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Putting away my phone, I start to get in my own groove. I put on a work playlist so I can at least be a little entertained while gluing these down.
***
A couple hours later, the door opens and shuts. I already know it's Archer; no one else would dare come in here without knocking. I hear him walk up to where I'm sitting, bent over the bones. "Working hard, I see." He breaks the silence.
"Of course. I'll be done with these on Monday, and then I'll have the facial recognition all setup. Although I have no idea how long that will take."
"Will we ever find out what happened with this person?"
"Not with just bones, really. I mean, I can kind of shape what was used to break them, but some bones are missing, so it's really like a guessing game. Like, I can say a hammer did this, but it might also be a mallet. If we weren't missing the top of the bone, it might go wider where a mallet would fit better than a hammer. It's all just
inferences. However, we will at least be able to hopefully identify him. At least we'll have a face."
"Interesting. How did you get into forensics, anyways?"
"Mainly watching crime shows growing up. I have always dreamed that I would be able to 'do science like that.' I think that it looked more fun on the shows."
"Well, the shows also didn't have a handsome agent like myself."
"I would say that they had better." I laugh when he grabs me by my waist.
"You better take that back."
"Or?" I find that out really fast when he smacks my ass. "Ow, that hurt."
"It hurts more when you're nude and across my lap, little fox. Remember that."
"Yeah, yeah. Let's get going. Is Liam meeting us, too?"
"I texted him, but I'm not sure if he'll be coming. He never responded; my guess is he's still sleeping. Or playing a video game."
Men and their nonchalance for everything except their video games. "Well, we wouldn't want to keep Cor waiting." I check my clock, and it's 11:40, perfect timing to leave and walk down to the little spot.
"I can't wait for you to meet my sister. She's going to love you."
"Well, I hope she does because I don't plan on leaving for a long time."
I grab my purse, and we head out, walking the short distance to the little restaurant two blocks away. It's a nice sort of peace walking hand-in-hand with Archer. It feels good to be wanted. I can't believe it's only been a week and a couple days. It feels like a lifetime; maybe it's because I knew him for years before this happened.
"Penny, for your thoughts, pretty lady?"
"Just thinking about how it feels like we've been together for so much longer than a week."
"Well, just wait until a couple years, and we are out of the honeymoon stage where we sometimes get sick of each other. But always stick together because we love each other too much to let each other go. Have a couple kids if you wanted."
"If I wanted?"
"Your body, your choice."
"Is that because you grew up with a sister?"
"Mainly because I don't have the parts to create life, so I shouldn't berate a woman who makes their own medical choices."
"Fair enough." We're still holding hands when we get to the restaurant. It's a cute little shop on the corner. They have a patio that is covered in flowerpots and a wooden awning that has vine entangled throughout it. It's the perfect little place for photos, and I'm sure Cordelia had used the site for some of her fashion designs. The building itself is an old brick, and it really ties in the place.
I spot Cordelia sitting on the outdoor patio. She is sipping a drink. It looks like her specialty, an apple martini. She discovered them when we snuck into a bar as teenagers, and ever since I think she drinks them to remember her carefree childhood. Of course, the bar was one of our uncles, so when we stepped in, they didn't question us. I am worried about some of the guys that we danced a little too provocatively with. Hopefully, they are still breathing; they just might not have a couple fingers.
We go up to Cordelia, and she takes her fill of Archer for the first time. Her eyes widen; yep, I did well this time around. His grey eyes pierced her, his dark hair. He looks very intimidating, looking down at my sister.
