Part 29 (1/2)
”Yes sir?” Eddie Urkel reincarnate.
”Have you finished your landing report?” Thomas spoke to Eddie, though his gaze remained on Quinlan.
”Yes sir.”
”Good.” Pause. ”I see your new gla.s.ses haven't arrived.” Thomas winked at Quinlan. Eddie studied the floor. ”No sir.”
Is it getting warm in here? Quinlan felt bead-sweat on her upper lip. How unattractive.
Thomas took Quinlan's hand and planted an ever so soft kiss. ”And, Ms. Quinlan. How are you today?”
”I...well...I'm fine...Mr...Thomas.” The over-powering scent of sweet confection whipped candy scrambled her brain. ”Thank you...for asking.” She felt another flush start when she realized her hand still hung in the air where it had been touched by his lips.
”I see you've met Edward.” Thomas folded oversized biceps across his wide chest. Today's jumpsuit-a dreamy navy blue.
Quinlan bobble-head nodded. ”My travel escort. I was just asking....” Quinlan bit her lip, not wanting Eddie in any more trouble. ”How Eddie...I mean, Edward has been.” Navy blue, her new favorite color.
”I believe this fellow is making progress.” Thomas placed a rea.s.suring hand on Eddie's shoulder.
The young escort jumped as if he'd grabbed a live electrical wire.
Quinlan could relate.
”Chill, my man,” Thomas said. ”Come on, relax.”
Eddie dropped his shoulders, rolled his head in a circular motion and jogged briefly in place.
”That's better,” Thomas said. ”And now, Ms. Quinlan. Can I help you with anything?”
Quinlan dove straight into the depths of handsome Mr. Clean's brown eyes and couldn't for the life of her remember why she was at the station building.
”Ms. Quinlan,” Thomas said, a smile playing around his mouth. ”Are you alright?”
The fluffy cloud surrounding her brain popped, breaking the lovely daydream her mind conjured. She fumbled through her pocket and pulled out her ID bracelet. ”Third floor. Blue computer.” Quinlan dangled the bracelet. ”Blue.”
”Very well,” Thomas said and then turned to Edward. ”I'll see if I can speed things up a bit with your gla.s.ses.”
Eddie pushed the safety goggles up on his nose. ”Thank you, sir.” He took a step back, tripped over nothing in particular, and then exited the building.
Poor thing, Quinlan thought.
”Now, where were we?” Thomas asked.
Quinlan's mind immediately reverted to her soap opera dream scene.
”Ah, yes. Third floor.” Thomas's Shaq hand closed around her elbow and led her to the front desk. ”Melody can help you from here.” He gave Quinlan's elbow a slight squeeze and then walked away.
Entranced, Melody and Quinlan's gaze followed the navy jumpsuit until it disappeared around a corner.
”Does he always smell like cotton candy?” Quinlan asked.
”It's different with every woman I know.” Dreamy-eyed, Melody shook her head. ”It's Snickers for me.” She sighed. ”Just sign here and you'll be on your way. Elevators are around the corner.”
She pushed cotton candy and the navy jumpsuit out of her head and concentrated on the beaming floor indicator. It seemed to take forever for the glowing red three to ding. The doors parted and Quinlan shot through like a thoroughbred out of the gate at Belmont. Unlike the patina-splashed lobby, the third floor hallway was lined with thick red carpet. The rich dark-chocolate paneling eased her astigmatism-fear of plowing into a wall. An engraved placard mounted across from the elevator directed her to the library.
”h.e.l.lo. You must be Quinlan.” A gentle-looking woman with beginning laugh-lines welcomed her at the library entrance.
Her Gracie urgency back intact, Quinlan grabbed the woman's arm. ”Blue, I need a blue computer.”
”I'm Bridget,” she said, patting Quinlan's hand and then pried her fingers loose. ”Follow me.”
Three computers, all different colors, lined the back wall of the library. Bridget walked to the blue computer and pulled out a swivel chair. ”What do you think?”
”I think the blue-thing is way over-done.” The keyboard, hard-drive, monitor...even the swivel chair were the same cobalt blue. ”What does it mean?”
Bridget hesitated then ran a finger over the back of the chair. ”Blue is for...special a.s.signments.”
Sounds lame, but...whatever. With ID bracelet clutched in her hand, Quinlan slipped into the chair and swirled around, poking the bracelet at the hard drive. ”Where does this plug in?”
”First, remove the cap.” Bridget reached for the bracelet. ”Here, I'll help.”
Quinlan s.n.a.t.c.hed the bracelet out of Bridget's grasp and clutched it to her chest. ”No!” she barked, her heart accelerating. In mere moments she could gain access to Gracie. ”I mean...I forgot about the end cap. I don't mean to be...rude.” Her shoulders slumped. ”I'm just a little nervous.”
”I can see that.” Bridget cleared her throat and pointed at a small blue box to the right of the monitor. ”This is the USB port.”
”For the jump drive thingy?”
”Yes.” Bridget blinked hard. ”The...jump drive thingy.”
”But how do I-?”
”Type the name in the text box on the screen.”
”Got it.” Quinlan rubbed her hands together.
”Now, open the drawer to your right,” Bridget said.
It took all of Quinlan's dwindling supply of self-control not to yell ”Stop with all the instructions...can't you see I'm busy?” She ceased the hand rubbing and followed the order. A sleek, thin device the size of a credit card gleamed from inside the drawer, a set of dual ear buds attached. Of course, blue. ”What's this?”
”Your media instructional device.” Bridget said. ”To send and receive messages, and access mediums.”
”Mediums?” The word pin-balled inside Quinlan's brain.
Bridget tilted her head, her eyes narrowed. ”Angela did teach you about mediums, right?”