Out of the Cold

Chapter 1

This was a mistake.

Techno knew it was as he pulled up outside Puffy's office. He had known it was from the moment she had phoned him only an hour ago, begging him for help.

He had agreed, rather reluctantly, when she brought up the favour he owed her.

Which was now why he was making a very big mistake.

It's only temporary, he told himself as he switched off the ignition. Just for a few days. He fumbled with the car door but managed to open it and step out into the street. There was a strong and chilly breeze blowing and he was glad he had pulled his long hair into a ponytail before he left. At least I won't owe her anymore.

Techno took a deep breath, fighting to keep his anxiety and racing heart under control, before he turned to face the building and strode inside.

There was a bell on the door that jingled as he opened it. He jumped a little, not expecting the noise that broke apart the quietness of the still night. The air was warmer than outside - there was a gentle hum from a heater - and it smelled of incense. He couldn't pinpoint the exact kind but it was sweet and strong.

The waiting room was empty. Cushioned seats pushed against the wall in neat lines, magazines stacked on the little coffee table. Organised and neat.

And somewhat eerie, with the silence and emptiness and with the darkness of the large windows in stark contrast to the harsh white lighting inside.

Techno had visited Puffy's office a few times before - it had never been empty. There were always a few people in the waiting room, waiting to meet with some of Puffy's colleagues, or there was that receptionist who was so chipper - and never knew when to shut up.

Techno's eyes traveled to the digital clock on the wall, just above that receptionist's desk.

11:23.

The receptionist would have gone home for the night. Techno should be at home too.

Soon, he thought, walking cautiously down the hallway to Puffy's office. He let a slight grimace pass over his face before schooling his expression back into a look of neutrality, a look he had so carefully mastered. It had been necessary, once, to feign ignorance, indifference, and it was a habit he never quite managed to break.

He didn't have to be walking for long before he began to pick up the faint sound of talking. The further he walked, the louder it came. He rounded a corner and stopped outside her closed door, listening. But the voices were muffled and still too quiet. He could hear Puffy speaking, but he couldn't make out the words she was using. So he raised his hand and knocked.

The voice - because it was only Puffy and no one else - stopped and he heard rapid footsteps before the door opened to reveal Puffy standing there, looking frazzled. The sight of her messy platinum curls and her rumpled clothes that were a mixture between formal and casual reminded him of their college years.

"Finally." The word was basically a sigh. A relieved one. For a moment, she stared at him, her eyes wide and blue, her head tilted and shoulders relaxed. Then she took a step back, allowing Techno to enter the room.

Techno's gaze swept around the space. It had gone through a few changes since it became Puffy's, but it was still as familiar as the last time he was here. Familiar enough that he didn't need to inspect it, but as Puffy scurried across to her desk to dig through the mountains of paperwork, he found it too awkward to simply stand still and to watch and wait for her.

Unlike the hallway and waiting room, the lights in here were a warm yellow instead of bright fluorescent. It wasn't an exactly small space, but it was cozy. The walls were painted a pastel blue, the floor was carpeted, and there was a dark blue rug in the centre of the room. Puffy's desk was half covered in scattered papers, the other half hidden by stacks of paperwork. Her laptop screen displayed her background - a photo he recognised of them and a few of their college friends, during their celebration a week after they had graduated.