Eela lifted her head at the knock at the door. Cort poked his head in. “Mr. Jones is here.”

She smiled and gestured. “Send him in. And are you two about ready?”

Cort nodded. “Almost, just sorting out a few things. Give us a few minutes.”

Another nod and Eela rose from her desk as Dashiel Jones stepped in, looking ever the sharp dresser he was. The navy blue suit seemed to make his sky blue eyes brighter, especially as he smiled at her. “Lieutenant Governor,” he greeted with a respectful bow of his head.

“Good morning, Mr. Jones. You’re in a good mood. I trust the Ambassador is prepared?” she said as she approached, her black pleated skirt flaring and revealing the various colours hidden within the interior of the pleats.

Dash gave a nod. “She is. I’ve seen Mathis remain calm and collected under some pretty extraordinary circumstances. I know things have been perhaps a tiny bit bumpy, but the way I see it it’s as smooth as we could have hoped.”

“I agree,” Eela said, moving over towards her replicator in the corner of her office, tucked behind the ficus tree that divided the seating area. She spun on the ball of her booted foot back to face him. “Coffee?”

“How did you possibly know?” he deadpanned, following her and knowing full well he’d yet to drink anything else during their various meetings.

She laughed. “I could claim telepathy but mine doesn’t work like that.”

Standing next to her, he grinned. “I do believe that would involve touch, yes?”

Eela gazed at him intently, sensing that subtle shift in emotion from him. Oh, he was darn good at not projecting his emotions and she knew it was a product of his job. A good attaché knew how to blend into the background or be forthright at exactly the right time. “That’s generally how it works, yes.”

She ordered the coffees, hers black, his with a bit of milk. Jones smirked and she couldn’t help but look back at him again. There had been a moment the other day when she had been showing him the temporary offices for himself and Mathis. She could only describe it as electric. Just one occurrence and it could be simply a fluke, but a second time? Eela knew it for it was: chemistry and attraction. “What?”

“Too bad you couldn’t read my thoughts just now.” It was risky, this sort of banter, but Dashiel could read people well without a shred of empathic ability. And he had a good sense about Eela Dasca and knew well enough that, despite how guarded she was, the attraction was entirely mutual. He’d place high odds on it.

She handed him his coffee mug, her hazel eyes fixed on him. “Why Mr. Jones, are you flirting with me?”

Despite the formality of her address, there was light in those lovely eyes. “Most definitely not if you don’t want me to be,” he said seriously. Stepping a toe over a line was one thing. Obliterating it was quite another.

A self-satisfied smirk played on her lips as she grabbed her own mug and simply sashayed over to her couch where a large screen had risen from what had appeared to be a console table and was playing the preamble to the press conference.

Dash watched her, feeling chills in the best possible way. Game on. He moved over to join her but sat in the adjacent arm chair just as Cort and Elema stepped into the office.

Cort looked over his shoulder. “Tea?” he asked Sreer.

“Yeah, hibiscus. Thanks, Cort,” she said as she took up the other arm chair, entirely aware of the subtle energy passing between her boss and the attaché. The Napean did her best to tamp down her amusement though, even if she was secretly glad for Eela. The woman could use a little fun and Dash Jones definitely spelled fun. That and he was gorgeous. He totally wasn’t her type and even she could admit to having a tiny crush on the charming man.

Cort brought his and Sreer’s drinks over and sat next to Eela. “Well? Whatever happens, we’re all in the thick of it now,” he said, lifting his mug.

Eela lifted hers and chuckled. “Let us ask whatever Fates, Guardians, Gods, or the Universe itself that might be running this show to have mercy on us. We might need it.”

“Hear, hear,” Dashiel said, joined by Cort and Elema as they focused on the broadcast of the press conference Mathis and Hyrushi were about to give.

~Eela Dasca & Staff, and Dashiel Jones, Attaché