While it wasn’t as bad as sleeping in the forest for his training sessions when he was younger, he was glad this was the last night he’d been spending stretched out on the threadbare, suspect carpet.
He closed his eyes and settled his nerves, reciting a quick invocation to keep his dreams at bay. At least for the night.
*
Jade started her day at the normal time, went into work, booked four weeks’ vacation, spoke quickly to her manager and conjured some story about a family emergency.
The fact that she’d never taken any time off for her ‘family’ before probably worked in her favor. She managed a few silent nods to the sympathetic head tilts she received from her boss, gave a few noncommittal answers to the gentle, if somewhat slightly invasive, questions and was back at her apartment by ten.
She cleaned the perishables out of her fridge, powered down and unplugged her appliances and packed a suitcase.
Jade laughed when she realized the majority of her packing consisted of a phone, laptop, e-reader and power supply cords for all of the above.
And, of course, her running shoes. Shoes always took up the worst amount of space when packing. Ugh. She changed into some more comfortable clothes, settling on blue jeans, a gaming t-shirt she’d gotten online with some prancing ponies and some tennis shoes.
Ready much sooner than she anticipated, she didn’t quite know what to do with her extra time. She stretched out on the couch figuring even if she didn’t sleep, she could rest her eyes for a bit.
She was asleep in about five minutes and woke up with a start, bleary eyed and confused when she heard knocking at her door. Her phone told her it was five minutes after three - she’d slept the rest of the morning and part of the afternoon away.
“Yeah,” she hollered, pushing herself off the couch and toward the door. She yanked it open at the same time as she used the other hand to check her ponytail, feeling half of it escaping out of its rubber band.
Paris stood in the doorway with a petite blonde woman who smiled brightly.
“Did we wake you?” Paris asked politely.
She half-grunted in reply, pulling the door open and then stepping back to let them in. She yanked at her hair and undid the ponytail and quickly re-secured it.
“You must be Callie,” Jade said with a nod toward the blonde as she finished pulling her hair through the knot.
“Yeah,” Callie said with a smile, coming forward with her hand stretched out for a handshake. Jade took it and grasped it firmly and then had a sudden thought that she probably had mascara or drool all over her face.
Well, it wasn’t like they wanted her for her looks, she thought dismissively. She was pleased with Callie’s firm shake.
“I’m really happy to meet you,” Callie said with a warm, friendly smile.
“Apologies for our tardiness,” Paris said and then looked at Callie pointedly.
“You said three! I was ready at three!” Callie defended herself.
“Generally, when one says three, one means a little before the actual time.” He gave her a slightly disapproving look.
“Then you should have said two-forty-five,” Callie replied easily.
They were comfortable with each other, Jade thought. This was clearly a discussion they’d had before. For a brief flash she envied them - their ease with one another. Jade fidgeted a bit not quite knowing what to say or do in their company.
“I guess you were close by,” Jade finally said, figuring they must have either made obscenely good time or been close enough to reach her apartment in five minutes.
“Just across the street,” Callie said brightly. At Jade’s sharp look, Paris cleared his throat awkwardly.
“That’s not creepy at all,” Jade replied sarcastically. “You guys really were watching me, huh?”
“Oh, it wasn’t like that,” Callie said quickly. “We just, wanted to… I mean, we didn’t know anything about you and we figured… Well-”
Callie appeared to
He closed his eyes and settled his nerves, reciting a quick invocation to keep his dreams at bay. At least for the night.
*
Jade started her day at the normal time, went into work, booked four weeks’ vacation, spoke quickly to her manager and conjured some story about a family emergency.
The fact that she’d never taken any time off for her ‘family’ before probably worked in her favor. She managed a few silent nods to the sympathetic head tilts she received from her boss, gave a few noncommittal answers to the gentle, if somewhat slightly invasive, questions and was back at her apartment by ten.
She cleaned the perishables out of her fridge, powered down and unplugged her appliances and packed a suitcase.
Jade laughed when she realized the majority of her packing consisted of a phone, laptop, e-reader and power supply cords for all of the above.
And, of course, her running shoes. Shoes always took up the worst amount of space when packing. Ugh. She changed into some more comfortable clothes, settling on blue jeans, a gaming t-shirt she’d gotten online with some prancing ponies and some tennis shoes.
Ready much sooner than she anticipated, she didn’t quite know what to do with her extra time. She stretched out on the couch figuring even if she didn’t sleep, she could rest her eyes for a bit.
She was asleep in about five minutes and woke up with a start, bleary eyed and confused when she heard knocking at her door. Her phone told her it was five minutes after three - she’d slept the rest of the morning and part of the afternoon away.
“Yeah,” she hollered, pushing herself off the couch and toward the door. She yanked it open at the same time as she used the other hand to check her ponytail, feeling half of it escaping out of its rubber band.
Paris stood in the doorway with a petite blonde woman who smiled brightly.
“Did we wake you?” Paris asked politely.
She half-grunted in reply, pulling the door open and then stepping back to let them in. She yanked at her hair and undid the ponytail and quickly re-secured it.
“You must be Callie,” Jade said with a nod toward the blonde as she finished pulling her hair through the knot.
“Yeah,” Callie said with a smile, coming forward with her hand stretched out for a handshake. Jade took it and grasped it firmly and then had a sudden thought that she probably had mascara or drool all over her face.
Well, it wasn’t like they wanted her for her looks, she thought dismissively. She was pleased with Callie’s firm shake.
“I’m really happy to meet you,” Callie said with a warm, friendly smile.
“Apologies for our tardiness,” Paris said and then looked at Callie pointedly.
“You said three! I was ready at three!” Callie defended herself.
“Generally, when one says three, one means a little before the actual time.” He gave her a slightly disapproving look.
“Then you should have said two-forty-five,” Callie replied easily.
They were comfortable with each other, Jade thought. This was clearly a discussion they’d had before. For a brief flash she envied them - their ease with one another. Jade fidgeted a bit not quite knowing what to say or do in their company.
“I guess you were close by,” Jade finally said, figuring they must have either made obscenely good time or been close enough to reach her apartment in five minutes.
“Just across the street,” Callie said brightly. At Jade’s sharp look, Paris cleared his throat awkwardly.
“That’s not creepy at all,” Jade replied sarcastically. “You guys really were watching me, huh?”
“Oh, it wasn’t like that,” Callie said quickly. “We just, wanted to… I mean, we didn’t know anything about you and we figured… Well-”
Callie appeared to
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