“Maybe not yet,” she said. “Kelly wouldn’t mind, at least.”
“Is it safe?” They’d last seen her mother around here, after all.
She weighed it in her head. Her mother still didn’t know. There was only so long you could sustain yourself on panic. “Enough. There’s a little park a block over. Want to go sit for a few minutes?”
“That would be nice.” He sighed. “Brad will mind.”
“Screw Brad.”
“You know, you already had one boss die,” he said hopefully.
“What, is that how people get promotions on the Infernal Plane?” she teased.
“Well, the bosses are otherwise immortal unless you kill them, so yes.”
That was a little sobering. They sat down on one of the unoccupied benches. A few optimistic pigeons wandered over.
“Are you allowed to kill clients?” she asked, unsure if she wanted the answer.
He sighed. “No.”
“Damn.”
“That is the idea,” he said. He gave her a crooked grin that made her heart flip over. “Thank you.”
“For what?” She shifted the cold pack a little.
“For asking if I was OK.” He stared at the pigeons. “I’m not sure anyone’s ever asked that before.”
“You realize how sad that is, don’t you?” she said, a little alarmed.
“I’m starting to, yes.” He bit his lip. “Can I ask for something, and it’s OK if you don’t want to?”
“You can ask,” she said cautiously.
“Can I try a hug?”
“Try?” She looked at him quickly.
“We don’t really do hugs,” he admitted to the ground. “But they look nice.”
She gently fitted the arm that wasn’t holding a cold pack around his shoulders. He tentatively lowered his head onto her shoulder. He was warmer than a human would be, though not unpleasantly so. Kind of comfortable, like an electric blanket. They sat for a moment. She savored it, refusing for his sake to wish for more. She could feel the curve of his bicep under her hand. She was allowed to take pleasure in how it fitted into her palm. It was like a mindfulness exercise. She could let the satisfaction of the feeling of his breath, soft against her neck, pass through her and then let it go. She was being supportive to her friend. That was all. Truly.
He continued to eye the pigeons. “Those aren’t going to try to eat us, are they?”
“No, I promise the pigeons won’t eat you.” Her phone vibrated.
“What is it?” he said, with dread.
“Brad wants to know where we are.” She took a deep breath and let it out.
Luke’s bracelet glowed orange.
“What is it?” she echoed, with even greater dread.
“Bel’aliol wants to know when the second contract is going to be signed.”
“Shit.”
