine to boot.

He was less than shocked when Linc appeared on screen. "Glad to see we've found the key to your motivation."

"Absolutely." Evan dragged the chat window to the corner of the screen. "This is going to be amazing."

"Come on." Linc expanded the chat box to fill the screen, blocking Evan's view. "Isn't there anything else that gets you going?"

Evan grumbled as he flipped on the second monitor and shifted his stock views from behind Linc's window to the new screen.

"Come on." Linc's face filled the second screen.

Evan sighed. He shifted to gaze to the room behind him. "Maybe, there's one other thing."

"Always the hound," Linc taunted.

"Are you going to let me see these stocks or are we going to delve into how you're still jealous I always got the girl?" Evan pushed away from the desk.

"How about we see if you can still get the girl." Linc winked as the screen flickered off.

"Fine. Challenge accepted. Maybe I can convince her to put some tech version of a salt circle around my workstation to keep you out." Evan sneered bemused at the blank screen.

He scooted his chair across the floor and peered into the room where Hannah had been seated when he first came home.

The little office was dark and empty, though her tablet still glowed from the desk. With a shrug Evan rose from his chair and descended to the main floor of the shop.

Glancing around the beaded curtain separating storage area from shop front Evan scanned the display area for some sign of Hannah.

He spotted the young woman bent behind the counter. Her black yoga pants hugged her hips as she troubled herself with a tray of gems within the glass case. She seemed to be checking each one as she held it a moment before setting it back into the tray and moved to another next to it.

Evan eyed her as she worked. He had little interest in the brick-a-brack and stones as he watched the loose sweater slip from Hannah's shoulder.

"Target acquired," he murmured.

A sly smirk spread across his face.

Evan straightened suddenly as Hannah pivoted to face him.

"Did you say something?" Her eyes were at once wild and filled with exhaustion.

A sudden heat rose to Evan's cheeks. He was taken aback by the sudden frenetic energy of the typically demure young woman.

"Yeah," he stammered. "Wow. Are you feeling okay?"

Hannah caught sight of her reflection in the glass case. She combed her fingers through her hair and straightened her sweater on her arms in an attempt to tame her disheveled appearance.

"I'm. Fine." She flashed a crooked smile at Evan. "It's been a busy morning."

Evan glanced around the empty store. "Right...."

"Restocking." Hannah waved at the stones. "Heavy boxes. Lots of counting."

Evan shook his head as Hannah continued to flounder through excuses for her stranger than normal behavior. "Anyway. You wanna grab something to eat?"