Digital Map

"You're late," Marks growled as I sailed past him to step into the little laundromat.

My face held no expression until I walked in and pulled my wet clothes from the washing machine to unceremoniously dump them into the waiting dryer that was still hot from continuous use throughout the day. A smirk pulled my lips up at one corner. 

"I am?" I asked lightly. "I thought I said 2:30," I added, knowing full well I had said 2:15. I really liked to piss off Henry Marks every chance I got.

He didn't argue - didn't respond - probably gave me that dirty look he so often did when my back was turned to him. I knew he hated me. I was a vampire, and I knew his stance on my kind. I didn't care much for him either. But then, there weren't many I cared about anyway.

I slammed the door shut and slid some coin into the slot and turned the knobs to my desired settings (the dryer was ancient - but somehow kept on ticking). When he continued to say nothing, I dropped my snarky look and turned to him, pulling my shades down the bridge of my nose and eyeing him for a full 20 seconds. 

Yeah, he didn't like that either. Who could blame him? He shifted his gaze as if I was trying to compel him or something. Me? Please. "Yeah, I'm certain I said 2:30," I threw at him at length and then dropped my own gaze as I looked down at the glasses in my hands and gently pulled the USB from the thickest part of the temple piece, then dangled the glasses by the temple's tip, holding up the USB before tossing it his way.

And, of course, I tossed it just off to the side so that he would have to move awkwardly to catch it or turn to watch it fall down into the ocean below (best case scenario), or down to the ground by his feet (that would bring me a chuckle too). He caught it. I smiled a little smile - the one he so often saw me wear and wanted to knock off my face with his bare knuckles.

"I've mapped out everything. You'll know which systems to look at - there are two - and which directories to open on each. I also listed the files you will want to check first. I prioritized in groups: Most disgusting, grossest, ick, etc." Yeah, my system was pretty slick. As I said earlier, I was cool like that.

He slipped the USB into his pocket most gingerly and returned his eyes to my face. "Why here? Why not just drop this off at the PGP desk so I could pick it up?" He asked, his eyes only slightly narrowing. "You make everything so fucking difficult."

My brows furrowed slightly, an innocent expression forming over the delicate features of my face. "I've always wanted to see you outside of work, I guess," I threw at him lightly, leaning a hip against the dryer as I placed the glasses on the top of my head and then folded my arms across my chest.

"Fuck you, Christa," he grumbled as he turned and left me.

"Well, that's not cool," I said after he was out of earshot and headed for a black coffee at the best damn bar in town.