a question.
“Bridgette Rey.”
He taps his tablet with a meaty finger. “There’s a problem with your clearance. Wait here.” He disappears through the sliding door, leaving me alone in the five-by-five-foot room. I thought this might happen. Now that Matt and I are no longer together, I can’t imagine Warrior Nation will continue letting me come and go as I please. Not that I’d really have any reason to, besides Claire asking me here today.
The guard returns, only now he’s joined by Teddy, Millie’s conniving assistant. Great. Black hair slicked back like a helmet with a stiff pomade, white button-down starched to within an inch of its life, he gives me a slimy smile, reaching for me like we’re long-lost best friends.
“Bridgette,” he oozes, and I do my best to contort my face into a friendly expression. “So sorry about the inconvenience here, but with this whole siege going on, we’ve had to tighten security down to essential personnel only. And since technically you’re no longer associated with a Warrior…” He shrugs, wrinkling up his nose in fake sympathy.
I’ve never liked this guy. Ever since he got hired, he’s been like a pesky fly, buzzing around where he doesn’t belong. He used to drive Matt crazy, hanging on his every word, acting like they were lifelong pals. It got so bad, Millie had to enact an employee-wide “don’t disturb the heroes” rule, but really it was just for Teddy. I don’t want to deal with him right now, especially when Claire needs me, so I try to play on his weaknesses. “I get it, but how long have you known me, Teddy? We’re like Warrior Nation OGs! I’m not a threat. I’m just here to see your intern, Claire? She works for you, right?” I say, knowing he’ll enjoy the power trip of having his own intern, even if it’s not true.
And I’m right, because his snooty little mouth purses into a smile. “Well, I guess I could make an exception for you. Just this once.”
The guard lets us pass, and Teddy instantly starts going off about how crazy everything has been lately, emphasizing what I’m sure is his inflated importance in the daily HQ activities. “It has been an absolute zoo here, Bridgette; you would not even believe. I have been losing my mind trying to keep this place under control!”
“I bet,” I say, suppressing an eye roll.
“My already long list of responsibilities has quadrupled, and navigating Millie’s calendar is like a minefield.”
“Mmm-hmm.”
“I’ve even had to start processing criminals!” he gasps, though I can tell he’s secretly delighted. “They never trained me for that, but of course I’m handling it fine. These villains aren’t talking to anyone, but I have my own theories.” He looks over at me, waiting for me to ask what they are. “No one cares what I think, though.”
Sigh. I think about the time Teddy interrupted a debriefing to announce his hypothesis that the mayor is secretly funding criminal activity for publicity. His argument was completely unfounded and drove all the heroes nuts. It’s clear Teddy wants to be a bigger part of the action, but he doesn’t have the right skill set. He’s good at booking conferences and setting appointments. But decoding villain masterminds? Not so much.
“Everyone’s got a lot on their plates right now, Teddy,” I say as a young woman runs past us clutching her tablet to her chest. “There’s probably just not enough time to hear out every single person’s theory about the siege.”
He frowns. “But you know better than anyone that a lot of people here are idiots. Like Aqua Maiden: Do you think she has any clue what’s going on? Just yesterday she had some Kate Spade reps in here talking about setting up a photo shoot. As if there’s time for that right now! She’s probably doing a live video tutorial on waterproof eye makeup as we speak.” Well, he’s not wrong there. Matt may have a serious social media presence, but when he’s in the field or there’s a crisis going on, that’s his focus. Aqua Maiden has been known to pause mid-battle for selfies. “And then there’s my intern, Claire—for some reason, everyone wants to hear what she has to say.”
“Oh, really?” I ask, proud of her. With so many people trying to grab the spotlight in this organization, it’s not easy making an impression.
“It’s obnoxious,” he sneers, then corrects himself quickly. “Sorry, I know she’s your friend. But just because she’s young, she gets picked to