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I couldn’t help but sigh wistfully That hat being in love in New York was supposed to be about, not fighting off gangster elves and then having dinner with ic Owen and I had yet to e one nors you saw inout as friends before we started dating I guessed it ca bad ht now, other than apparently being targets We should finally have the time to work on the romantic side of our relationship and see as there without the adrenaline of constant danger or the closeness that caht about planning a picnic for the weekend, but then I’d have to pack enough to feed Owen’s officialhim, and now possibly the MSI security people and the elves ere out to get us Was just one nice, romantic day out too much to hope for?

"It’s a lie!" Nita said, and I turned to her in surprise, wondering if I’d been projecting ly

"What is?" I asked

"This whole ro It’s like there’s an entire industry devoted to selling us this story, and then does it really happen? No! If you try to suggest any of this stuff to a guy, he accuses you of having seen tooon the lake in Central Park Or is that just what they say when they don’t want to pay for it?"

"You have seen too many movies"

"Well, yeah, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be at all true Have you ever done any of this ro in Central Park last Christh the ice, which was supposed to be impossible since the rink wasn’t a frozen pond "Otherwise, no, not really Work’s been crazy, so most of our dates are lunches at the office"

"I think that’s the wayit wrong" I couldn’t help but agree as atched the rest of the uy, so where was my romantic coot to the office the next ate Sa’s events, but he wasn’t at his usual place on the building’s awning "He’s avoiding us," I accused

"You know he had to be under orders, and he obviously did try to warn us as well as he could"

"Then I guess we can’t go demand that the boss tell us what’s up"

"I’h"

"I hope he lets us know before we get attacked by elves with knives again"

"Elven blades are dangerous," he agreed Then we reached my hallway and he said, "I’ll see you for our afternoon training session"

As I approached otten over whatever had been bugging her the day before I wasn’t in the s I felt a lot s

She was already at her desk, which was unusual for her, but she ain Normally, she’d offer ossip and questions before I ," I called out more cheerfully than I felt, but she just nodded and continued pretending to work I hadn’t given her a project to work on, so I knew her busyness was fake Giving it up as a lost cause, I went on into my office

I’d almost made it to my desk when she called out, "U?" She sounded troubled and more serious than normal

I turned back and went to the office doorway "Sure What is it?"

She took a deep breath, as though steeling herself for son, was she? Sure, she was a ditz and a klutz, but I was getting used to her, and she often had good ideas I’d hate to think that I’d driven her away I hoped I was a good boss I’d had enough horrible bosses for me to make a conscious effort to not repeat thoseI think I should show you," she said, notuest chair beside it "Okay," I said, as reassuringly as I could "What do you have to show me?"