Blizzard of Heat (2 page)

She scooted the extra chair over, angled her chair and she settled down with the chopsticks and one of the cartons. Kung Pao chicken was always a favourite.

Cwen looked at him and cocked her head as he dug into the first box he grabbed. “Why are you here?”

Tyr paused with a wad of noodles firmly in his sticks. “I am eating.”

“I mean at Legal Aid. You are a little fancy for this place.”

He grinned and took a bite. When he had cleared enough of it to speak, he said, “I am on loan. I am a trouble-shooter for when the workload gets too high. My organization lends me out when necessary.”

“What is your speciality?”

“Criminal law. I will be working with cases that are marked as requiring criminal defense.”

She blinked. “Like what?”

“Shoplifting, vandalism, drunken assaults. That kind of thing.”

Cwen appreciated that he was dumbing it down for her. “So, a jolly holiday all around.”

“Pretty much. My goal is to get those free that I can and to have them serve public service instead of time away from their families during the holidays.”

“Well, that is something at least. How long will you be here?”

He shrugged and opened a pack containing sweet and sour chicken balls. “As long as I am needed, and then, it is back to the normal grind.”

“No rest for the wicked?”

Tyr chuckled. “Something like that. I have gotten folks off the naughty list to a certain extent. I can’t keep them there, but I can help them get a leg up on getting themselves out of the hole they are in. When it comes down to it, we are all responsible for ourselves.”

Cwen nodded. “For better or worse.”

He opened his soda and slurped. “For naughty or nice.”

Her senses went into high alert. “What did you say?”

“For naughty or nice. Isn’t it the season for it?” There was a challenge in his gaze.

“I suppose.” She found her pack of spring rolls and grabbed the packets of plum sauce. She squirted the first packet onto the rolls and fished one out with her chopsticks.

“So, why did you come here? I have heard glowing reports of you from the other lawyers. You could get a job as an office manager anywhere.”

“I like it here. I feel needed.”

He nodded. “You are definitely that. I had one of those cookies earlier. You should open a bakery.”

Cwen shook her head. “I like baking cookies at the end of a long day. It relaxes me and gives me a reason to show up for work the next day.”

“Why?”

“So that I can bring something that will lighten someone’s mood. Even if that just lasts for a moment.”

“Is a moment worth all that effort?” He raised his brows.

“I think it is, and it is my offering to those around me.” She worked her way through the spring rolls and returned to her Kung Pao, dipping her chopsticks into the white rice and dropping a serving of it into the space she now had in her carton.

“What do you think a moment can do?”

Cwen grinned and poked around in her carton. “A moment can stop the escalation of fear, can break the concentration needed to get angry. A kindness can stop panic in its tracks, and eating a cookie can give you a moment to reflect. It is a tiny thing, kindness. In the right moment, it can move mountains, but few people give it the credit because it starts by moving one pebble.”

Tyr blinked. “Wow. That is just... Wow. I don’t say this often, but I think you just inspired me.”

She chuckled and settled more firmly in the chair. “See? A moment has had an impact already.”

He laughed, and they sat and ate as much of the food as they were able.

When they were done, they packed up and stored the food in the fridge. It was a lot less than they had started with, and Cwen was a little embarrassed at how much they had cleared.

During their meal, he had quizzed her about the others in the building and what he should be on the lookout for. He even got her opinion on a few of the cases where the client had come into the building. Apparently, he valued opinions.

She grabbed her jacket from her office, fished her keys out of her pocket and got dressed to face a stormy and cold night. She was happy that her journey was only two blocks.

The final part of her winter gear was the heavy and hideous winter boots that she was fond of. When she was barely recognizable as human, she stomped toward the front door. Tyr was waiting for her.

She grinned, but he couldn’t see it. Her scarf was in the way.

His leather gloves and long coat were perfectly suitable for someone getting in a car, but he was staring at her in shock. “Why are you dressed like that?”

“I am walking home. You head out, and I will turn off the lights behind me.”

He frowned. “I can’t let you walk home.”

“Tough. I am walking. You can either go your own way or walk with me, but then, you would have to turn around and walk back to your car.”

He scowled again. “I don’t like either of your options.”

She pushed him lightly, and he stepped out the door. She lunged to the side and hit the lights. The lockup was automatic, so they continued on until they were in the lobby and facing their reflections in the glass with the night behind the protective layer.

“Well, I suppose I will see you tomorrow, Tyr. Welcome to the team.” She smiled and checked all the closures on her clothing before heading out into the blustery night.

A dark sedan pulled up as she crossed the street and scuttled across the icy sidewalk. Tyr got into the back seat, and Cwen shook her head. Of course, he would have a car service at his beck and call.

She moved briskly through streets that few folks were willing to traverse; she entered her building with a relieved sigh. The shadow of the sedan as it drove past her proved that there had been a third option she hadn’t mentioned. Tyr had followed her home while snug and warm in his car.

Cwen chuckled and headed up to her third-floor apartment; she had cookies to make.

Two weeks and three late-night takeouts later, Cwen finished confirming the numbers for the Christmas party and prepared to lock up for the weekend.

The party would be on Saturday night, and spouses and significant others were invited.

Tyr had responded to the invitation in the affirmative, so she had adjusted the head count by one.

In all, thirty people were going from their particular branch of the legal-aid organization to a dinner and dance at a restaurant that had sponsored the meal. It wasn’t a standard arrangement, but they had gone through a month of paperwork to authorize the gift of food to their department. The confirmation had come through two weeks earlier, and it had caused a stir of excitement in the office. They weren’t going to have stale fried chicken again.

Cwen couldn’t imagine what the previous year’s meal had been like, but she was hopeful that the party would go off without a hitch.

She had put a lot of effort into making the arrangements as easy for everyone as she could. Cab vouchers had been acquired, and they were ready for a pleasant night.

The intercom chirped, and Dana’s voice came through, “Cwen, the office order is here.”

Cwen got up and came out to the reception desk, checking that everything she had ordered was present and accounted for. It was the last delivery before Christmas, and who knew what the new year would bring. Cwen would be long gone by then, and her time at the office would be a dim memory. The magic of the snowflake would find someone else to fill her shoes.

Once the delivery guy was dismissed, she carried the boxes back to the storage area, one by one. She was going to leave them fully stocked and ready for the new year.

It seemed surreal to her that she had enjoyed her time here and it was nearly over. Wednesday of the following week, she would be on her way back to the workshop and her moment of life in the human world would be over.

By this point, Santa would know that they were gone and Ru would be applying their demands, handing him their letters and obligating him to change their circumstances.

Hopefully, when Santa looked over the issue, he would agree that they were entitled to the same freedoms as the elves that worked for him and could come and go as they pleased. If he didn’t agree, the reindeer were willing to take off again.

Cwen moved the boxes of photocopy paper easily, but she had to pretend that they weighed a ton. She was setting the last box into place when Tyr’s voice came from behind her.

“Need a hand?”

She shoved the box onto the shelf and turned with a smile. “Nope. All done. Excellent timing. How was court?”

He smiled. “Probation and community service.”

“Excellent. Well, tomorrow is the company party, so we can all celebrate together.”

“Are you bringing an escort?”

She snorted. “No, I have enough men in my life simply by working here. I don’t have time to shop around.”

He grinned and came in, his suit jacket folded over his arm. “I see you are stocking up.”

“Well, after the holidays, things get even worse than they are now. The extra supplies are going to come in handy.”

He cocked his head. “You have this note in your voice like you are trying to make things easier for someone else.”

She wrinkled her nose. He had been paying attention while they shared takeout in the evenings if he could detect that.

“I have some time off booked. I just don’t talk about it.”

“Going home to spend time with loved ones?”

She chuckled. “The closest thing to family that I have ever had.”

He blinked at the vehemence in her tone. “I... Well, I hope you enjoy your visit.”

She sighed. “Just the same old routine, but this time, we will all have stories to share. It will make for something different when we get together.”

She smiled and shook her head at the scenarios in her imagination. “We get up to some hinkie stuff when there is no one looking. I can only imagine how their time away has gone.”

Tyr came closer. “Would you like to go out for dinner with me tonight?”

She blinked in surprise. “Like, a date?”

He grinned. “Something like that.”

“Um, I suppose so.”

“Good. Would you like to leave from work?”

She was bemused, but she nodded. “Sure. I guess I have a few more hours to go. So, don’t pick anywhere fancy. I am not dressed for it.”

He inclined his head. “Of course. I will choose something appropriate.”

Cwen nodded. “Right. Uh, I need to get past you to return to my desk.”

He backed out of the storage room and watched her as she headed to her office. She knew he was watching, because she looked behind her on two separate occasions. He was still watching with a smile on his face.

Cwen scuttled back into her office, and she breathed slowly. This was the closest to a relationship that she had had during her weeks in the human world. If she played her cards right, she might get her first kiss by the end of the night.

The car ride had been done in nervous silence, at least on her part. The next week was off time for the office and the local courts. All would be quiet.

The driver was a silent shadow, but he seemed to know where he was going. It was nice that one of them did.

She sat with her hands in her lap as the car moved through crowded streets. Cwen tended to walk where she needed to go, so being in a vehicle was freaking her out a little.

Tyr reached over and held her hand. He didn’t say a word, but the contact calmed her.

They were in the car for half an hour when it glided to a halt in front of a subtle awning. Tyr got out of the car, and he opened her door, taking her hand to help her out.

The patch of ice on the ground made her lose her footing, and she ended up plastered against him. “Sorry.”

He chuckled. “I consider it a good start to the evening.”

His hands were on her lower back and supporting her. With a quick move, he turned so that she was on the scraped sidewalk and her feet were steady again.

He released her and offered her his arm. Not being a fool, she wrapped her mitten around his arm and walked with him to the restaurant.

A courteous doorman let them in, and Tyr walked around as if he owned the place. He wasn’t looking around him with condescension; he simply had an expression that everything in his vicinity was his actual territory.

She was helped out of her coat, and Tyr got the small numbered slip from the coat check and tucked it into his shirt pocket with his own.

They were escorted through the restaurant, and several of the patrons looked at her with surprise. A few even managed disdain through their botoxed faces.

Cwen shrugged and kept walking as the attentive host led them to a quiet and private dining room.

Tyr held her chair out, and she sat down, a little surprised by the effort he had expended.

“When did you arrange this?”

Tyr grinned. “I have a standing reservation. Antoine would be scandalized to know that the nights I wasn’t here I was eating tacos behind my desk.”

The host returned, and he had a slim set of menus in his hands. He gave her the first and Tyr the second.

She didn’t know what to choose. She stared at the menu until she found something that appealed to her. Chicken and mushrooms with pasta and sauce. It was just what she was in the mood for.

“Did you want an appetizer?” Tyr smiled at her over the top of his menu.

“Um, sure. When have I ever turned down food?” She chuckled.

“Well, you are a bottomless pit. That is certain. Do you mind if I pick something for you?”

“Feel free as long as I get my main course.” She smiled brightly and set her menu down.

He laughed and nudged her knee with his. “Of course you will. I am sure that we will have an excellent time tonight. It is good to see you away from the office.”

She snorted. “Aw, you have followed me home three times. You have already seen me away from the office.”

Tyr sighed. “Well, you wouldn’t let me drive you, and my dress shoes are unsuitable for walking in the snow.”

A server came in, and Tyr ordered a bottle of wine, a pitcher of lemon water and a glass of soda for Cwen. The server didn’t even bat an eye as he left with the order.