A Lady of Many Charms and Other Stories Read online

  Leo loved Monday mornings because it meant he would see Katerina. He hummed along with the sonic shower. He forgot to eat breakfast. He drummed his feet to the rhythm of the shuttle tube as it carried him and thousands of other workers into the Business District. In his pocket lay a handwritten note on the back of a napkin that said, “Friday’s report could use another pass.”

  He couldn’t wait to give it to her. Such an important message could not be trusted to email, IM or even a txt. Anything sent through electronic channels would become part of the permanent record.

  That was a dangerous thing. Absolutely no one had to know that Friday’s report could use another pass, or the figures looked satisfactory today or no audit was required.

  Well, almost no one. Katerina knew. And that was all that mattered.

  Leo stepped out of the elevator onto the 18th floor. This had been his office for three years, ever since his demotion. Sure, with some hard work he might have been re-promoted to his former position or even laterally to another department. But that meant he’d have to leave Katerina. He would stay in this position forever if it meant he could spend every working day with the woman he loved, even if only as co-workers.

  Leo looked about the 18th floor. The gentle colours of blue and green soothed the souls of office workers reclining at their stations. The interface modules lay across their foreheads with the visual displays hovering over them.

  He found Katerina in her station, her fingers twitching on her belly as she interfaced with the network in her reclined position. Leo loved how her body responded to her work with little movements. It was as if she had immersed herself completely. Her lips moved as she read reports and forms. Her hands flicked as she scrolled through databases. How he yearned to reach out and touch her.

  But that bordered on illegal.

  Instead, he pulled out his handheld and dashed off an IM: “Got a moment? Had a thought from yesterday.” Let the records department figure that one out.

  He stood by her recliner and waited for her to re-emerge from the network.

  She was lovely, with her soft brown hair and fine eyes. Her figure looked relaxed as she worked. Gradually she emerged, lifting the interface module off her forehead.

  Katerina sat up with a smile that might have been dangerously cheerful had anyone been paying too close attention. “Good morning, Leo. Can I help you?”

  Oh, she could bring him back to life. “I had a thought yesterday during lunch.” He drew the napkin from his pocket and handed it to her.

  Her eyes softened as she took it reverently from his hand. They lingered, letting their fingers touch. He yearned to gather her into his arms, maybe even kiss her. That would get him fired, possibly imprisoned. And if Katrina didn’t make a fuss and file a report on him, she could go to prison as well.

  A co-worker glanced over, studying them. Leo jerked his hand back and shoved it into his pocket.

  Katerina dropped her own hand. “Why didn’t you just text me after lunch?” Her gaze slid sideways.

  Clever girl. Leo shrugged. “Something came up, and I forgot.”

  In the beginning of their clandestine relationship, Leo cultivated the peculiar habit of turning off his handheld at lunch, in the shower and even on the toilet. His reason: being available constantly was not good for a man’s digestion. Thus, when an idea struck him, he’d taken to the old-fashioned habit of jotting down his thoughts on whatever paper was available. Nearly everyone on the floor had gotten a note on a napkin or even, to their horror, toilet paper—enough so that nobody noticed Katerina received more notes than anyone else.

  She read the napkin. “I already went over Friday’s report. I sent it off that afternoon.” Meaning gave her words extra weight. Katerina had submitted her Valentine Raffle application.

  Leo’s heart rate increased. “Have you?” He didn’t mean to sound so eager. Raffle acceptance was more difficult for women, with the general population outnumbering men four to one. She’d applied several times before, only to be rejected. Maybe this time she’d succeed. “Must have missed the notification,” he said.

  At this, she laughed, drawing the attention of her co-worker. Uh oh. Things were getting dangerous. “Next time I’ll write you a note.”

  He couldn’t help but smile. She’d done that—written him notes. To everyone else, it seemed like a joke, mocking Leo’s funny ways. But Leo knew exactly what those notes meant. She loved him back.

  He retreated from her. “I’m glad it’s done.” Here’s hoping for success this time with the ‘Friday report’.

  The first two applications they put in together. Leo got in, Katerina did not. When that happened, Leo had deliberately failed the Raffle.

  He couldn’t afford to do that a third time. Fail a Raffle too often and one would get the status of ‘difficult’ and the government would look a bit too close to one’s personal life.

  Katerina had already laid her module across her forehead, ready to immerse herself back in the network. But the telltale blush on her face let him know what she really thought. “I’ll get right on it.” The napkin was still in her fingers.

  His gaze met her co-worker, who had not stopped staring. “Morning, Nemmie,” he greeted her.

  Nemmie gave him a nod, then, with her suspicious eyes still locked on him, she returned to her work.

  Did Nemmie suspect? Would she report him? He and Katerina hadn’t done anything wrong, said nothing suspicious. Surely it wouldn’t be enough to draw some awkward attention from higher-ups.

  A figure brushed past Leo and he jumped back. A hand reached out and snatched the napkin from Katerina’s fingers.

  Jasper, Katerina’s floor coordinator. Where had he come from? Jasper scowled as he read the note. “Come with me.”

  Katerina’s good mood evaporated. Tossing a worried glance at Leo, she removed her module and rose from her recliner.

  Leo stuck his hands in his pocket and turned to leave. A pinch at his sleeve and a warning murmur from Jasper stopped him. “You too.”

  His heart sank. Jasper was not his coordinator; he could do nothing serious to Leo. Katerina, however, was very much at Jasper’s mercy. Leo followed, if only to keep her safe.

  The floor had several meeting rooms for face-to-face business. Jasper selected the closest one, ushered them in and closed the door. Most business took place on the network. But for important things, face-to-face was the proper protocol. This ensured a person’s full attention.

  Jasper had theirs.

  He didn’t say a word at first but fondled the napkin. He checked his handheld, then looked at the napkin once more. Leo heard Katerina beside him draw in a shuddery breath. He didn’t dare look at her. He ached to take her hand, to comfort her. When Jasper pulled someone aside, it was never good. Jasper could be downright nasty.

  Jasper asked, “Katerina, you turned in the Friday report on time, did you now?”

  “That’s what I told him,” she said, her words tumbling out too fast.

  Jasper tapped his handheld against his chin. “So why would someone not a member of your pod team recommend you give your Friday report another pass when,” he turned his glare to Leo, “he has nothing to do with Friday reports?”

  Katerina shuddered and closed her eyes.

  Leo’s heart ached for her. If he didn’t go on the offensive, Jasper would corner poor Katerina and bully the confession out of her. “Why are you chastising her for doing her job?”

  Jasper crumpled the napkin in his hand. “Except she wasn’t doing her job. She was talking to you.”

  Leo’s fists balled. “We are encouraged to say hello to our co-workers. Team-building and all that.”

  Jasper’s eyes narrowed. “But she’s not on your team.”

  “She’s not in my pod. But her pod and my pod are on the same team.” Leo leaned over. “You know that.” It was no secret Jasper did not like Leo. Never had. So why was he giving Katerina a hard time in front of Leo, unless…

  Leo swallo
wed. “Why don’t you say what’s really on your mind, Jasper?” Katerina might not be able to talk back to Jasper without consequenses, but he and Leo were equals in job position. Something had to be done about Jasper.

  A grimace spread across Jasper’s thin lips. He shook his head. “Don’t think I don’t know what’s going on.” He consulted the napkin. “‘Friday’s report?’ You’re having an unauthorised romantic relationship.”

  “What?” Katerina cried. “What do Friday reports have to do with… with…?” She waved her hands in the air.

  A shudder ran through Leo. Had she given away too much? Could he bluff his way out of this one? “That’s a very serious accusation, and one that you can’t prove.”

  “Can’t I?”

  “No,” spat Katerina.

  Doubt tugged at Leo’s gut. Surely Jasper couldn’t. He and Katerina had been ever so careful.

  He had to be bluffing. But before Leo could call his bluff, Jasper drew a breath and dropped his bombshell. “Katerina, for your illegal activity, you’re fired.”

  The room stilled as Katerina froze. She whirled around. “You can’t do that!”

  Jasper didn’t stop the smug little smirk on his face. “I just did.”

  Katerina’s whole body shook. Her mouth gaped open, but nothing came out.

  “Actually,” said Leo, “You can’t. Not without a trial. If you fire her before a guilty verdict is returned, she could sue for wrongful dismissal.” He leaned in close to Jasper. “And if you fire her for any other reason, that won’t stand up either. She has a clean working record.”

  Jasper didn’t lose his smirk. “Then maybe I will report this.” He pulled out his handheld and flicked through the network.

  Katerina’s drew a sharp breath through her nose and clenched her fists.

  Leo folded his arms. “Won’t do you any good without evidence.”

  But Jasper wasn’t backing down. “Doesn’t matter. I lodge a complaint, you get investigated.” He jabbed a finger in Leo’s chest. “If there’s evidence—”

  “There isn’t any.”

  “They’ll find it. You’ll both be fired.”

  Leo’s gaze flickered ever so briefly in Katerina’s direction. She had both hands over her mouth. He didn’t know if she was going to cry or explode in anger. Either way, he was going to make Jasper pay for this. While putting his fist through the weaselly little man’s face would be temporarily satisfactory, that would only get him dismissed. “And when they don’t find any evidence?”

  “The inconvenience of an investigation will become a permanent mark on your record. You might even get demoted again.”

  A thought struck Leo. “Wait a minute. This isn’t about Katerina at all. This is about you and me.” His first week here, Leo had shown Jasper up a few times. Leo’s predecessor must have been incompetent for Jasper to get away with the sloppiness that he had. While Jasper had cleaned up his act, he never forgot that initial embarrassment. “You’re doing this to get to me.”

  A squeak escaped from Katerina. “You’re using me for petty revenge against a co-worker?” With that, she spun on her heel and fled the room. Over her shoulder she threw, “I’m reporting you for this.” The door slammed behind her.

  Leo let out a sigh of relief. Clever Katerina. Jasper had caught her by surprise, but at least she was able to rattle his cage, perhaps enough for Leo to finish the job.

  Jasper’s gloating expression wavered. Did he believe Katerina would make good on her threat? Leo knew she wouldn’t. If she made an accusation against Jasper, then his accusation would come out and Leo and Katerina would be investigated. They couldn’t risk it.

  But this wasn’t about them conducting an illegal relationship, was it?

  Had Leo found the core of the matter? “It didn’t matter if I was talking to Katerina, or Nemmie, or Pragati. I could have been talking to anyone.” The chutzpah of this horrid little man shocked Leo. “You’re using that woman in revenge against me? That’s low.”

  He’d hit the spot. Jasper pulled himself upright and returned to his original plan. “You’ve been conducting an illegal romance.” He jabbed at his handheld once more.

  Leo swiped Jasper’s handheld away from his grasp. “Oh no. I will not let you ruin that woman’s record or her chance to enter the Raffle for some stupid little vendetta against me.”

  Jasper grabbed at his handheld but Leo kept it out of reach. “You can’t stop me.”

  No, he couldn’t. If Leo stuck by his lie that they were not conducting a secret, illegal romance, Jasper would report them. There would be an investigation. Regardless of the results, this would be a blot on their records.

  For more than a year she’d been putting in application after application for the Valentine Raffle. Katerina had failed every time.

  Still, she kept trying. Leo had waited to hear of her success before he launched his own application.

  That time had never come.

  He might not have known it, but Jasper was right about the napkin note crumpled and forgotten in his hand; Katerina’s application went in on Friday.

  Leo held up Jasper’s handheld. His voice low and defeated, he said, “I can’t let you ruin this woman’s life. What do you want from me?”

  Jasper’s eyes lit up in triumph. “I want you gone. I want you to put in for a transfer, out of my department, off my floor.”

  Leo drew a shuddery breath. Jasper had well and truly cornered him. If he didn’t do this, Jasper would drag them through the mud. “Fine.” Images of being torn away from Katerina, of their delicately-balanced cover story crumbling, danced before his eyes.

  Jasper licked his ferrety lips. “How do I know you’ll do it?”

  “I’ll put in the request right now.” Leo pulled out his handheld, pulled up HR’s form page and while Jasper watched, he filled in a transfer request form and sent it off. “There.” Only then did he give Jasper back his handheld. “Now. You will leave Katerina alone. You will not fire her, or even threaten to fire her. You will not bully her, or talk to her any more than necessary.”

  Jasper folded his arms tightly across his skinny little chest. “Go make her withdraw her complaint.”

  A little moment of hope sprang in his chest--an opportunity to openly speak with Katerina in public. “I’ll do that.” He did his best to make it sound reluctant. “But in the future, if I see or hear you say one wrong thing to her over this, or to any other co-worker on the floor, I will come after you.”

  “You’ll get fired if you do that,” Jasper shrilled.

  “Of course, I will. There will be plenty of evidence in your broken bones and blood all over the walls.”

  Leo’s handheld chimed—incoming message from HR. “That was fast,” he said aloud as he read through the acceptance of his transfer request, and could he meet with Pearl this afternoon? Privately, Leo wasn’t surprised. For a few months now his friends had been making noises about an upcoming position. Leo had resisted making a move. To apply for that position would mean moving away from Katerina.

  Now, he had no choice. Damn Jasper for forcing his hand!

  “If you dare give her any grief, I will personally help her report you for harassment. If you bully her over that, I will make your life a living nightmare. Do you understand me?”

  Jasper did his best to retain his bravado, but his shaking hands betrayed him. “Once your transfer is final, there won’t be any need for collateral damage.”

  Collateral damage? Leo strode out of there before he did something regretful.

  ~*~

  Co-worker Sandra pointed Leo in the direction of the restrooms when he asked after Katerina. “She ran that way. Is something wrong?”

  “Jasper said something stupid to her.”

  Sandra muttered something unsavoury under her breath about Jasper. Then louder, she said, “You going to help her file a report?”

  “What makes you say that?” Leo’s throat dried up. He found it difficult to swallow.
<
br />   She lifted a shoulder in a half-shrug. “Between you and me, Jasper’s an ass. But he never steps out of line--not that you can do anything about it. But I’ve never seen Katerina rattled like that. If he’s finally done something reportable, please help her nail his ass to the wall.”

  Leo nodded. “I’ll do my best.”

  As he approached the ladies’ room, Leo listened at the door. He didn’t hear a sound. No crying, no raging, no conversation. He pushed open the door just a crack. “Katerina, you in here?”

  “Leo?” came her reply, echoing through the tiled lavatory.

  “Are you alone?” he asked. When she said yes, he eased his way in to the unfamiliar territory.

  There he found Katerina hunched over a porcelain sink, her head bowed. Beautiful brown hair veiled her face. At least her shoulders weren’t shaking. He didn’t dare gather her into his arms, just in case someone else walked in. “Are you okay?”

  She nodded. “I can’t tell you how tempted I am to report him for this.” She drew a breath for courage. “If it wasn’t for… you know, I’d have sent the report off by now.”

  He moved in closer so they could whisper. They had some serious conversation due, straight up and unencoded. At least if anyone walked in and discovered them, they’d overhear nothing incriminating. And there was Sandra to back up their alibi.

  He leaned against the sink. Katerina lifted her head. Her eyes and nose were red, though no tears dampened her face. “He’s found us out,” she murmured. “I don’t know how, but he has.”

  Leo patted her hand in a friendly, co-worker appropriate way. “For all his faults, he is a cunning and scheming little weasel. Saw a few clues, put them together, and came up with the truth.” He kept this very low. “He’s put us in quite a position.”

  She turned worried eyes to him. “Is he going to fire me?”

  Leo shook his head. He drew a shuddery breath. “I had to make a deal to let you keep your job.”

  Grief filled her countenance and she straightened up. “Oh no. Leo, what did you do?”

  He bowed his head as tears rolled down his cheeks. “In order for him to leave you alone, I had to agree to a job transfer.”

  Katerina’s hands shook as she brought them to her mouth. “Surely you’re not going to go through with it.”

  He couldn’t meet her gaze. “He watched as I put in my application. HR’s already accepted my request.”

  “But what about… What do we do? I-- I don’t know what I’ll do if you leave.” While they could keep in contact with one another if he worked a different floor, the chances of them getting caught in their illegal relationship rose exponentially. “I don’t want you to lose your job.”

  Leo wiped at his face. Of all the times for him not to have a tissue or napkin. He let out a sad little chuckle. “It’s not the first time I’ve lost a job.” A glimmer of hope rose in his breast.

  Leo took Katerina’s hand. “Did I ever tell you about my cousin Marinda?”

  Katerina shook her head.

  “She works in the BDM department--applications.”

  At first, Katerina had no idea of what he was referring to. Then realisation dawned across her face. “Births, Deaths and Marriages? You mean, she’s the one who handles Valentine Raffle applications?”

  Leo nodded. “She owes me a Really Big Favor.”

  Katerina punched him in the arm, much to Leo’s surprise. “Why on earth didn’t you say anything before?” Her earlier anger flared up once more. “Why didn’t you do something with our previous applications?”

  At first, Leo didn’t know what to say.

  “All this time and disappointment, and we could have--” Only Leo’s hand on her mouth silenced her rant. The soft touch of her lips on his fingers made him ache to kiss her.

  “It was too risky. If anything went wrong, if she was discovered, then that would have been bad for all three of us. She’d lose her job and we’d be banned forever from ever making a Raffle application.” At least before, when they took their chances honestly, there were no consequences other than having to wait until the next application could go in.

  Katerina took in his explanation. He watched her roll it about her head. “But now?” she eventually asked.

  “Now, unless I call in the Really Big Favour, we risk losing it all.”

  Katerina nodded, then bowed her head. “Do it.”

  ~*~

  HR wanted to see him right away. It was as if they had been expecting his transfer application. He’d left the position of choice blank, but Leo knew which position awaited him--Ondine’s. Before his demotion, Leo had had his eye on the Contract Adjuster position. Everyone knew it.

  After his demotion, he’d met Katerina, and such things had become less important to him. In the past six months, everyone who knew him from before kept dropping hints.

  Ondine was due for Parental Leave. She had entered the Valentine Raffle two years ago with great success. She’d chosen a good husband out of the candidate pool and was rewarded with a five-year marriage contract; now they were having a baby, which would extend their contract another twenty years. Lucky her.

  With Ondine off for the obligatory two years of Parental Leave, it only made sense to promote someone internally. Only a fool would turn down such an opportunity if it were offered to him.

  A fool, or someone with something to hide.

  Had the rumours started already? It had been several months since Ondine’s pregnancy had been announced. Would his hesitation to apply for this highly-sought-after role be considered evidence against him, should Jasper make good on his threat?

  This was not how Leo had wanted to do things. To save Katerina he had to go through with the transfer. To save their future, he had to get her into the Raffle.

  In the elevator he thumbed a quick message to his cousin Marinda—“Cancel yr plans; we must meet fr lunch today. Favor some empanadas?”

  Would Marinda understand his message? She replied before his elevator reached HR’s floor: “How many empanadas?”

  He texted back: “All you can eat.”

  The elevator doors opened. She responded with a single, terse word: “Fine.” He imagined her groan of doom.

  It had been three years. About time he called in his Really Big Favour.

  ~*~

  Leo sat in an upright chair across from Pearl the Position Coordinator. Unlike most co-workers, Pearl had a desk, not so much for working at but to be the barrier wall between her and the poor sap she’d summoned.

  Most everyone sat across from Pearl for one of two reasons: a job offer or a job termination. Leo had been here twice before.

  “We would like to offer you the job of Contract Adjuster for the period of two years.” Pearl huffed and sniffed after she delivered the news.

  “Thank you,” Leo replied, his heart a mixed bag. “Had my eye on it for years.”

  Pearl grunted. “You have sufficient experience in Contracts and, in spite of your mishandling of an application a few years back…”

  Leo winced. Of course, Pearl would bring that up.

  Pearl continued, “Your job performance reviews over the past three years have been stellar. Is there anything else you need to mention regarding your transfer application?”

  By law, Leo had to disclose anything that might affect his employment status. “I must tell you that I have put in my application for the Valentine Raffle today.” He licked his lips. “That wouldn’t affect my eligibility for this position?”

  Pearl leaned back in her chair, her hands across her belly. Rumour had it Pearl had once emerged successful from the Raffle. Did she and her husband have children? He didn’t see pictures of spouse or offspring here. “Of course not. We look favourably on successful Raffle applicants.” She emphasised ‘successful’.

  Many layers of meaning were not lost on Leo. “I see.” Of course, HR knew about his last two applications. Naturally, he’d been accepted. Healthy, educated men with steady jobs often were.<
br />
  The Valentine Raffle involved an intensive week-long workshop where one ‘courted’ other applicants through a series of interviews. If two people agreed that they could be compatible, they would win a five-year marriage contract that came with counselling and other social benefits to ensure the success of the marriage.

  At first, Leo and Katerina put in their applications at the same time. He got in twide, she didn’t.

  When that happened, he deliberately failed the Raffle. Leo had eyes only for Katerina.

  Since then, Leo would not put in an application until they heard back from hers.

  However, this was different. This time, he aimed to succeed. Leo stood up and shook hands with Pearl. “Thank you for the offer. I will give you my answer tomorrow.”

  As he left Pearl’s office, a chilling thought occurred to him. What if Marinda was not successful with his Really Big Favour?

  ~*~

  As he had suggested, Leo took his cousin Marinda to the local empanada place. After they placed their order, Leo turned off his handheld in front of her face.

  Suspicion furrowed her brow. “What are you doing?”

  “Today, we are celebrating my upcoming promotion,” he said, louder than necessary. A few people at other tables looked their way. One guy gave him a thumbs-up.

  “No, I meant…” Marinda waggled her finger at his handheld. He pointed to hers and made a turning signal.

  Marinda wasn’t stupid. She turned her handheld off and leaned in close. “Aren’t your co-workers going to get suspicious?”

  He shook his head. “I always turn my handheld off at lunch. They’re used to it.”

  “Mine aren’t.” Still, she didn’t turn hers on.

  He leaned closer. “Tell them you went to lunch with me. They’ll understand.” He hoped the news of his eccentric behaviour had spread to other floors.

  Marinda wrinkled her nose. “And the ‘promotion’?”

  “Genuine.”

  She sat up in surprise. “Oh. So we are celebrating?” She breathed out a sigh of relief. “For a moment there, I thought you were calling in your Really Big Favour.”

  He raised an eyebrow.

  “Wait. Are you?” She slumped.

  He tapped the side of his nose.

  Marinda’s head sank to the table. “Please, nothing that will get me fired.”

  The empanadas arrived. Leo dug in while Marinda left hers untouched. “I don’t see why it should,” he said. “I need to you approve a certain application.”

  She inhaled. “I can’t do that.”

  “It’s your job to do that.”

  She looked about. “There are protocols for this sort of thing. What if I’m found out?” Marinda gripped his hand as he reached for another empanada.

  The tension from her hand rippled across his skin. She had every right to be frightened. Three years ago she’d asked him for a Really Big Favour.

  Marinda had needed that job, desperately. Once upon a time Marinda had successfully entered the Raffle and came away with a good husband who gave her three beautiful children. Alas, the cancerous hand of fate bereft her of that husband, leaving her in Single Parenthood. She had a choice--be a stay-at-home parent to her three children on a poverty-level government pension, or get a job with a sufficient salary to live well and afford a nanny.

  Leo’s heart went out to her when she came into his office with her plight and a supplication. Marinda’s job application had been one of two up for consideration for this position. As a favour to her, Leo had ‘mishandled’ her rival’s application—immoral, sure. Illegal? Unprovable.

  Marinda got her job.

  Everything would have been fine if her rival had not challenged the decision. Poor Marinda had been subjected to a month of probation while her application and her rival’s had been examined.

  Marinda’s application was squeaky-clean. Of course it was. Leo wasn’t stupid. Her rival’s, it turned out, had suffered from a typo, one that Leo should have caught. This typo meant one of the rival’s selection criteria had not been parsed correctly by the computer.

  Under normal circumstances, the typo would have been corrected, and both applications sent through again. But Marinda’s current supervisor had decided against this. Marinda’s rival had behaved so unprofessionally during the challenge that she disqualified herself for poor behaviour.

  Leo, on the other hand, had been demoted, as his ‘failure to double-check for errors’ had led to the challenge, costing the company time and money.

  It wasn’t a total loss. In his new position, he had met Katerina.

  “You will be fine,” he reassured Marinda. “I need you to approve the Valentine Raffle application for one Katerina Claremont. That’s all.” No need for typos, no need to falsify information. Simply tick ‘approved’.

  “Who’s Katerina Claremont?”

  “The woman I want to marry.”

  Now Marinda’s eyes widened. “Are you telling me…” she couldn’t voice the rest of her thought.

  Leo lifted an empanada and held it to her mouth. Marinda fumbled with the food, but ate the offering. Leo leaned in closer. “I’m telling you I want to do things legally.” Carrying on a romantic relationship without a government contract could lead to fines and imprisonment. It could also lead to ineligibility for future Valentine Raffles. “We’ve been good friends for a few years now. We work well together. I think we would do well as a legal couple.”

  “She’s a co-worker?” Marinda said, her voice carrying beyond their table. A few gazes from other diners turned their way.

  Panic gripped Leo’s heart for a moment. To cover his cousin’s slip of the tongue, he replied, just as loud. “Oh, I didn’t know she was a co-worker of yours. I wondered where she’d applied to.”

  Marinda put her head down, shaded her eyes, and shoved an empanada in her mouth.

  Everyone’s attention drifted away from them.

  Leo leaned in closer, picking up an empanada. “Of course she’s a co-worker. All I do is work, Marinda. When you and I socialise after work, it’s with co-workers. You know, keeping things platonic and legal. We know no one else. How are we to meet anyone interesting?”

  She wasn’t buying it. “You’ve been in the Raffle before. If you’re so lonely, why didn’t you choose a wife then?”

  He shrugged. “Nobody caught my fancy.” None of them were Katerina.

  Leo took Marinda’s hand once more. “Katerina Claremont. She put in her application last Friday.”

  “When did you put yours in?” She dipped her empanada in the sauce then took a big bite.

  “Today.” He’d done it after leaving Pearl’s office and before meeting up with Marinda. “I’m not worried about my application. You know I always get accepted. But Katerina’s, you need to make sure she gets in. Promise me.”

  Tears welled in Marinda’s eyes. She reached for the paper napkin. “Leo…” His name on her lips dripped with doubt.

  “I lost my job for you.”

  She closed her eyes, letting her chin sink to her chest. “Fine. I’ll do this.”

  Leo breathed out in relief. “Katerina. Claremont. Memorise that name. If all goes well, you’ll be saying it for the rest of your life at every family gathering.”

  ~*~

  Two days before he was to be transferred, Leo learned Marinda had been true to her word. When he came into the office on Wednesday, he walked in on a celebratory atmosphere. Several co-workers were gathered about Katerina, offering her congratulations.

  Leo suppressed his smile. As he passed Jasper’s station, he quipped. “I didn’t know it was her birthday.”

  Jasper shook himself free from the network and removed his module. “If you bothered to turn your handheld on in the morning you’d know she won a place in the Valentine Raffle.”

  He managed to look pleasantly surprised. “She has? Good for her. I wish her well.”

  Jasper took one last jab: “Want a tissue so you can send her a note?”<
br />
  An icy chill ran through Leo. Drawing a deep breath so his words would come out even, he replied. “Nah. I’m out of here in two days.” As he walked away from his soon-to-be-former co-worker, he fired one last parting shot. “I never did thank you for recommending me for promotion.”

  Jasper’s eyes narrowed, but he kept his own counsel.

  ~*~

  Still, Leo had to talk to Katerina. It had been a tense couple of weeks. The news of his promotion had spread before he’d had a chance to drop her an encoded note. The hurt he’d seen in her eyes had pierced him to the core. When he did have a chance to pass her a napkin last week, she’d blown her nose on it without reading a word.

  He waited until the end of the day. As he passed her station, he said, “I hear congratulations are in order.”

  She startled as his voice pulled her out of the network. Katrina sat up and pulled off her module. A blush infused her cheeks. “Oh, thank you. Also, I’d been meaning to congratulate you on your promotion.”

  Leo gave a shrug. “Thanks. I didn’t want to say anything about that until I had a chance to,” he took a breath and his gaze met hers, “speak with my cousin.”

  As she looked back at him, embarrassment filled her eyes. Ever so subtly, she mouthed the word, “Sorry.”

  “I guess news travels fast. Anyhow, I’ll miss you.”

  She pressed her lips together in amusement.

  “I’ll miss all of you,” Leo said, for the benefit of the eavesdropping co-workers. Then he went around and had a brief goodbye chat with each one until the end of Katrina’s shift. Eventually, he made it back to her as she hung up her module. “So,” he said in the way of casual conversation. “Ever been in a Valentine Raffle before?”

  She shook her head. “This is my first successful application.”

  He nodded sagely as they wandered toward the elevator. “I’ve been in a few. Never successful.” He shrugged. “Don’t fancy trying again. But good luck to you.” He couldn’t help his grin as he pushed the elevator button.

  Under her breath, she muttered, “When did you hear about your application?”

  “A week ago.”

  “And you didn’t tell me?”

  He looked away. “Didn’t want to say anything until we heard about yours.”

  The doors opened. Leo and Katerina squeezed into an already crowded elevator. For the next two minutes Leo got to enjoy Katerina’s body pressed up against his.

  Their Valentine Raffle was next week. After that, no more secrets.

  The End