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AFTER A LATE, MODEST lunch of chips and grilled cheese sandwiches, Lucas and Lyra went down for an accidental nap.
I was calling my mom’s office for the third time when I noticed they’d curled up on opposite ends of my couch, cuddled under my throw blankets. They were fast asleep, and it was only two o’clock in the afternoon.
I suppose it’s not every day that you get transported around the world and into a stranger’s apartment.
I didn’t mind. They were pretty interesting kids. I mean, as far as kids go, I supposed.
Lucas liked sports and animals. He told me he missed his pet back home as I gave out the cookies I had stuffed in the back of my pantry. He said his lizard had a soft spot for sweets.
Lyra was in love with music. She managed to find the built-in sound system I had installed a few years ago and turned it on. I was surprised to find she liked the orchestral arrangements. Her mother, she said, was teaching her the violin.
I didn’t get too much information about their parents before they fell asleep on my couch. I knew they were Stars. Their dad was a teacher, and their mother worked at a hospital. I also learned that they had several other brothers and sisters—they were only two out of nine, to be exact, which told me all I needed to know about their parents—and they were the youngest.
Once they fell asleep, I watched them for a while, transfixed by the absurdity of my situation, and even more so by my reaction to it.
I should have been running from this. I should have been kicking them out, calling the police, and getting my own nap in peace.
I didn’t want to even think about being a Star, let alone getting involved with other people who were. But these kids—kids—charmed me and managed to make me want to help them.
And I had agreed, even if I didn’t have a solid clue just how to do that.
Lyra muttered in her sleep and turned over onto her other side. Her brown hair was splayed out across my throw pillows. Lucas was a stomach sleeper; he had pulled one of my throw pillows nearly over his face.
I decided not to worry about it. Surely, Cheryl would know what to do.
As I moved into the study, I glanced at the time.
Immediately, my heart began to stutter.
It’s two-thirty!
I had to present a court case.
More than an hour ago!
I grabbed the phone and dialed Charlotte’s number. I was surprised to see I had several missed calls from her. Was my phone on silent?
She didn’t pick up when I called her back.
What is wrong with people today? I wondered, tossing the phone down on the counter.
As I did that, there was another knock on my door.
I opened it to see Charlotte glaring at me. “There you are,” she exclaimed, exasperated. “Where have you been?”
“Just here,” I said. “And hey, can you keep your voice down some, please?”
“I don’t particularly care if your neighbors hear how much you’ve managed to screw things up this time,” Charlotte said.
“Well, this time it’s about a case, not about our relationship,” I pointed out. “So you should care more about what they hear this time.”
“Ugh! You’re just saying that because you don’t like to argue.”
Really? You think I don’t like to argue? I sighed. Maybe it was true when it came to her. Usually, Charlotte was a bit of a pushover. It was only times like this—times when she was angry—that she was harder to deal with.
“Besides,” she marched on, “the music’s on in here.” She huffed as she read the title. “Weren’t you the one who told me last year that the orchestra was for losers?”
“I would’ve said anything to get you to stop asking me,” I told her. “And I do really need you to keep it down. It’s not the neighbors I’m worried about.” I nodded toward the room. “I had some unexpected guests this afternoon.”
Charlotte glanced into the room. “Children? Are those children?”
“Yep. I don’t know whose they are,” I said. “They’re lost. They were just here, so I thought I’d call my mother—”
“You didn’t call the cops?”
“No.” I sighed. It was hard to explain that it was a delicate situation, with Starlight Warrior connections. I didn’t talk about my past as a rule.
“Well, thanks to you, I had to take over the case. The Wilsons were so mortified, they’re asking for their money back.”
Dread sank into me. Despite being just a “simple” fraud case, the Wilson deposit was a hefty one. It would be a big loss to the company. (That was part of the reason I’d been assigned to take care of it.)
“Come on,” I said, trying to shrug off my shame. “It’s a just a fraud case. You couldn’t present it on your own?”
“Daddy says I struggle with performance anxiety.” She lowered her gaze to the ground, before skirting around me.
“Would you stop calling him that?” I rolled my eyes. I had a feeling she didn’t struggle with just performance anxiety; there was probably a whole slew of problems I didn’t want to even contemplate.
“Well, he is my father,” she said, “and he’s your boss. I called in and told them what happened. He’s not happy, and neither is Pharris. She wants you to come and see her. Today. ASAP.”
“Great,” I muttered. I tugged Charlotte’s arm, towing her toward the door. “Go ahead and tell her I’ll be in before the end of the day. You can tell Sue down in HR that I’m taking a sick day, too.”
“You don’t have any more days left,” Charlotte said.
“What? Why? I haven’t taken off since June.”
“Sue’s been docking your pay every time Pharris doesn’t think you’re working hard enough. She says that you piddle around a lot.”
I groaned. “Well, I guess I’ll have to see about filing a lawsuit of my own while I’m down there. Good-bye, Charlotte.”
I slammed the door in her face before she could object. Not that I thought she would anyway. For a lawyer, she didn’t seem to be very forthright about exercising her options.
“Well,” Lyra said. “That didn’t go well.”
I rolled my eyes before turning around to see that the almost-teenager was just behind me. “You don’t need to eavesdrop on my conversations,” I said.
“You hurt her feelings.”
“I’ve had a rough day.”
“Is she your girlfriend?”
“Aren’t you being nosy?”
Lyra pursed her lips together, making herself look more like an adult. “No,” she said. “I’m just trying to point out that you should be more kind to people.”
“I can tell you’re an idealist when you talk like that. You talk of how things should be, not as they are.” I sighed. “I have to go into work. She’s not my girlfriend, okay? I mean, we dated a few times, but that’s not ... ” I was surprised to see Lyra’s eyebrows arch. She’s only ... what, twelve, right? Why is she making me so ... flustered?
“When will you be back?” she asked.
“I don’t know. But not too long.” I sighed. “Look, just stay here and watch over your brother. Turn on the TV. Help yourselves to whatever you want in the fridge ... ”
I mentally decided it wouldn’t hurt to lock the liquor cabinet before I left. Even if Lucas was smart enough to stay away, I didn’t want temptation to be a problem while I was out and minors had free rein of my apartment.
Grabbing a pen and a paper, I jotted down my cell phone number. “Here,” I said, holding it out to Lyra. “Take this. Call me if you need me.”
“Okay.”
Now she looked so young when I saw her. I almost wanted to shake myself. It’s not like they’re your kids, and it’s not like it’s your fault they’re in this situation. Get a grip.
But still, I gave her a quick pat on the shoulder on my way to the door. “Everything will be alright,” I told her, my voice nearly cracking at the familiar adage.
She brightened instantly. “Okay.”
I left before I could feel even more hapless.
I was surprised to find that Charlotte was gone; for some reason, I wouldn’t have been surprised if she’d waited for me out in my apartment parking deck, just to make sure I was actually coming, and also to give me some more mopey stares.
It was less than an hour later that I arrived back at the office.
“Alex! Get in here,” came the call, and I drew in a deep, steady breath.
Mary Kaye Pharris didn’t get to be the partner at a prestigious law firm specializing in international and corporate finances by any amount of sheer luck. From her several diplomas and certificates, I knew she was a hard worker, and I could respect that.
It was more her attitude that I hated when it came to dealing with her. Her hair was a bob, short and prim, and she wore a lot of Chanel suits. She was starting to get up there in years, but if people could get fingertip implants, I would say that she had. Her fingernails were always meticulously polished in bold colors. I had the feeling, and some of my coworkers did, too, that she’d secretly been trying to get Mr. Dahlonega to marry her since his wife left him just over a decade before.
She took off her glasses and looked at me. “So, there he is, the great Hamilton Alexander Dinger.”
“You’re my boss,” I said, “not my mother. There’s no reason to middle-name me.”
Her smile was bitter. “I’m glad to see that Charlotte got my message and gave it to you.”
“Did she give you the message I had for you?” I asked.
“Why, no. No, she did not.”
There was something absolutely sinister about her smile. It was perfectly straight and perfectly white, but it just seemed like she was gritting her teeth throughout her time dealing with me.
Pharris was the living reminder to me that it was sometimes easier to deal with demons than it was to deal with people. She was the person who taught me Elysian had been right; humans do have more power, because they have choices. Pharris seemed to use all of her choices to make my life miserable.
Perhaps more miserable.
“Well then, let’s start with you and then we’ll move onto me. What can I do for you?” I asked. “I have a bit of a ... family emergency today, so I will be leaving soon.”
“Oh, you’ll be leaving?” Pharris practically cackled with glee. “I was about to suggest it myself.”
I had a feeling I knew why she was excited all of a sudden. She wanted to fire me, and I’d finally given her proper cause.
Ever since I’d earned “Daddy” Jeremiah Dahlonega’s approval on my own, aside from Charlotte’s influence, it seemed a lot of my coworkers had been waiting for Pharris to make her move. I found out about four months after being hired that she managed to scare off a lot of the better workers. They quit in droves since she was taken on as partner.
Mr. Dahlonega was a big dreamer, a big idealist, and had a relatively “bubble-esque” approach when it came to seeing the world. He wasn’t able to see Pharris was a talent-killer, and he wasn’t able to see the dirtier sides of people. It was part of what made him a great defense attorney. It was also part of the reason several white-collar crime lords were walking free in the city streets.
Pharris knew this and took direct advantage of it. But I was tired of playing her games, and I suspected a lot of my coworkers were, too.
This was the wrong day to pretend to be better than I was.
“I hardly think missing one court hearing is enough justification for getting me fired,” I told her bluntly. “Especially after all the other cases I’ve saved for you.”
“When you work here, it’s not about performance,” Pharris countered easily. “You signed the employment agreement. This is an at-will employment. We can let you go for any reason, and missing a court hearing happens to be a valid reason.”
“You’ve been having Sue mess with my HR records,” I said. “Charlotte told me, and I have a witness to the conversation.”
She momentarily faltered, but evil never dies or shuts up when it’s supposed to. “I docked your hours because of your rather lackadaisical work ethic. Time theft is a real issue in the workplace environment.”
“So is a high turnover rate of employment, and bosses with questionable work ethic requirements.”
I could defend my work records; my cases would speak for themselves. I knew I had a higher success rate than most of my coworkers, and I was at the top of my game for the city lawyers.
She put her hands down on the table between us, her fingernails sharp and all of them, seemingly, unconsciously pointed at my heart. “Be that as it may,” she said, “I’m more focused on your habits at work.”
“Then you’ll need to address them with me, specifically,” I said. “Docking hours because you don’t think I work hard enough is against the law—something you should know. I could easily sue you for it.”
“And I could sue you for harassment,” she shot back.
There it was—the crack in her voice. She was fighting a losing battle, and she knew it.
“So which is it, then?” I asked. “Are you going to sue me or fire me?”
“Both!” she exclaimed.
“You can’t.” I smiled. “Mr. Dahlonega has the final say on whether or not to fire me.”
“He’s right, Mary Kaye.”
We turned around to see Daddy himself as he waltzed in. “I was just looking for Alex,” he said, nodding to me. “Y’all want to come into my office, or are y’all comfortable where we’re at?”
“I’m comfy,” I said. In situations like this, it’s always best to set the terms of everything you can, including the environment. Besides, there would have been nothing more pleasing to me than to see Lady Boss get demolished and overruled in her own office.
“Good, good then. Well,” he said, “Alex, you let me down today.”
“I know, sir, but as I was trying to explain to Ms. Pharris here, I had a bit of a family emergency.”
He sighed. “Family’s family.”
I shot a quick, nonchalant look of victory toward Pharris.
“Which is why, Alex, you should be more than understanding about what I’m going to say next.”
Huh? What?!
I turned to him, fighting to keep a stupefied expression off my face. “Yes, sir?”
“I’m going to put you on administrative leave for a month,” he said.
“What? Why?”
“I talked with my girl today, and you’ve hurt her real bad,” Mr. Dahlonega said.
“If she’s crying because I don’t want to date her—”
“She’s always been hung up on you, son.”
“I don’t want to date my coworkers,” I muttered. “Charlotte has always known that.”
“Well, she was in tears earlier, and it’s a father’s job to act.”
“Act on what? You can’t fire me because I won’t date your daughter.”
“Exactly. I’m putting you on leave for missing the Wilson hearing. ” He twirled one end of the salt and pepper mustache on his face. “She’s my only daughter, son. I suspect you’ll understand when you’re married with a girl of your own.”
I gaped at him, shocked. It was hard to think of anyone I knew who put their family before business. It was practically wired into my DNA.
“Sir,” I said, trying to think of a compelling argument to combat this, “let me—”
Pharris jumped on my hesitation. “Well, Alex, that’s just horrible! How could you have ever mistreated our sweet Charlotte around the office here?”
“I didn’t. She was the one who was too easily offended by my rejection of her,” I snapped back at Pharris.
It was ultra-irritating to see the smirk on her face.
“I know, son.” Mr. Dahlonega looked at Pharris. “Mary Kaye, would you please pardon us for a moment? We’ve got to have a talk, man to man, if you catch my drift.”
“Sure, Jeremiah,” she crooned, practically dancing out of her desk chair.
I had to wonder if she thought he was going to punch me or something. I wondered if that was what I thought, too.
But the instant the door closed, Mr. Dahlonega smiled. “There, that’s better.”
“If you’re not going to punch me,” I said, “she’ll probably hate you later on for that ‘man-to-man’ comment.”
He waved his hand in the air. “You know I’m never worried about all that stuff,” he said. “The good Lord will protect me from Satan’s wrath on the Day of Judgment, and if that’s true, then I have no reason to fear Mary Kaye’s raging in the meantime.”
Hearing him more or less say Pharris was a step up from the devil almost made me laugh.
“I do not want to worry about my girl,” he added, quickly wiping away any chance I had at levity. “Charlotte’s my baby girl, and I know she’s up here because she’s got aspirations of being a good lawyer.”
“She seems like she’s improved since last year,” I said, trying to be as fair and helpful as I could.
“There’s no need to be brown-nosing, son,” he said. “I know what kind of books my daughter reads and what kind of movies she spends my money on. She wants to be married and have kids and go on long vacations.”
I definitely agreed with him there.
“I’ve been hoping the world would help her see the truth—that this is a nasty business, and one that’s not suited for a lady of her temperament.”
That was definitely surprising.
“The truth is, if you’re not interested in marrying her,” he said, “you’re just going to become a scapegoat here.”
“Sir?”
“That’s why I’m going to give you a month’s leave,” he said. “Paid, of course, though there’s no overtime. I’ll also reimburse you for whatever Mary Kaye did to your past wages, though I’m putting the overtime cap at sixty hours per week.”
Eighty would’ve been more fair, but I didn’t argue with him as he told me about how he already had Charlotte getting his cases reassigned to some of the other staff lawyers.
At the end of my questions and his information, he smiled kindly at me through his big mustache. “Now, go on and take care of your family,” he said. “I’ll take care of mine.”
“What happens after the month’s up?” I asked.
“Hopefully, my baby girl will find a way to either get what she wants from somewhere else, or she’ll find out for sure if she’s got what it takes to be a good lawyer. Either way, with you removed from the picture, she will come to the decision on her own. We can talk options when you get back.”
I stood up, walked over, and shook his hand. “I think you’re a good father,” I told him.
Mr. Dahlonega nodded. “I sure hope I am. This is painful, Alex, my boy. I love you like a son, and truth be told, even Mary Kaye knows we’ll take a hit the instant you decide to leave us.”
“Thank you.”
“Expect your check in the bank by the end of the week.” He tipped his head to me and then headed out.
I stood there, in Pharris’ office, and felt the coming conundrum. I was overjoyed I wasn’t getting fired, despite Pharris’ efforts to destroy me. But I was also perplexed, because I was pretty sure I’d just witnessed a miracle.
☼5☼