Customer Satisfaction [COMPLETE]

Sleeping Buddies

"Are you alright?" Kate whispered, tapping the fish bowl slightly over Luke the goldfish. He was swimming off in one corner, "Did you waddle like that in Greymark's office?" she squinted in concern, then straightened to study the counterfeit fish grimly.

After smuggling them up to her room, drawing more than a few looks from fellow guests, she had showered and changed and hurried to the nearest market to get a fish bowl and fish feed. The fish, traitorous little creatures, were swimming merrily in their new habitat, looking none the worse for wear. Her shoes--an impulse buy that had cost more than she liked to think--were sitting ruined in the garbage bin, mocking her.

She had stolen Greymark's fish. Out of everything that could have labeled her an outlaw, it had to be fish. And a disappeared vase.

She would concentrate on the vase during her future hearing.

She imagined all her lines of defense, trying to keep Luke out of them, as she dressed for the night. He probably depended on this job solely to provide for him, and she couldn't risk him losing it over some fish. Although next time she committed a potential felony, she hoped he wasn't there to witness it. She narrowed her eyes. To cause it, more like.

She went down earlier than usual, but Luke was nowhere to be seen. She paced in rising concern, wondering if Greymark had had him thrown in jail for vandalizing his office. Could he do that? She sat down, pulling out her phone and quickly searching their state laws.

"Kate?" a voice intruded.

"Luke!" she jumped up, relieved, and hurried to him, "You're not in jail!"

He was walking towards their customary chairs, becoming clearer as he walked closer to the light. "No." he smiled was mild, "Still here."

She took him in, trying not to stare. Until then, she had seen Luke dressed for work in one formal suit or another, looking painfully put together and unapproachable. Tonight, however, probably owing to their fish tank debacle, he had showered and wore shorts and tee shirt, and a tousled head of hair.

He looked several years younger. Instead of the image he usually presented, he could have been any carefree senior she saw on campus, someone's hot boyfriend that all the other girls swooned over and all the guys tried to emulate.

But another step closer, and she looked in his eyes, and she saw layers of the man he had become that would probably always be a part of him, no matter the ensemble. The deep, thoughtful brown eyes, always watchful. The strength that, despite his age, so obviously deemed him a protector. No one could mistake him for a boy.

He stopped in front of her, and after a few moments, murmured, "You're looking at me like that again."

She came down to earth. "Like what?"

He watched her wordlessly, then looked away, saying evasively, "So is it another night in the pneumonia den then?"

She narrowed her eyes at him, a thought striking her, "Did you shower and appear with wet hair to guilt me into sleeping in my room?"

His grin was slow. "Maybe."

It was on the tip of her tongue to tell him he didn't have to accompany her every night, but Mr. James' words had been ringing in her ears the whole day, and for once she found herself at a disadvantage. "Oh." she said in disappointment.

He fixed his eyes at her curiously, "I just showered to get fish stink away."

"They didn't stink." she said immediately, "Greymark has kept them impressively clean, as a matter of fact."

"So this pervert has some redeeming qualities?" Luke chuckled.

"I didn't say he was a pervert--just that he might be, with how everyone was acting." she frowned, "He mustn't be too bad since he let you go after ruining his office."