Cold Visions of Future's Past

Chapter Three

As always, unedited. (Side note: Happy Birthday, Monica <3)

Chapter Three

End of day.

Finally.

But at the same time—shit.

I still needed to tango with Gregori. He'd rejected my emailed and text updates all day and set an in-person appointment for the next couple of days through Olivia so I couldn't conveniently forget about it or skip it.

"Don't forget—" Olivia started to crow as she headed for the door.

"I know," I snapped, interrupting her.

"Folder is on my desk and remember, we're moving back into the offices tomorrow morning. I'll meet you here at six o'clock sharp so don't let my old friend make you late."

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Sometimes I forgot she knew Michael from her hometown. "See you tomorrow."

"I can't wait for you to see the improvements. Don't forget!" she repeated before sweeping out the door.

"Don't forget," I mocked under my breath before gathering up my things. "I know," I huffed out and headed for the door myself.

Then my phone dinged, reminding me I'd left it on the charger. "Shit," I hissed and doubled back to grab it, hoping it was the text I'd been waiting for all day.

It was.

Amare: Currently unavailable. Notified Counsel as MO sounds familiar. Envoy will be in touch. Cann., Status.

I smirked at that last bit. Canning was checking up on me through his partner. He hated cellphones and relied on Amare to use them so he wouldn't have to. It cracked me up.

Me: Well enough.

Vamps were weird.

Michael tickled the bond to get my attention, but I already knew what he wanted. This was his version of texting at the end of the day to see how I was doing, where I was. When I'd be home. How are you?

Tired. It's been a long day.

That it has. Want me to send a car or pick you up myself?

I thought about that for a second. Sometimes I loved getting to his apartment, roaming to the kitchen to find him cooking. It was nice to get "home" and have someone waiting on me for once. But other times, I liked walking out of Sword & Arrow and finding him waiting at the curb, an occasional improv date night planned out.

And since today felt like it continued to stretch on forever and I had to have this last meeting with Gregori—

Surprise me. I'd leave it up to him. Sometimes he knew what I needed before I did.

Warmth flooded in, letting that be his response.

Only one more hour, tops. Please let this meeting be short, please let this meeting be short, I chanted to myself as I walked down the hall. Everything is going to be fine. It's just a stupid update, I've done it a thousand times before. Nothing is different.

Except everything was different.

My chest seared as I stepped through what used to be Ashley's, Lena's secretary, office door. It had definitely changed since the last time I was in here, which admittedly, hadn't been since the Guild changed leadership. I avoided this place like the plague and Gregori made it easy since all of our meetings thus far took place in a conference room with various other people in attendence.