ever work alone, do you?"
"Not if we can help it," Braden promised. "Teamwork is overpowered, and the more minds you have on something, the greater the chances that someone will end up having a good idea. Best of all, this? It's all legal. Just some Google and Bing searches. Someone used their name somewhere. We'll find them, Jason. Promise."
So Jason gave him the names. Braden called for backup. Each of them ended up with a person to follow through the history of social media. It was boring, it was tedious, but for the first time in days, Jason didn't feel like he was stuck.
Chapter 12
Kate pulled her Mini Cooper into a parking spot at the chosen restaurant, and could see Rhaven sitting inside. Someone was across the table from her, which had to be Zara, although Kate couldn't tell through the blinds. It was a safe guess, though. She was here to meet those two, after all.
When she walked inside, Kate walked past the hostess and headed for the table of her friends. Zara spotted her first and waved. That made Rhaven turn. By the time Kate reached the table, the pair were out of their seats and both hugging her in greeting. Kate claimed the spot next to Rhaven, and they all sat just as the waitress showed up for their drink order. As soon as she was gone, Kate turned to Rhaven.
"I am in love with this dress!"
"I know, right?" Zara asked. "It's like we sent Rhaven to Ohio and she turned into some kind of supermodel!"
"Guys..." Rhaven groaned. "I've just been getting better with makeup now that I can wear it every day."
"You won't be calling that a win in a year," Zara teased. "Trust me. I'm enjoying having a man who likes me just as much without it."
"Adam likes my freckles," Kate admitted. "Says foundation hides them too much."
"Hell, I like your freckles," Zara told her. "But, I have an announcement to make!"
Rhaven grinned like she already knew about this, so Kate leaned closer. "You're pregnant?"
Zara groaned. "No. Well, let's go with probably not. Jason and I kinda talked, you know, and I stopped using birth control at the end of the semester. I wanted to wait until after I graduate next year - because school and a baby sounds impossible, and his work, you know?"
"But?" Rhaven asked, leaning in.
Zara laughed nervously. "Um, Murder. He said he loves the idea of our kids being closer in age, so if daycare was the only thing stopping me, then he'd pay for it. And Jason accepted before I could figure out how to politely decline, so um... No excuses."
"Is this what you want?" Kate asked.
Zara nodded. "The only reason I'm nervous about it is because of work. But that comes back to my big announcement. I don't have to have Murder pay for it! I got a job offer from Deviant to make the music for their next few games!"
Kate squealed, reaching across the table to grab her hands. "Oh my god! That's amazing. So you can have a whole brood of babies now, huh?"
Zara just looked over to Rhaven. "I'm not trying to rub it in."
"You're fine," Rhaven promised. "I'm not ready for kids yet, and when I am, we'll adopt. I was kinda thinking an older child, you know? Like someone from the foster system? I mean, look at Riley and her brood. Some gay or trans pre-teen, or maybe a hard luck case? I'm making enough money with Deviant that I can actually think about those things, and my bosses? They're amazing."
"You and Braden would be so cute with kids," Kate told her.
But Rhaven rolled her eyes. "I have been with Braden a matter of weeks. Six? Eight? Something like that." She shook her head. "I am not going to start daydreaming about forever. That's just asking for it to backfire."
"You're also young," Kate reminded her.
"What about you?" Zara asked Kate. "Marriage? Kids? I mean, you and Adam are pretty stable, right? No big problems?"
"Adam is amazing," Kate admitted. "I kinda want to wait a few years before thinking about kids, though. Nancy's been hinting that she wants to retire one day, and she's made it very clear that I'll take over her job. So, I'm torn between wanting to have kids before that, or after."
"Before," Zara said. "Then you'll have time to enjoy them being babies."
"I get to be their auntie," Rhaven told her best friend. "And I am going to spoil them so