Mystery Of You (Pub 5)

44 - Anything

Ian looked up from his desk to the sound of talking. His department was quiet since Ellen was the only gregarious one. He often wondered how she put up with the rest of the geeks. He smiled at Ellen's and Ainsley's voices, and stood and went to his door. She had her large bag, but it was only a quarter to five. Her smile calmed his nerves.

He raised his brow. "Quitting time early today?"

She shrugged. "I worked through lunch."

He chuckled as he motioned her into his office. "Who are you?"

She looked around. "Nice. I see you're going for a minimalist decor. I would have expected a picture of the Gillespie clan."

He smirked. "I'll take a picture of you. This is a surprise. A better one than Henry at lunch."

"I warned you." She had mischief in her eyes.

"Who are you?" He smirked.

She stepped closer. "Puddle girl, otherwise known as wet and..."

"No dirty talk at work." His laugh was low, making him wish he had shut his door.

"Who am I? I'm the new senior promotional specialist. That's why I left. Your friend is getting the bad news.

His grin covered his face as he embraced her. "I knew it. I knew you would get it all along."

"Is that why you talked to Eric?"

He stepped back. "That was when you wouldn't see me. I went to make sure he understood regardless of what Henry said, I was not involved in his hiring decisions. Seriously, I wouldn't want him involved in mine." Ian stopped short of telling her about his teamwork comments.

"Thank you. You had confidence in me when I doubted myself."

He smiled. "Let me finish up and we can get out of here."

She sat with her phone and texted as he finished an email. "Lilli?"

She nodded. "I'll have to call my mother unless she hears through the grapevine first."

"Call her when we get home. Tell Violet before she hears from JJ too." He shut down his laptop. Some evenings, he took it home, but he didn't pack it up.

She smiled at him. "You're so smart."

He laughed as he stood up. "Let's go."

A layer of snow coated the sidewalks. There had been snow showers on and off since Saturday. The gradual flakes left an accumulation of snow on the flat surfaces. As they walked through the park towards home, snow covered all the grasses.

Beyond his happiness for Ainsley's promotion, Ian felt relieved to have the decision made. Hopefully, Ainsley would get the sleep she needed. He had carried her burdens with him and each step felt lighter. Her emotions were his because he cared about her deeply.

With the city sounds around them, they walked silently. A flake floated down and more followed.

Ainsley's voice took his attention away from the dancing snowflakes. "I feel bad for Henry."

"I know you do, but I hope he doesn't give you trouble."

"Or try to split us up."

Ian stopped walking. "That will not happen. Once was enough."

She frowned. "I hope he's okay."

His lips turned up. "After all, he put you through, you still care."

"I know it's a flaw."

"No, it's one reason I love you. Oh, shit!" He started walking fast. "I didn't mean to say it out loud." His heart pounded. The organ couldn't take it if she shut him out again.