Gracie got up earlythe next day. Her parting comment to Chesney had been sarcastic, but it was true that she liked to be well prepared before a new job. Part of her preparation was working to get into the right mental place. Greta was a new PA: excited and nervous about starting work in a new office where she was probably envisioning working for a long time. She should be happy to meet her new colleagues and eager to make a good first impression on everyone.
So, when her phone buzzed with a message from Klarov, she grimaced in annoyance.
I’ll give you a ride to your new job.
Gracie was nearly ready to leave. If only she’d been a few minutes faster then she could’ve just ignored him. Instead, she tried to put Klarov off:
I’m pretty sure I can find my own way
Klarov sent back a flurry of replies:
First day of school jitters?
Isn’t it nice to have a friend on your first day??
Gracie could feel her blood pressure rising as she read his messages. Why did he have to be so damned condescending the whole time?
I’ve already bought you a coffee. Three sugars double milk
Gracie's mood soured further. She only ever drank black coffee. Maybe she’d never explicitly told Klarov her coffee order, but they’d been working together for long enough for him to know it. They didn’t even keep any sugar in the office, because neither Klarov or Crystal used it either.
Her phone buzzed again:
Also, new info from Huang.
Gracie snorted. Trust Klarov to waste her time. Why couldn’t he have just said that to begin with?
Fine, I’ll be out in five minutes.
Ten minutes later Gracie stepped out of her apartment building and saw Klarov’s car. It was a dark blue sedan that was so nondescript it blended into virtual invisibility wherever he went.
Klarov himself was busy on his phone. He didn’t look up as Gracie approached, or even when she opened the car door and slid into the passenger seat.
"That one's for you," Klarov said, tipping his head toward the styrofoam cup in the holder between their seats. Not even a ‘hello' or a ‘good morning'.
“You were serious about the coffee?” Gracie asked, surprised. Not that she’d be drinking it.
Klarov grunted, still frowning down at his phone. She took the lid off the coffee and saw it was actually black like she preferred. Maybe it was the thoughtfulness of the gesture, despite his earlier annoying teasing, that made Gracie open up. The two of them were, after all, on the same side.
“I met him last night. Chesney. I ran into him at the bar.”
That caught Klarov’s attention; he looked up from his phone, his gaze calm and non-judgemental, “You blew your cover?”
“No. It’s fine.”
Klarov nodded once and put his phone away, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel. Gracie appreciated that he didn’t ask for details. That he just believed her when she said it was fine. Klarov started the car, and began the drive to the Attitude offices.
“So?” Gracie asked impatiently. Klarov’s fingers were still tapping an uneven rhythm on the steering wheel. It wasn’t like he was even aiming for a tune.
“Chesney was attacked late last night. He’s fine, couple of bruises, nothing broken, but he had his laptop stolen.”
Gracie quickly swallowed her mouthful of coffee. “What was he doing out late carrying a laptop?”
“You tell me. He had it with him when you met him in the bar, right?”
“No,” Gracie said with certainty. He hadn’t had a bag, and he definitely hadn’t had anything as bulky as a laptop with him. “No, he must have picked it up and then gone out again.”
It shouldn’t be a disappointment to find out that Chesney is as dirty as suspected. There was a sort of bitter resignation that settled around Gracie at the knowledge.