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“Yes, I did, too.”
Ruby nodded. “I am going back to my day look.”
He inclined his head. “Of course.”
She resumed her normal appearance and checked her hair. “Uncle Grey, am I still cleared to go to work?”
He nodded. “Yes. They are expecting you.”
She looked at Mr. Kensington and said, “Anything else?”
He smiled and shook his head. “I will be in contact with you. If you give me your phone, I can give you one with a copy of your number. You just won’t see the messages from the other parties.”
She frowned, and he held up his hand with a slim phone in long fingers. She handed him her phone and gave him the code to it. He grinned. “F-U-C-K, got it.”
She opened the other phone and found all her chats to friends and the large selection of uncle correspondence that hadn’t been refreshed in months. They had told her she could call if she needed help, and she hadn’t made that call. She frowned, and then a happy face appeared in the chat from a surprising source. Uncle Grey.
She smiled. “I will get to work. The holidays are just around the corner.”
“Thanks. The manager just came to me yesterday asking if we could get extra hands, but I didn’t tell him that the hands were yours.”
She laughed. “We will be back on track in no time. Just like every other year.”
Grey sent her a thumbs-up and then a green light. She double-checked her clothes. “Right. You know where to find me. Can I still get lunch at the bistro next door?”
“If Mark lets you.”
“Right, I am off to make a mess.” She nodded. “Nice to meet you, Mr. Kensington.”
He got to his feet and took her hand, which caused her to flicker. “It has been an illuminating morning. We will make sure that this man doesn’t come near you. My number is in the phone if you need anything.”
She nodded. “Okay. Thank you.”
Ruby left the building with her skin tingling and only hesitated enough to see that Tanner’s car was gone.
She got into her sub-compact in her favourite colour, pewter. Driving to the shop was ingrained in her reflexes. She had worked there every day in summer and every evening during the holiday season. No matter which deity or tradition was in vogue, the humans that followed all like chocolate, and Grey’s family recipes were always in demand.
In the parking lot, she was surprised that work hadn’t called yet. Or Beth. She did hope that Beth was all right.
She snugged her car into the back and opened the rear door. She heard, “Excuse me, miss. This is the employees’ entrance.”
The heady scent of warm chocolate struck her nose, and it smelled like home. A moment later, Mark’s arms wrapped around her, and he spun her around. “You’re back!”
“I am. Do you have something boring and labour-intensive for me?”
“Right. Can you work on the chili chocolate?”
“Sure. Let me gear up and get an apron, and I will be ready to work.”
The joyful alpha wrapped an arm around her and bustled her to the changing area, where she put on a hair net, booties, and a hat. She scrubbed her hands and then put the apron in place.
Mark smiled and said, “Still a medium?”
“Yup.”
She took the box of gloves that he handed her and then was led to the station where the audience watched as flashy chocolates were created.
She looked at the order sheet and looked at Mark. “You butthead.”
