Dangerous Mating (A.L.F.A., #3)(3)
The funny thing was no one would believe her if she did tell them all she knew. That was one thing that kept her from having the meaningful relationships she craved with girlfriends and boyfriends. Her social IQ was about as low as it could go. Growing up as a freak to her peers had started it. Now knowing little of the world beyond work, she had nothing to talk with others about.
She tried to get into the TV shows she overheard other women talking about. Oprah, Dr. Phil, Dr. Oz. But a lot of the things discussed were flat-out wrong. Especially about foods. One would think organic meant coming from your grandmother’s home garden. Not the case. So much so, she ate fruits and vegetables from cans. Preservatives were better than things used in the organic world.
Once, she dared to tell a few ladies she wanted to befriend in her apartment building about the hidden aspects of the food industry. They looked at her as if she was from a different planet. Who would they trust more? Dr. Oz with all his commercial backing or a person they hardly knew who wouldn’t tell them where she worked or what her job was.
Well, piss on them. She didn’t need friends who didn’t get her. She could make it on her own. As long as batteries for her Rabbit were in stock.
Chapter Two
Kari schlepped her bag down to her office bullpen. She needed coffee in the worst way. She wondered when she’d gotten so hooked on the stuff. It didn’t help that all the adrenaline streaming through her body since the phone call from her boss was now draining. She was crashing hard. Maybe she could go back to sleep at her desk until her clock-in time. Not that she really punched a card. But this was the FBI building. Those who needed to know knew everything about everybody, including the minute you walked in or out a door.
Even dragging butt, and she had substantial butt to drag, she was glad to be here. She was able to decode messages important to national security. How many others could really say their job was as important as hers?
Looking around the room, she had no idea so many people came into work this early. They were the ones who had children to pick up from soccer practice or band rehearsal. Had a loving spouse to go home to, and whatever else that was wonderful in their lives. She wouldn’t know. Never been there. No T-shirt.
She turned down the aisle toward the kitchen and was startled by a man standing in the center of the corridor. “Hey, Marty. I wasn’t expecting to see you there. What are doing standing in the middle of the hall?”
He grinned. His eyes were as round as plates. “Oh, just lucky, I guess, to not run into you at the corner. You’ve done a great job of teaching me how to be careful.” He was fidgety, seemed a bit afraid of being close to her. “Well, need to get back to work.” He scooted over, his back against the wall and sidestepped until he was a distance away, then hurried on.
She sighed. Yeah, she’d done the proverbial run into a coworker carrying coffee while coming around the corner act. But she hadn’t done that for a long time. Not yet this year, and they were halfway through.
In the kitchen, someone had placed a dozen donuts on the table. Oh my god. She was so thankful. In her rush out the door this morning, breakfast hadn’t happened. Not when the director wanted to see you right away. Maybe she should find an apartment closer to the office. But stuff was so expensive in this part of DC.
Coffee in hand, she sat at the four-person table and plucked a glazed donut from the box. And it was still warm. Oh my god, again. If they did this every morning, she was changing her work hours. The dough melted on her tongue, the glazing sliding onto her taste buds. Pure heaven, and the reason she had a lot of butt to drag around. Oh, well. She’d rather live shorter and be happy than live longer and be miserable.
From the hallway, she heard high-heeled shoe clack on the terrazzo floor. Annie, a lady who worked across the room from her, walked in. Upon seeing Kari sitting at the table, she froze in her tracks.
“Good morning, Annie,” she said.
“Hey, Kari.” The smile on her coworker’s face was faker than shit. Even she could see that. “You’re here early.” Annie poured coffee into a mug designed as a cat face.
“Yeah, had a rush job come in. Didn’t take long, so here I am eating donuts,” she said. Surprising her, Annie took a cream filled pastry from the box instead of running out of the room.
“But they’re freaking good. Still warm,” Annie said. Ahh, Kari thought, the draw of sugar was strong enough to create even the most awkward of meetings. The silence between them was thicker than the lemon goo squirted into the donut Annie held.
Kari noticed the diamond ring on Annie’s hand. “How’s it going with Keith?” she asked. She hoped that was the man’s name.
“Good, good,” Annie said. “Any men on your horizon?” Kari saw the slight cringe Annie made after asking the question. Yeah, the woman didn’t care, just being polite and asking the wrong question to someone she didn’t want to talk to. But Kari had a funny comeback for this. First time for everything.
Kari snorted. “The closest I’ve been to a man was when I wiped spilled tea off the TV when a commercial advertising the Thunder from Down Under tour came on. Then I had to wipe my drool from the screen.”
Annie laughed. “Aren’t they absolutely gorgeous? At least you can look at them. Keith turns the channel as soon as he hears the music for the commercial start, whether I’m in the living room or not.” They both laughed over men and their jealousies. But in reality, she’d love to have someone who would be jealous. Shit, she’d be glad just to have someone. She sighed.