Waiting For August

Part 29 ~ Third Street Pack

The next day, I arrived to work with a bit of a hangover. That meant it was payback time for Hannah, who made it immediately apparent that she was still pissed at me for leaving her behind by making as much noise as possible. She slammed drawers, banged cabinet doors, and slapped files down noisily upon her desk at every chance she got. When she spoke to me – if she spoke to me – her voice was terse, her responses clipped.

After about forty minutes of this, I deciding to clear the air. I sighed. "I get that you're disappointed, but you didn't miss out on anything, really."

She gave me a dirty look before she made herself busy looking for something within her desk. When she had found what she was searching for, she slammed the drawer closed with yet another bang.

I got up and crossed the room to stand before her desk. Leaning down on it, I attempted to catch her eye. She did her part by pretending I was invisible.

"How can I make it up to you?"

"It's fine, August. Really."

I groaned internally. If I had learned anything in my almost thirty-years of existence, it was that when a woman said something was fine, then it most assuredly wasn't.

"I only had your best interests in mind."

She glared at me; her lip curled up in an almost snarl. She looked ferocious. Perhaps I had been mistaken in thinking she needed protecting. "I'm not a child, August. Or some damsel in distress that needed saving." She stood then, and mirrored a stance much like my own as she leaned forward. "It's my job, August. If you don't trust me to be able to do it, I don't know how we can continue to work with one another."

I sighed. She had a point. However... "That wasn't the issue, Hannah and you know it." I straightened. "I know you can do your job. You're an excellent assistant. In truth, I'd be lost without you."

Her scowl softened. She dropped her eyes and returned to her chair. "Thank you for saying so."

"I don't want to lose you, but I also can't go against my better judgement. I knew nothing about the wolf I was meeting; what I was walking into. How could I be expected to bring you along?" I cleared my throat. "It does turn out, however, that Zeke Fraser mentors his young wolves to be quite respectful. Any future dealings we have with Pack Fraser, you'd be more than welcome to accompany me."

She gave me a slight smile, which settled into an I told you so, as she crossed her arms looking rather smug. "You don't say..."

I rolled my eyes. "Okay, in hindsight it appears that I may have overreacted, however, the reasons behind my decision haven't changed. Your safety is always going to be my highest priority. Whether it's a tribe of demons or a coven of witches, when we are walking into unfamiliar territory I'm always going to proceed with caution."

She dropped her eyes, looking thoughtful. "So how do we move on from here? How do we come to a point where I'm permitted to do my job while keeping your mind at ease?"

"Well, I've been thinking about that." I tried to appear casual, like this hadn't been my intent from the start. "The Midnight Gala. Have you decided on a date yet? If not, perhaps we could go together, use it as an opportunity to get a feel for the clients we'd potentially be dealing with."

Her eyes widened and a hint of a smile played about her lips. "Are you asking me to go with you to the Gala?"

I nervously scratched the back of my neck. Why did this have to be so awkward? "I know it's not much notice, so if you've already found—"

"I'd love to be your date to the Gala, August." Her smile seemed genuine. Her eyes were bright. She actually seemed happy by the invite.

"Uh, okay then. Did you want me to pick you up or shall we meet there?"