A Target's Love

18

"Elizabeth!" Katie squealed the next morning when the forenamed walked into the reception room.

Elizabeth grinned, but the secretary embraced her in a hug so tight that her grin quickly crumpled and her breathing became labored.

"Katie!" She squeaked. "I can't. . .breathe."

"Oh. Sorry." Katie apologized, releasing her. "I'm so happy to see you! I thought you were kidnapped."

Elizabeth started walking again, shaking her head wryly. "I've only been gone for one day."

"Has it really been only one day?" Katie sighed dramatically, then squinted. "What happened to your face?"

Elizabeth laughed. "Unexpected embrace with the bottom of the stairs yesterday."

"Oh, no, you poor dear! How someone as regal as you can be so clumsy, I'll never know." 

Elizabeth laughed again and shook her head wryly. "So, what's in?"

"A ton of work. Every company is almost drowning in rush transactions, so they need our services more than ever. And the companies that got hacked are bending over backwards trying to make it up to us. We've got upgrades, twelve-month commitments, the works. In addition to that, twenty of our stores--including all of the local ones--have sold out. Don't worry, I've already scheduled a call for you with our manufacturer. Our profits this month are going to be the highest we've seen in months."

"Ah, now there's the news every girl needs to start her day off right," Elizabeth grinned happily. 

"I know! What a time to be alive, huh?" Katie laughed. "On another note, the databases have a gazillion pending updates. Where was Javier yesterday?"

Elizabeth cast her a sidelong glance. "How am I supposed to know?"

Katie looked at her suspiciously. "How is it that both of you were absent on the same day? Is there something you should be telling me?" She waggled her eyebrows suggestively.

Elizabeth shrugged, keeping her expression neutral. "I don't know."

"Oh?"

"Yes, that's the answer to your first question. The answer to your second question is no. There's nothing to tell."

"Right. Seems a bit fishy to me."

"How did you know we're having fish for lunch?" Elizabeth changed the topic.

Katie wrinkled her nose. "I didn't." She paused. "We are?"

Elizabeth grinned. "What was it you were saying about the databases?"

"Oh, right. We've got just about a million and one updates, and Denzel and Matthew have a couple of questions to ask Javier before they do anything about it. The due dates are approaching fast, so he'd better show soon."

"Okay. He's supposed to come in today." Elizabeth said and then winced as she realized her slip. She hoped Katie would miss it.

Tough luck. 

"How do you know what he's 'supposed' to do?" Her slender fingers formed quotation marks in the air on either side of her head.

"Did anybody request software updates or new software?"

"You didn't answer my question."

"And you're not answering mine. Did anybody request software updates or new software?"

Katie dropped it, though Elizabeth suspected the matter would arise again--and soon. "Yes. KTLM did request new security software to adapt to the new equipment they bought, and they want it by Thursday."