The Atonement of Prometheus

Chapter 5: An Odd Dinner Guest

 "So, what did you think of that new rule that Nickolas wants to put in place?" Ryan asked Kass as the two walked over to her hire-car.

Kassandra's brows furrowed as she looked at him, as though hearing his voice for the first time that afternoon. "Oh, uh, yeah. It's an interesting one." Kass nodded, trying to act like she knew what Ryan was talking about even though she hadn't paid attention during the wrap-up meeting.

"I thought you'd have a problem with it. I mean, requiring three extra professional references from the new female applicants seems a bit sexist, but I guess he's right. You never know who got the good words just because they did a bit of hanky-panky with their supervisors."

Kass stopped dead on the spot. "What the actual hell?" She looked at Ryan, eyes wide with outrage.

"Shit Kass, were you even in that meeting? He gave everyone an opportunity to veto it, but you just sat there. Don't tell me you're regretting it now!"

Kass' mouth flapped open and shut like a fish out of water. She couldn't believe it. She gritted her teeth, her brows furrowing as she tried to figure out which point to pull out of her head and protest about first.

Ryan's serious face fractured into a smile and laughter spluttered out from between his smirking lips. "Damn, Kass! Chill, ok? I was just pulling your leg. As if Nickolas would do that."

Kass stopped on the spot, planting her hands on her hips as her eyes narrowed at Ryan.

"Hey, don't look at me like that. If you'd been paying any attention at all, you'd have known it was bullshit. But hey, I don't blame you. If I'd spent all afternoon showing the esteemed Doctor Demetriou around, I would be off with the fairies too."

Kass was about to argue with Ryan. To insist she wasn't 'off with the fairies', but she knew it wasn't true. She didn't want to start a losing argument with the smarmy git. Instead, she pressed the button on the car remote harder than she needed to and shoved the keys against Ryan's chest. "It's your turn to drive." Kass didn't give Ryan a chance to disagree as she skirted around the car and slid into the passenger seat, slamming the door after her.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆ ｡･:*:･ﾟ★,･ﾟ:*:｡･

"Kassandra Anastas, you are an idiot," Kass sighed as she shimmied and smoothed her skirt down over her thighs.

Kass looked at the building in front of her. Twinkling fairy lights wound through the vines on the arbour, giving a pretty, dream-like look to the old taverna. The buzz of conversation and clinking of plates floated out to the street. For a Thursday night, it was packed, making her wonder why on earth she had left her motel room.

Whether or not Kass would go to the taverna was something she had spent the evening hours debating with herself. In the end, at seven o'clock, she looked at the left-over meals in her mini-fridge and decided she felt like eating out. Of course, she had no intention to go to the taverna. She didn't want to risk running into the charismatic, yet undeniably odd, Doctor Demetriou. No, Kass would stop by a small Italian place down the road instead. She made a personal revolution to avoid the taverna like a plague.