original

Love and the Intern

Autor:

Capítulo 1: Chapter 1

Renée set out to get royally smashed.

That was before she realized she’d lose any chance of showing true decorum if she got plastered.

So, instead of crossing the room toward the bar, she headed for the refreshment table. If she couldn’t drink herself senseless, she’d eat some chocolate. Anything to take the bitter taste of a decade anniversary out of her mouth.

And here she went again, thinking about Jenny, even by association. She and the lovely pre-med student had been planning to get married until Jenny broke it off. Renée hadn’t cried in eight years and she was certainly not going to start now.

She was distracted briefly from her single-minded search for chocolate by the music. The SearchLight compound here in Tampa, Florida sure knew how to throw a party. They mixed up rhythm and blues with hip hop, rap, golden-oldies, and even some traditional music from around the world. So far, every time that latter type of music came on, the floor cleared. Now, the French melody being played pulled Renée to the floor. She was the only one there, but she didn’t care. She danced, swaying her hips to the beat and undulating her body to the melody’s plaintive call. This was one she’d grown up with. Even though her mother was from England, it was France where at least half her roots were firmly planted. Her father, a SearchLight agent, had retired before she was born. A tracker, he’d retired early and helped her mother and that whole side of Renée’s family protect the brownies and other “lesser” magical creatures who might not be able to defend themselves.

She closed her eyes and imagined her father dancing with her. The song made her happy but also homesick.

When the song was over, people applauded. Blushing, but pleased, Renée left the dance floor

Now, after she’d gotten some of her nerves out of her system, and in a pleasant way that didn’t involve imbibing, she still wanted chocolate.

One of her fellow interns waylaid her. He was about five feet ten, blond-haired and blue-eyed. As far as Renée knew, he was the only genie working for SearchLight. Unlike herself and the rest of the interns, Luke Morrison didn’t stay in the large house on the SearchLight compound reserved for interns. He stayed with his lover, Agent Tavery.

Renée thrilled to even think that name. In less than three months, if she could survive the boredom of the archives, she’d be working with Agent Tavery, the head of Negotiations in the Department of Dragons.

She smiled at Luke, who looked like he was going to burst with some sort of news. “What is it?”

“I had no idea you could dance like that. You’ve been holding out on everyone.”

Renée beamed. “Thank you.” From what she’d heard, Luke was at least several centuries old, so if he was impressed, well…“Where’s, um, Agent Tavery?”

“Mark’s working late,” Luke said on a sigh.

“But I thought all employees were required to attend the Winter Solstice festivities.”

“And Summer Solstice,” Luke agreed. “But there have been some rumblings in the dragon community up in Canada…” He shrugged. “That’s all I’m allowed to divulge.”

She smiled to reassure him. Luke didn’t like keeping secrets, that much she’d deduced in the first couple of weeks she’d known him at SearchLight Academy. Even though he’d been accelerated through some of the classes because of his knowledge and ability to pass the tests, she’d come to know him a little. He hadn’t been in SearchLight the requisite three years plus one year of interning, but apparently, he couldn’t skip the final step, which was to serve in three different departments before nine months of working, still as an intern, in the one he’d originally chosen.

She realized she didn’t actually know where he wanted to work. “Will you be joining Agent Tavery in the DOD?” This was shorthand for Department of Dragons.

“If I have my way, I’ll be staying away from all dragons, except my Mark, for the rest of my life. I’m slated to work in the MMCD.”

The Miscellaneous Magical Creatures Department. Renée had enjoyed her own time in that underrated group, although she couldn’t imagine spending her whole career being given nothing but scraps. The MMCD managed with little more than the most basic computers and old, creaky filing cabinets.

“Not that working with dragons is a terrible thing,” Luke went on. “That’s where you’re headed, right?”

She nodded. “What is it about the—”

A short, mildly curvy, and elegantly dressed black woman appeared at Luke’s elbow. “I’m on a mission,” she informed him. “Mark’s done with his project, I think, but I’m pretty sure he’s stalling coming out here. So, will you join me and get him to move his ass?”

Luke laughed. “Sonya, this is Renée, another intern like me.”

The woman was attractive. But, as always happened when Renée thought some other female was cute, she was invariably straight. Or poly, which so wasn’t Renée’s thing. Or just plain too much work. And Renée was too heartsore right now to think about flirting.

comentário 0 comentário

Votar

ENVIAR PRESENTE

next chapter

Load failed, please RETRY