Chapter 9: Surprisingly Domestic
633 Words
I rushed back to the Throne Building after meeting Avery. My mind was racing. I had a huge, hidden liability in Vance's old accounts to clean up before Elias found it.
I sat at my desk and focused on the Level Seven accounts, searching for the starting point of that secret, six-year payment. It was past 11pm. My stomach was rumbling. I knew I wouldn't be effective if I kept working hungry.
I slipped out of my suite and moved quietly to the small executive pantry down the hall. I turned on the light, grabbed a carton of orange juice, and was still deciding whether to bother with soup when the door swung open. It was Elias Thorne.
He looked surprised, but mostly just exhausted. He was wearing the same suit he'd had on all day. His jacket button was loosened. He wasn't wearing a tie.
"Ms. Lane," he said, his voice low. "Still here? I thought I asked you not to work so late."
I held the carton of juice tight. "I'm still within the time parameters, Mr. Thorne. Just grabbing a snack before heading out."
He smiled, then walked fully into the room, past me to the special cabinet. He pulled out a small, pre-packaged container of complex grains and vegetables—clearly his personal late-night meal. He glanced at the juice in my hand.
"That's not going to sustain you," he said. He pulled out a second container. "Take this. It tastes nice and help you stay functional while you work."
I quickly peeled the film off my container. He put his meal into the microwave and set the timer for two minutes. I quickly put mine in next to his.
We stood shoulder-to-shoulder by the small counter, waiting for the food to heat. The silence was almost tangible.
"The city lights are very different from this height," he commented, he said as he looked out the pantry window.
It was such a mundane and unexpected comment that it threw me completely off guard. "Yes, sir," I replied stiffly. "They feel... distant."
"They are distant," he confirmed, turning slightly to face me. "You worked at Vance near the ground, didn't you? What was the difference in noise level?"
"Vance was loud. You could hear the traffic, the sirens," I explained, relaxing only a bit into the casual subject. "Here, it's completely silent. It feels sealed."
"It is," he replied. "Yes. It helps with the focus. Noise only makes one less efficient."
The microwave beeped, interrupting our, brief chat. He pulled out his container and carried it over to a small, isolated table tucked into the corner of the pantry, seating himself there. I pulled out mine too.
He doesn't know about the account, I thought, looking at him as he carefully opened his meal.
If he finds this hidden, six-year drain of funds, he'll think Vance was even more broken than he assumed.
I finished heating my food quickly. "Good night, Mr. Thorne."
"Good night, Ms. Lane," he replied, looking up and waving before focusing back on his eating.
I hurried back to my suiti, holding my now warm packaged dinner. Once safely inside my silent suite, I didn't head straight to the desk. I walked to the huge window, still holding my food container.
I shook my head, smiling faintly in disbelief.
"The man just fed me," I muttered to the empty room.
"The great Elias Thorne just gave me homework and his personal recommendation for a late meal."
It was a small, silly detail, but it threw me. The most serious, powerful boss in the city had treated me like a weary teenager who needed a proper meal before her shift. The Ice Man was surprisingly domestic, and I found the.contradiction quite staggering.
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