Andrew

He fiddled with the tight collar of his suit.

Yeah, he was wearing a suit. It had been a victory in and of itself to get Karri to agree to let him be her bodyguard. So when she’d made it explicitly clear that he wasn’t just going to follow her around watching her back, but that he had to make an attempt to blend in, he’d agreed. This wasn’t exactly what he’d realized he was signing up for, however, but by the time he understood her plan, it was too late to back out.

His pants itched. The shoes crimped his toes and the collar felt like it was choking him. Not to mention the garment was too tight across his chest, too small around his hips, and almost too short on his arms.

“How the hell do humans wear this blasted thing every day?” he growled.

“By not whining over it,” came the curt reply.

Andrew frowned at Karri’s back. It wasn’t the first time she’d spoken to him that way. In fact, it seemed to be an ongoing thing. She was never rude to him. In fact, it seemed like she went a long way to ensure just that. But she was not interested in making small-talk anymore, that was for certain.

He couldn’t figure it out. Why was Karri acting like he no longer existed in her life? What the hell had gone wrong? Maybe she was getting cold feet after sleeping together so abruptly. That could definitely be it, maybe regrets about giving in so soon. Yet it wasn’t timidity or hesitation that he was sensing from her, but more of an outright closing off. So far he’d refrained from calling her out on it, wondering if it was all just because of what had happened to her car, but the longer things went, the harder it became for him to believe that. One of these moments he was going to call her out on it.

His collar itched again and he tugged at it. Then he pulled on the sleeves and adjusted the pants. None of it sat easily on his frame, despite the tailor saying it would fit perfectly.

“I feel like a circus act,” he muttered as they walked across the parking lot. The closer they got to the door to her office, the more the outfit began to bother him.

“Stop acting so nervous,” she hissed. “You need to act normal.”

“I am not nervous,” he replied. “It’s just that this blasted thing doesn’t fit right.”

“It fits fine,” she said, pulling the door open and proceeding inside.

She didn’t even bother to hold it for him.

Okay, maybe that was a little rude, but I am not nervous.

He stepped inside to follow her. Several pairs of eyes turned to focus on him.

Maybe I am nervous.

Hurriedly he charged down the hallway he saw Karri heading toward, even as he took in the surroundings. The lobby was nice, small yet well appointed, giving an excellent first impression that even he couldn’t fail to miss. A second hallway led off immediately to the left, but they didn’t head down that one, instead walking straight back from the door down a corridor lined with offices. He did his best to try and read every name, but gave up soon after in his efforts to keep up with Karri.

Eventually they reached an area that widened symmetrically to the left and right. Each side boasted a desk with a figure sitting behind it, and then two doors behind them leading into nice offices. Andrew figured they must be for her and her father. The one on the left was closed, but he could see figures moving around behind. Maybe he’d get to meet the infamous Mr. Blaine that morning. Wouldn’t that be something. He’d have to do well to mention that he wasn’t a shifter, for Karri’s sake.

Following Karri into her office, he ignored the nearly open-mouthed stares from the two women sitting behind the desks. Inside he found a chair nearest the door and sat down as quietly as he could, keeping himself between her and anyone who entered. Karri meanwhile rummaged around in her bag, sat down at her desk, and began to look through her computer, acting as if he weren’t there.

It was going to be a long day, so he began to practice some breathing exercises he’d learned a few years before, helping to keep him alert and yet not needing to be extremely focused either. It would help pass the time more swiftly.

At one point he adjusted himself in the chair, and it squeaked beneath him. Karri almost flew from her desk, leaping six inches in the air in surprise.

“What the hell?” she gasped, clutching at her heart.

“Are you okay?” he asked, halfway to her before he’d even finished speaking.

“I’m fine,” she said, waving him away. “You just scared the shit out of me. When did you get in here?”

He frowned. “I’ve been here all morning…”

She lifted her eyebrows skeptically. “You’ve been sitting there all morning?”

“Yes,” he said slowly, drawing out the three-letter word. “Did you not realize it?”

“No, obviously not,” she snapped. “Why are you just sitting there?”

He frowned. “Because I’m here to protect you. Would you prefer I pace back and forth with wild arm motions and a fancy furry hat? I could do that too if you wish.”

“No, no prancing and arm-waving,” she said, shaking him off. “But you can’t just sit there.”

“What would you have me do?”

“I don’t know,” she replied. “You’re my intern. Go…inter things or something. I don’t know!”

“I have exactly zero idea what that means. I barely understood what an intern was. Now you want me to go inter something? Doesn’t that mean bury it?”

He could see Karri getting exasperated, but before she could explode, the phone on her desk buzzed.

“Karri, your father would like to see you in his office.”

She rose immediately and walked around the desk. Andrew fell in step two feet behind her and half a step to her left, protecting her weak side. He did so without conscious thought. If Karri was going somewhere, he was going to be with her.

“Stay here,” she said when she realized he was intending to follow her.

“But—” he tried to say.

“No,” she said with more force. “You pick one of these chairs and you stay right here. I’m going across the hallway into my father’s office. I am not going to have you act as a shadow in my own workplace. You’re lucky you’re even here. I will have some semblance of privacy.” She paused, then decided to continue. “Besides, there is no way you’re meeting my father. Not happening, all right?”

He contemplated not complying with her, but decided that no harm could come from letting her go speak to her father. Maybe she would relax about him being her bodyguard if she saw that he was willing to work with her.

“Okay,” he relented, resuming his spot in the chair.

“Thank you,” she said, sounding surprised at her victory, before opening the door and leaving the room.

He heard a door across the hall open and close, followed by muffled voices. Andrew was trying to understand what they were saying when the door to Karri’s office popped open again. Shooting to his feet, he prepared himself for the worst.

“Oh, um, hi,” Karri’s secretary said, looking up at him.

Oh great. Andrew had seen the look on her face before. She was smitten with him because of his looks. He was well aware that the majority of shifters possessed looks that were considered by humans to be extremely pretty. It wasn’t the first time he’d been swooned over in public, though he very much wished it would be the last. Anytime a woman started acting all googly eyed over him it made for a very uncomfortable situation. Just like this was shaping up to be.

“Hello,” he replied politely.

“I’m Tina,” the short buxom woman said, gazing at him as if she were in a daydream.

Lovely. Can’t even speak properly.

“Hello Tina, I’m Andrew. Pleasure to meet you,” he said, dipping his head at her.

“Oh no, trust me, the pleasure is all mine,” she purred.

That didn’t just happen. Please tell me that didn’t just happen. That this isn’t happening.

“Well, I should, uh, get back to work,” he said as Tina advanced into the room. He looked around frantically for some way out, but he wasn’t finding anything.

“Yes, work. I think I can give you something to work on,” Tina said, plastering a suggestive smile all over her face.

Dear Lord, how much more upfront can this get?

“Ah, well, you see, Karri is actually my boss. So I have to do whatever she tells me to,” he said.

“Well, maybe she’ll tell you to do…something else,” Tina said, running a hand down her body.

Okay. Well, that’s how much more upfront it can get. Congratulations, you’ve found out. Now you win a prize.

“I’m sorry, Tina, but I don’t think Karri would like that very much,” he said, trying to get her to leave without having to be too blunt.

“I won’t tell.”

He almost felt bad for her. This woman was so mesmerized by his looks that she was coming on to him blatantly enough for it to be painful, and yet she couldn’t understand that he wasn’t interested.

“I believe in honesty,” he said. “I couldn’t do that to Karri.”

Tina seemed to clue in at last. She straightened and adjusted her shirt. “Very well then. Have a good day, Andrew.”

She spun on her heel and marched out of the office, her head held high. The instant the door closed behind her he sagged in relief.

What else was going to happen that day?