rest in a fluffy Afro Cynthia had repeatedly said she envied, usually after disparaging her own hair, which Emma thought was lovely but Cynthia wished was thicker and curlier.
“What are you doing under there anyway?”
“Trying to see how many miles I’ve pedaled. I got one of those under-desk ellipticals Mr. Reordon offered to buy employees, and the display is too dark to read unless I get right up on it.”
Surprise lit her friend’s face as she sank down in the visitor’s chair. “You did? Why?” She motioned to Emma’s body when Emma rose and returned to her chair. “As Todd would say, you’re smokin’ hot.”
Unease slithered through Emma, driving her to fiddle with her keyboard’s position as she debated answering her friend’s innocent query. “You’re going to think I’m weird if I tell you. Or paranoid or something.”
All humor left Cynthia’s countenance, replaced by concern. “Why? What’s wrong? Tell me.”
Emma considered refusing but reluctantly admitted, “I’ve kinda been on a big exercise kick lately.” She darted her friend a look, then shifted her keyboard again and fiddled with a pen. “Since the mercenary attack.”
Cynthia’s gaze turned watchful as she leaned forward. “Go on.”
Emma sighed. “It’s just… I keep thinking about it. And I know it will probably never happen again. But if it did…” She shrugged. “What if Mr. Reordon hadn’t let the vampires help us that day? What if the ceiling hadn’t collapsed on us and Sadie and I had made it down the hallway on our own? The elevator wasn’t functional.” It had already plummeted to sublevel 5, killing those inside it. “And there’s no way Sadie could’ve made it down four flights of stairs without help. So I thought I might have to piggyback her and…” She shook her head. “I don’t know if I would’ve been able to do it. I don’t know if I would’ve been strong enough.”
“I’m sure someone else would’ve taken up the slack and helped you.”
“But what if they didn’t? What if they couldn’t because they were injured?”
“Oh honey.” Cynthia’s features softened. “Is that why you’ve been lifting weights? So if the network falls under attack again, you’ll be able to sling people over your shoulders in a fireman’s carry and get them to safety?”
“Maybe?” Emma responded, thinking it sounded lame and hoping Cynthia wouldn’t worry she was suffering from PTSD or something. She wasn’t. At least she didn’t think so. She just wanted to be prepared.
For anything.
Rising, Cynthia circled the desk and wrapped her in a hug. “Well, now I feel bad.”
Emma hugged her back with a smile. “Why?”
“Because while you’ve been doing the whole heroic Let me build greater strength so I can save more lives in the future thing, I’ve been more like I’m going to eat all the junk food I want because who knows what tomorrow will bring.”
She laughed.
“It isn’t funny,” Cynthia protested as she released her and backed away. “I’ve gained like fifteen pounds since the mercenaries struck.”
“Is Todd complaining?” He’d better not be. Emma would kick his ass if he so much as—
Cynthia snorted. “Hell no. That man loves me. And my curves.”
“He really does.” And Cynthia did indeed have lovely curves.
Her eyes lit with excitement. “Which is why I’m here.”
Because Todd loved her?
Emma stared. “Oh crap. Did Todd propose?”
Her friend laughed. “No. He just gave me some news that’s going to make you very happy.”
Wariness rose. They weren’t going to try to set her up again, were they? Because the last double date Cynthia and Todd had dragged Emma on had been a disaster. The guy had been attractive and polite but had talked incessantly. He’d spent so much time bragging about his job and his bank account, his fancy car and ludicrously expensive watch, that the rest of them had barely gotten in a word or two. “What news?”
So excited she practically jumped up and down, Cynthia blurted, “Vampire Cliff eats lunch in the cafeteria now!” Throwing her hands up in the air, she gave a delighted scream as if she had just found out she was going to have a one-on-one meeting with Dwayne Johnson.
Cynthia loved Dwayne Johnson, also known as The Rock. Which made her devotion to Todd all the more adorable. While Dwayne Johnson could easily sweep a woman off her feet, Todd was more likely to trip her.
Emma smiled, not quite sure why Cynthia found the news so exciting. “Good for him. I didn’t know they had a cafeteria down on sublevel 5.”