His Temporary Assistant

“Yeah, but he’s already into Dre. Could practically scent the pheromones in the air. He was ready to try out her honey pot.”

“Is that so?” Luna hummed in appreciation. “Dre could use it.”

“Truth. The whole thing was rather adorable. Something was different about him.”

“Bad vibes?”

“No, just…different. Anyway, this maniac bike messenger tried to take me out.”

“Those are still a thing?”

“Evidently.” I punched the pillow and tried to get comfortable. “I appreciate your concern.”

Her musical laugh came across the airwaves as I put her on speaker. “I’m sorry. You okay?”

“Just my pride and maybe my hip.” I rubbed at it absently. It was a little sore. “Luckily, there’s plenty of padding there.”

“Girl, we all wish we were as lush and beautiful as you are.”

“Don’t try to butter me up now.” I picked at the fringe on the pillow. “So my respectable business wear was toast.”

“Did you say you were wearing your body chain thing? Dude, that is super hot.”

“It’s to balance—”

“Whatever. You know that’s hot as fuck. You sure you didn’t wear that to toy with him?”

I sat up. “It was armor, dammit. I had to go into that stuffy law office. Besides, it was under my sweater. He would never have known it was there.”

“Except that it drapes in the front too. It’s literally a network of chains that go around your boobs.”

“Okay, so it was a little sexy, but it was mostly hidden. And I wore it for myself, not him.”

“Hmm.”

I curled my arms around my middle. “Stop hmming me.”

“You’re awfully pouty.” I heard shuffling happening.

“No, I’m not. What are you doing?”

“Pulling cards.”

“You don’t have to do that.” I popped up from the couch and snatched my AirPods from the little charging nook on my end table. I tucked them in my ears so I could pace as I talked.

“Obviously, we need to do a little card therapy.”

“No, we really don’t.”

“Then I definitely do since you’re so wound up.”

“No, it’s not that. I just don’t think I need it.”

“Whenever you think you don’t, you really do.”

I nibbled on the corner of my thumbnail. “We have podcast stuff.”

“It can wait.” Luna was a bridge shuffler so all I could hear was the snap and riffle of cards as she did her usual routine. I could see her in my head. Sitting cross-legged on her massive pink floor pillow, her short table in front of her.