Kelpie (Come Love a Fey) (9 page)

She
raised her perfectly manicured eyebrows.  “Good for you girl.  He’s bad news.” 
I glanced away from my computer screen to see her eyes following Mr.
Bad News
as he walked to the coffee maker. 

My
smile felt brittle.  “Thanks Christie.  It means a lot.”  I had to keep a
working relationship with her after all.   

I
was hoping the woman would leave, but she didn’t seem inclined to move. 
Instead, she leaned a hip against the wall of my cubicle and settled in for a
chat.  “So what was he like, really?  I mean, I hear he’s quite the lady’s man,
but it’s all just talk, right?”

Oh
God
. 
Now she wanted to do girl talk?  I could feel my shoulders tightening, and my
neck was beginning to throb. 

A
tiny voice came from behind me.  “Don’t you have work to do Christie?”  I
swiveled my chair, surprised.  Bethany stood just outside my cubicle, her arms crossed,
and a delicate little foot tapping in agitation.  “Get out of here and stop
trying to make Ada feel bad.  You will regret it you if you make her upset.”

I
almost laughed aloud when Christie turned without a word and went back to her
cubicle.  I heard her start typing furiously.  Who would have thought she would
be intimidated a harmless little thing like Bethany?

I
gave the girl a smile of gratitude.  “Can I help you with something?” 

She
handed me a stack of folders.  Her eyes were still snapping with anger.  “I figured
out what that scent was.  You smell like him.  Sorry, it took me so long to
figure it out.  I will not let anyone harm you.  Tell him that?”  She gave me a
beaming smile and left.

I
shook my head in confusion and tried to make sense of what she’d just said.  I
smelled like Noah?  I didn’t know Bethany even liked Noah.  Apparently, no one
was safe from his charm.

The
day flew by in a flurry of paperwork and hectic phone calls.  As soon as I got
close to finishing one task, three more piled up.  I got a break from deskwork
in the afternoon, while I gave the higher-ups a tour of the office as they did
their quarterly reviews. 

I
put my computer into sleep mode and took my little bag into the ladies room.  I
emerged several minutes later, hair smooth, lipstick perfect, and warm smile
fixed firmly in place.  After stowing my bag, I went to the lobby to meet the
group of people in business suits.  Their expressions ranged from mildly
curious to outright bored, and the sudden image of a heard of fat sheep sprang
into my head. 

“Good
afternoon,” I said warmly.  “Welcome to our office, I’m Ada, Noah’s assistant
manager.  I’m pleased to see you again.”  There were a couple of new faces this
time, so I ramped up the smile.  I thought my face might crack.

“Thank
you for coming to meet with us,” I shook each hand firmly.  “I think you will
see that we’ve made some improvements over the last quarter that aid in both
quality and efficiency.  But first let’s stop by the meeting room and get you
all some refreshments.” 

I
took them to the boardroom where I had set up a spread of pastries and flavored
coffee.  Then we glided around the office where I explained each employee’s
position and his or her contribution to the company.  I emphasized our pride in
frequently meeting in person with each client we served.  I complimented them
on their intelligent questions.  I chatted with them about their children and
their cats.  I stifled the part of me that was sick to death of it all.

Noah
met up with us when we returned to the boardroom.  I had them warmed-up, now he
would do all the presentations and run the numbers.  “It was a pleasure.”  I
said as I closed the door behind me.  “Have a wonderful afternoon!”

I
suppressed the urge to lean against the door and exhale.  I have always hated
public speaking, and my jaw was sore from smiling for two hours straight.  I
returned to my desk, and the pile of work that had accumulated in my absence, with
a sick sense of relief. 

When
I got home, I stopped just inside the door and slipped off my shoes.  I had
been standing more than usual today, and my feet ached.  I slipped off my
jacket and shirt, leaving on the camisole and skirt.  I sighed, feeling less
confined, and went to find my guest.

The
slider was open again, and I could hear the deep, soothing murmur of his voice. 
I crossed the room toward the balcony, but paused just outside the door.  His
voice was really, unbelievably beautiful.  I closed my eyes and just listened
for a moment.  All the tension left my shoulders, and my breathing slowed.  I
opened my eyes and stepped out into the late afternoon sun. 

I
took a single step then froze, not wanting to disturb the scene in front of
me.  Leith was leaning against the railing with an arm outstretched in front of
him.  A big, round robin was perched in his palm, and he was talking to it in a
low voice. 

“Are
you sure?”  He asked intently.  “Things have progressed this far?”  His eyes
lifted to meet mine and he gave me a sweet smile that softened the harsh angles
of his face.  The robin gave a little hop and canted its head to look at me
then launched itself into flight, disappearing over the top of the building.

I
went to join him at the railing.  “What in the world were you doing with that
bird?”  I asked in wonder.  “How did you get it to land on your hand?”  He
shifted his position slightly to look at me and I saw the open bag of Cheetos
sitting at his feet.

“She’s
not a bird, she’s a sprite,” he clarified, “and I was attempting to bring
myself up to speed with what is happening in our world.”

I
raised my eyebrows. 
Fairies, of course
.  “It was a robin Leith.”

He
shrugged.  “I’m sure she looks that way to you.  You can’t see past our glamour.”

I
rolled my eyes and stooped to get the bag at his feet.  “Fairies like Cheetos?”
 I popped a couple into my mouth and regarded him with a smug grin.

He
gave me a flat look.  “I have no idea why.  Those things are not natural.”

I
studied the neon orange powder on my fingers and nodded agreement.  “But they
sure are good,” I said, licking my fingers.

He
gave me a disgusted look.  “That is repulsive.”

I
grinned and gestured toward the top of the building where the bird had
disappeared.  “So what were you and the fairy bird talking about?”

He
took the bag of Cheetos from me with a disapproving look, folding the top of
the package down to close it.  His wide eyes were a deep, dark blue that
sparkled in the afternoon sun.  I averted my gaze and pretended to be engrossed
in getting the orange gunk out from under my nails.

He
turned to look out toward the woods.  “She was telling me of matters in Faerie. 
There are… things… that I was involved in that have continued to progress while
I was absent.”  He shrugged.  “I feel so off balance.”

I
snorted.  “You’re unbalanced alright.”

Leith
pursed his lips in thought, ignoring my comment.  “I believe I know who
poisoned me.  It must have been Adhene- my cousin.  His father was bent on
eliminating the fey that lived in the human world.”  His big hands gripped the
railing, his knuckles white.  “I hear that my uncle was killed in one of your
wars, by a horrible weapon.  However, Adhene remains.  Maybe he is carrying on
in his father’s footsteps.”  He looked thoughtful.  “I don’t like hiding, but I
believe it is best if I stay here until I know for certain what is happening.”

I
leaned against the railing, my eyes glazing over.  “Uh-huh,” I said, bored.

He
turned to me with an exasperated look.  “One day you are going to regret your
disbelief.”

It
didn’t sound like a serious threat.  Nothing on the homeless, crazy, serial
killer level.  I stuck out my tongue. He stepped close, lightning fast, and
grabbed the tip of my tongue between his thumb and first finger.  I stood dead
still, staring at him, wide eyed.

Ever
so slowly, he brought his face close to mine.  He widened those amazing eyes
and let them drift inward so that he was looking at me cross-eyed.  He let go
of my tongue and stepped away, heading for the kitchen.  I took a breath, not
knowing if I should be amused or scared.

“What
the hell Leith?  How could you just put your fingers in someone’s mouth like
that?  That’s disgusting.”

He
shrugged.  “What’s for dinner?”

I
followed him into the house, trying to shake the feeling of unease that was
creeping over me.  He had moved so damned fast.  Could normal people do
something like that?

I
made my way to the freezer and handed him a box.  “Fish sticks.”

I
stood by the
apartment door and rummaged through my purse, then triumphantly produced the
key.  The girls had been nice enough to invite me out after work.  They had not
been nice enough to walk me up to my apartment.  “
Bitches.”
  I giggled
softly to myself.  There was a metallic sliding sound as the deadbolt was
disengaged, and the door opened.  I gaped at the broad expanse of perfectly
muscled chest that had materialized in front of my eyes, and then I frowned at
the unused key in my hand.  All that work for nothing.

“I
sensed your return.”  Leith stepped aside and I went in.

I
carelessly tossed my purse on the table and kicked off my shoes, watching them
roll across the floor.  Closing my eyes, I took a moment to wiggle my toes
against the carpet.  Leith cleared his throat and I opened my eyes to find him
looking at me with a puzzled expression.

I
wriggled out of my jacket, and then paused to stare at the little red robin
that was perched on the back of my couch.  “There’s a bird in here,” I said
calmly.  I stared at it for a moment, trying to remember what I had been about
to do before I got distracted. 
Oh, right
.  I needed pajamas.  I
attempted to unzip the back of my skirt as I made my way toward my room.  It
was an impossible task with the floor tilting the way it was.  I spun in an
awkward circle, trying to grasp the zipper, and bumped into the wall.  It
almost took me down.  I snickered and gestured to Leith.  “Come help me with
this damned thing!”

He
raised a dark eyebrow, but did as he was told.  I presented him with my back
and waited patiently.  His nimble fingers slid under my waistband.  They felt
nice against my bare skin.  There was a moment of silence as he fiddled with
the back of my skirt.  I craned my head around to see what was taking him so
long, and the room spun.  Leith had his bottom lip between his teeth as he
studied my rear-end.  For some reason this sent me into a fit of giggles. 

He
glanced up in surprise, favoring me with a lopsided grin.  “You’re inebriated.”

I
struggled to look serious.  “I most certainly am too.”

He
laughed, still manhandling my skirt.  “Why can’t I take your clothes off?”

I
snorted with laughter, and then whacked my forehead with the heel of my hand. 
“It’s a hidden zipper!  There’s a tab thingy at the top that keeps it from
accidentally coming unzipped.” 

He
rolled his eyes, and I giggled.  I was rewarded with the gratifying sound of a
sliding zipper.  His hands moved to my hips- just a bit quicker than mine- to
keep it from slipping down.  His grip tightened, and I fully expected him to
pull me back against his tall frame.  My heart stuttered at the thought.  Then
he released me and stepped away.

I
cleared my throat and found my voice.  “Thanks peach.”  I tried to saunter
gracefully toward my room.  His deep laugh followed me down the hall. 

I
managed to change into something more comfortable and made my way to the couch. 
The bird was gone.  I flopped down next to Leith and took the remote from him. 
Squinting at the screen, I scrolled through the menu for something that wasn’t
news related; finally settling on some sitcom I’d never seen before.  It looked
pleasantly terrible.

Leith
was quiet as I channel surfed.  I tossed the remote aside and collapsed across
my half of the couch.  He slipped his arm under my curled up legs and stretched
them out, letting them rest across his lap.  A curling tendril of dark brown
hair fell forward across my face and I puffed, blowing it out of my eyes. 

He
chuckled and I glanced over to find him watching me with a bemused expression. 
“You are beautiful like this.”

I
made a sound of disbelief.  “What, drunk?”

He
grinned.  “No.  I meant when you are happy and relaxed.  You are a completely
different woman.”

I
flapped a hand at him dismissively.  “Whatever.”

He
shook his head.  “You are never truly at ease.  You are not content.  It’s
painful to watch you repress yourself every day.”

I
sat up and pulled my feet off his lap, hating the distance that was creeping
back in.  I ran my hands through my hair, and it stood up in bushy reaction.  “We’ve
been over this.  I’m fine.”  I was starting to sober up.  “Why are you so
insistent that I’m not happy?”

His
brows drew together in frustration.  “I just wish for you to see with clear
eyes, so that you can be at peace.  It is one thing that humans have difficulty
with.  I want to help you.”