Ethan slipped his Palm Pilot back into his pocket. "I suppose I'll see all of you tomorrow afternoon." They shook hands all around, then I walked Ethan to the exit.
"Are you going to be okay?" I asked.
"Yeah, I think so. In fact, I feel better than I have for a while."
"That's good to hear. I wouldn't want to think you were going around the bend. We need you too much."
"This stuff that's going on, it's that bad?"
"They're afraid this is the first step in a possible magical war. It opens the door for magical people who want to use their powers in a darker way, and that makes life riskier for everyone. If we stop it now, we may be able to prevent a lot of suffering."
"Then I'd better do a damn good job." He started to go, then paused and turned back. "I realize you didn't exactly have dating on your mind when you had me get in touch with you, and I know our date isn't going to make the hall of fame—at least, not in a good way—but would you be interested in trying again? This time, I promise not to have a nervous breakdown."
I hesitated. I did like him, and he was cute. He was also the most normal man I knew. But did I really want to date him? This didn't seem like the best time to mix business with pleasure. "Can we talk about it once the immediate crisis is averted?"
"That gives me plenty of incentive for getting this done right, and soon. I hope I'll see you tomorrow when I come by."
"I'll try to at least drop by and say hi while you're here."
* * *
"It would be a good idea for you to be there when Ethan comes by this afternoon,"
Owen said as we walked to the subway station the next morning.
"Why's that?"
"It'll help him feel more comfortable. He's going to see things that are beyond his imagination, and it'll help to have someone he knows and trusts nearby. You're an anchor to him, someone he knows is real."
"I'll see if Mr. Mervyn needs me for anything, and if not, sure, I'll come down." I-was more than a little curious about what Idris had been working on before he was fired, and this would be a good way of finding out.
At the same time, I thought this was the ultimate evidence that Owen had no romantic interest in me. If he were interested, would he want me spending even more time with a guy he knew I'd gone out on a date with—even if my reasons behind that date were strictly business? While Rod had shown the slightest hints of jealousy upon meeting Ethan, Owen had been friendly, in his reserved sort of way.
I grinned then. "Magic tricks, huh?"
He laughed. "Yeah, card tricks, coin tricks. I have quite the collection."
"Everyone needs a hobby, I suppose."
"What's yours?" It was the closest thing to a personal question Owen had ever asked me.
"I like to cook. I don't have time for it often, and my kitchen here is pathetic, but it's fun to see what I can make out of what I have available. I grew up on a farm, so we were always working with fresh produce in season. I also love to bake."
"That's interesting. I'd love to try some of your cooking sometime."
"This time of year, I get baking urges. I'll have to bring in some bread and cookies to share around the office."
"I'm looking forward to it."
That afternoon, I headed down to Owen's office just before two. His desk was piled with books and papers. "Is that all your stuff on Idris?" I asked.
"Yeah. I'm missing just one thing." He was rummaging through a filing cabinet.
"There it is." He added the file he'd just found to the pile, just then the crystal on his desk glowed and Hughes's voice said, "Mr. Wainwright to see you, sir."
"Thanks, Hughes. I'll be right down."
I went with him to meet Ethan, but before we got to the door of the R&D