"Sorry," they said in unison. Then Marcia asked, "What kind of project is it?"
"They haven't done much marketing at this company, so they want my input on a marketing plan."
"That's terrific!" Marcia said. "Just watch, you'll have a private office and a title before you know it."
The funny thing was, as exciting as my news was to them, I'd left out the most interesting parts of the story, like the invisible man, the powerful (and gorgeous) young wizard, and the fact that I was working for Merlin. It was frustrating that I had to keep the most exciting aspects of my life such a secret, even from my closest friends. I knew I'd have to be careful not to let anything slip in a rush of enthusiasm.
"What are you two doing Friday night?" Gemma asked, changing the subject before I was tempted to say more.
"I don't know. Why?"
"I may have another setup for us."
Marcia groaned. "I don't think I've recovered from the last one. Are you sure that guy wasn't a carrier of African sleeping sickness?"
"He wasn't so bad. And he was good-looking. He's also pretty rich. What about you, Katie?"
I tried not to groan. What with having to come up with the plan that would buy some powerful wizards time to save the world from magical evil, I didn't feel like dealing with a blind date. "I'll have to get back to you on that," I said. "With this project, I may be working late."
"Not on a Friday, silly. Just let me know when you're sure."
For the first time in my life I hoped I'd be working late on a Friday.
* * *
The next morning I did my hair in a style that left a curtain of bangs falling across one side of my forehead. It hid the bruise and made me look like a movie star, but I had a feeling that having my hair in my face would drive me stark raving mad before I even got to work.
Once again Owen was at the subway platform when I got there. I halfway suspected him of doing that on purpose, and I wondered if he was able to do it because I was so predictable or because he was using some of his more unique abilities. I was tempted to test him, to switch to a different subway line or leave earlier or later in the morning to see what happened. On the other hand, what was so bad about commuting every morning with a nice, good-looking guy who could keep me safe from any criminals or lunatics that might cross my path? I'd have to be insane to look for a way not to run into him every morning. Then I remembered the look on his face as he'd held that intruder pinned to the wall, and I couldn't help but shudder.
In my world, a weird, scary guy was one who didn't get the hint when you told him three times in a row that you couldn't go out with him because you were busy washing your hair. A guy who could fling people around with his mind was a whole new level of weird and scary.
He smiled when he saw me, then immediately frowned and looked worried. "Your head, is it okay?" He looked so sweet and cute that I couldn't help reminding myself that as powerful as he was, I was immune to his magic. I didn't have to worry about him flinging me around. Obviously, however, I wasn't immune to his charm, for I immediately got a warm, yet shivery feeling in the pit of my stomach when I saw his smile. He was the boy next door, a heroic rescuer, and a dangerous potential bad boy all rolled into one. I knew if he made any effort at all to woo me, I'd be as helpless as the victims of Rod's love spells. It was a good thing he was too shy to make the first move—that is, if he had any interest in me whatsoever.
"I'm fine," I insisted, hoping I wasn't blushing enough to give away what I'd been thinking about him. "Just a nasty bruise, and thus the attempted cosmetic cover-up."
"It looks nice." He turned a particularly interesting shade of pink before adding, "I'm sorry."
"For what? It wasn't your fault."
"Yes, it was. If I'd made it to you sooner, I might have been able to help you before you got hurt." He ducked his head and studied the platform floor. "I finished reading the paragraph I was on before I got up and ran."
I laughed, which made him turn even pinker. "That's okay, really. I still don't think you'd have made it before he shoved me into the wall. I should have known better than to try to tackle an intruder by myself."
Before he could respond, a train came rumbling out of the tunnel. "You did us all a big favor," he said as he ushered me onto the train. "You were very brave." Now I was the one who was blushing.
The train was too crowded for conversation, especially the kind of conversation we'd be most likely to have, so we didn't try to talk during the journey. We walked together across the park to the office building, greeted Sam at the entrance, then parted ways at the top of the lobby stairs. I went into the verification pool just long enough to inform them that I'd be out on an assignment most of the day, then headed to the sales department.
