Tekgrrl Read Free Page B

Lainey said, motioning Luke and I over. “We went to The School together. Selena, these are my teammates and friends, Mindy Clark and Lucas Harmon.”
    “Hi,” I told the Glamazon, friendly enough to be polite.
    “Hello,” she replied. “Tekgrrl, I presume.”
    “Yeah, that’s me.” I shrugged. “I’m afraid I don’t know your alias.”
    “Granite,” she supplied with a smile. “Any friend of Lainey’s and all that.”
    “Uh-huh.” I noticed her eyes on Luke, and my blood pressure spiked.
    She held out a French-manicured hand with one tasteful ring and bracelet. “Sensei, correct?”
    “That’s right,” Luke said, taking her hand and kissing it like a courtly gentleman from a period film. I gaped, and I know Lainey did as well. “Pleasure to meet you.”
    “It’s all mine,” she replied, giving him a dazzling smile. Even her teeth were perfect—and probably not from braces, either. How could Lainey be friends with someone like this?
    She spoke up, interrupting whatever was going on between her pal and Lucas. “Selena was just telling me Paul offered to bring her in for an interview about the new position. They’re going to talk tomorrow morning.”
    “Are you going to take it? If it’s offered, I mean?” I blurted this, praying the answer was no. I couldn’t imagine this woman as part of our team.
    Luck was not with me. “I don’t know yet,” the beauty queen answered. “Lainey knows I’ve turned down working with the EHJ before, but with the Reincarnist back, you guys are likely to go in a new direction that I have to admit is exciting. And tempting.” She gave Luke another dazzling smile. “Plus, work with the Fives has gotten a bit monotonous, so I’m looking for a change.”
    “We still haven’t talked about who our team leader’s going to be,” Lainey said, throwing a cautious glance in Paul’s direction. “Just because Wes has been directing the team since Rath died doesn’t mean he’s going to stay in control. There’s some question…”
    Ms. Perfect rolled her eyes. “Lainey, your man should be acting in that role and you know it.”
    “Maybe so, but it’s not like he and I don’t have other things to worry about.” Lainey shifted her weight so that her baby could drool on her other shoulder. I could tell the poor kid was tuckered out from a long night of partying with her parents. “Raising Emily with the possibility of her apocalyptic destiny is going keep us both busy.” According to an ancient book, Emily was someday either going to save the world from the ultimate forces of evil or help them destroy it. The Dragon and his cronies wanted to make sure it was the latter and we wanted to make sure it was the former.
    “Which is why you need the extra help,” Selena spoke up. “And the more I think about it, the more I’m hoping whomever you all decide is team leader will think I’m the woman for the job.”
    Luke smiled. “I’ve heard about you. We could always use someone with your talent. A real powerhouse.”
    I shot him a look. Was he flirting with her? She did remind me of the women he had dated in the past: stylish and beautiful beyond the scope of the rest of us plain Janes.
    Granite smiled at him. “I don’t know if I’m a powerhouse, but thank you for the encouragement. I always get nervous before interviews, you know?” She raised an empty champagne glass. “I’ve probably drunk more of these than was a good idea. It’s a good thing you offered to let me use one of the spare rooms here, Lainey.”
    “It seemed silly for you to come all this way tonight for the party, then turn around and have to come back in the morning,” my friend replied.
    “Well, I appreciate it,” Selena said. “If you don’t mind, I think I should probably turn in now for some much-needed beauty sleep.”
    “I don’t know if it’s much needed, but I’ll be glad to show you to your room,” Luke put in. “Any particular one, Lainey?”
    My friend and I