The next day was more drudgery at the GrizlHut. Working with Cara was a boon, but overall, the work was boring, hot, and very greasy. Conor wished he could shower three times a day or more. But he stuck to his promise to Jessica and even volunteered to make deliveries that evening for the extra tip money. “In what car, Conor?” Pops asked. “You have been walking to work for weeks!” Conor stared at the ground realizing how stupid the idea had been. Cara poked her head in. “Conor… you can drive right?” Conor looked at her and nodded. “Are you sure? You are not without a car because of accidents?” “No accidents.” Cara stared hard at him as she considered. “Don’t make me regret this.” She fished her keys out of her pocket and held them out to Conor. Just as he was reaching for them, she pulled them back and gave him a hard stare, “You bring my car back in one piece tonight, and with a full tank of gas, you hear?” Conor nodded and she slowly handed him the keys. “If you damage my ca
Conor was relieved when Mr. Nuri walked into the interrogation room a few minutes later. He tried to stand but the cuffs held him down to the table. “Mr. Nuri! Thank Celia! I have no idea what is going on! I came back from…” Mr. Nuri cut him off with a gesture. “Not here, Conor.” Then to the detective who was lurking outside, “Uncuff my client.” “Sir, he is charged with serious drug trafficking crimes!” “WHAT?” cried Conor, horrified that he was even associated with such activity. “CONOR, not here,” Admonished Mr. Nuri. “Detective, I advise you to get your evidence in order. We will deal with you in the morning.” “I have video,” The detective said sheepishly. Conor looked puzzled. Mr. Nuri was furious, “Thank you for finally sharing that. Show us. AFTER you uncuff my client!” Reluctantly the detected did uncuff Conor before setting a computer before them. The video was dark and hard to make out. Conor was surprised that there was even a camera at this location. It was the first
The next morning, Jarad Brown, Mr. Nuri’s Paralegal, greeted Conor with breakfast. “Mr. Nuri was called away to one of our other offices out of town on urgent business. But I can take you anywhere you need to go this morning.” “Umm, well I probably need to check-in at work” Jarad drove Conor to the GrizlHut. As Conor walked in, he was met by the glaring eyes of a cross-armed Pops. “If you think that Mr. Cochan is going to tolerate a drug dealer working here and using his business as a distribution point, you are dumber than I thought. Hand over your uniform, NOW!” “But that’s not what happened! I can explain! No, my lawyer can explain!” Conor reached for the door but saw Jarad already driving away. “Now, Conor! Hand it over. Not only were you arrested but I had to deal with a customer complaint about you trying to charge her for something she didn’t even order! Jessica should never have married you and if I have any influence I will see you ou
It was almost noon when he arrived home, his mind still reeling from the events of the past day. He was surprised to see Jessica already home, sitting at their small dining table and picking at a salad.“Jess, what are you doing here? I thought you were at your dad’s office today,” Conor said, trying to keep his tone light despite the tension he felt.Jessica looked up, her expression unreadable. “I could ask you the same thing! Isn’t today one of your shifts at Grizlhut? And where were you last night? I never heard you come in.”Conor felt his face flush as he tried to decide how to explain. The events of the previous night were still fresh in his mind, but he knew how bad it would sound. “Well… last night, I ran into some legal trouble… I was framed while on a pizza run.”Jessica’s eyes widened in shock. “What!? What the hell, Conor?”“I swear, I’m innocent! My lawyer can explain everything. But Pops wouldn’t listen—he just knows the cops questioned me, so he fired me on the spot. Di
Conor hung up with a small glimmer of hope, but still a bit at a loss as to how the week would go. He was hopeful that his new job would provide some opportunities, but that didn’t start until the morning. He decided to wander around town and perhaps look for something nice he could make for Jessica for diner. As he strolled through town, he come to a local megastore. Things tended to be less expensive here and they carried many products from all over the kingdom. Conor wandered inside, hoping to be inspired. He strode down one of the aisles, an elderly old lady reached for something on the top shelf. She was so short she was practically climbing the shelves to try to grab a box. Conor rushed over and offered to help. A look of relief washed over the lady’s face. “Thank you, young man. The one on the left please.” Conor easily grabbed the box of cereal and placed it in her cart. “No problem. Glad I could help.” The old lady smiled at him and said, “You are ra
Conor arrived home with a sense of determination. He was exhausted from the day’s events, but tonight, he wanted to do something special.It had been far too long since he and Jessica had shared a peaceful evening together, and he hoped tonight could be a step toward mending the distance that had grown between them.He set about preparing dinner, starting with a shrimp bisque bourbon soup. The rich aroma of simmering shrimp, butter, and bourbon filled the small kitchen as he carefully stirred the pot.He moved on to the main course, a shrimp scampi with a garlic butter sauce. The smell of roasting garlic mingled with the scent of fresh herbs, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere.As the food cooked, Conor laid out a simple but elegant dining set on their small table. He placed two candles, which the store manager had provided, in the center and lit them, watching as the soft glow flickered across the room.Everything was ready. All that remained was for Jessica to come home.He glan
Conor arrived at Jackson’s Furniture at 8 a.m. sharp the next morning. He had chosen to wear his new suit and tie since that was similar to what the sales team had been wearing yesterday. When he walked through the doors, several sales associates powerwalked over to him. “Can we help you find anything today?” “Are you looking for a sofa, or perhaps a recliner?” “How about dining room furniture?” “I can direct you to the bedroom suites.” Conor was overwhelmed and held up his hands. “I am a new employee. I am just here to meet with Mr. Matthews and get my assignment.” “Oh.” The dejection and disappointment were clear on each of their faces. As they drifted away, one lingered and finally stepped forward, hand outstretched. “name’s Arty. Arty Maron. You said you were to meet with the boss?” Arty was a thin man in his later fifties, with wispy gray hair combed over a balding head. He wore thin glasses near the end of his nose. “Yes
As Conor made his way up the stairs and along the walkway to his apartment, he noticed Yuri waiting outside. At fifteen, Yuri was still a bit short for his age, but he was quickly maturing, both in height and in his passion for game development.Conor had come to think of Yuri as the little brother he never had, and seeing the excitement on the boy’s face brought a smile to his own.“Conor! You’re home!” Yuri exclaimed, practically bouncing on his toes.“What’s up, Yuri? Everything okay?” Conor asked, curious about the source of Yuri’s enthusiasm.“You’re not going to believe this!” Yuri’s words tumbled out in a rush. “Mr. Nuri managed to get me a spot at the Bayan Gaming Convention this weekend! He says Mom can take me, and I’ll be able to present the game! This is HUGE!!! All the top companies will be there, showing off their new games and systems! If I can get one of them to like ‘Song of Dragons,’ we could go multiplatform and, and…”“WHOA, WHOA, WHOA, slow down, Yuri!” Conor chuck
Monday morning broke with a cool spring breeze showing the last vestiges of winter before summer’s heat. Conor tossed his suitcase into the back of the SUV and hopped into the passenger seat.Parker drove them to Kerrigan’s house, pausing briefly to acknowledge the gate guard. Conor recognized him as one of Colonel Eli’s men he had seen around Vokrizin.“Jamison is a good man. He will make sure nothing happens to Miss Lokir’s house while you all are away,” Parker said.Conor just nodded.They pulled up to Kerrigan’s house and Parker honked twice.Conor jumped out when he saw the four ladies exit with several bags each. He and Parker quickly moved to help and filled the back of the SUV with bags, nearly completely blocking any hope of looking out the back window.“Guess you are moving out. No plans to return?” Conor asked.Kerrigan replied smoothly, “I am sure I will be back. This isn’t a fraction of what is in that house.”Parker closed the trunk and addressed everyone, “The Colonel do
Targu Province. Saturday night “A toast! To our good brother Kelan, for without him, many of us would still be scrapping the bottom of the barrel here in Velyki!” declared Darren Krellis. “Here, here!” chorused the room. "My family thanks you for letting us take over this place and turn it into the exclusive club Velykie can be proud of!" Darren declared. Kelan Benedict stood and saluted the room with his wine glass and took a swig. “Brothers and lovely guests,” he began, eyeing the ladies around the room dressed in tight-fitting evening gowns. “Tonight, I thank you for this gracious meal. Hopefully, the future will bring mutual benefit as the Benedict family begins its absorption of Velyki and then Targu!” There was a round of cheers and Kelan slumped back into his seat, wrapping his arm around Clarise, a tall attractive blonde dressed in a red dress that did wonders for her figure. “Brother Kelan,” came a grading voice beside him as someone sat down on the couch. Kelan took h
“That was crazy,” Conor said as they headed across the street. Kerrigan slipped up beside him, slipping her hand into his, “I get the feeling that our lives will always attract crazy.” Conor sighed, “It does seem that way. Let’s see how Mr. Arroz is doing.” Conor gave Kerrigan’s hand a gentle squeeze as they crossed the street and stepped into the spice shop. A small bell sounded as they walked in. “Be right up!” came the bellow from the back room. Conor pointed to the glass case that protected the world from the hottest spice known, Abrasax’s wrath. “Now, any idea how we can get Kelan and perhaps Nyman to swallow that whole jar?” Kerrigan giggled, “I have a few I would like to feed it to. Think Mr. Arroz will part with the whole jar?” “Depends if he thinks he can replace it,” Conor said as Faolon brushed past him. “Hey, Faolan! Sit! PRALL!” Faolan came back and sat at his feet. Kerrigan looked up at him, “She just wants to sniff. This whole place is full of new smells.” “I k
Conor and Kerrigan rode in companionable silence for most of the trip back to town, content to rest from the day’s climbing. They sat, each leaning against opposing car windows, but their legs met, touching from knee to heel. Conor felt their fingers brush and gently laced his with hers, enjoying how her hand fit so perfectly with his.It was near dinner time when they finally turned onto the street near the Spice Emporium. As Parker pulled into a parking space at the far end of the street, Conor noticed the Grizlehut. It had been a long time since he had thought about his old job. While his condominium home was at the far end of the street, he never come down this way anymore. Too often, Parker would be waiting for him, and they would simply drive the other direction to get to Vokrizin.Conor reached for the door and realized Kerrigan was completely passed out against her window. He leaned over and gently shook her shoulder. As she came awake, Conor saw a flash of panic cross her face
He changed his hand position and reached, finding the quickdraw dangling from its anchor. He clipped the rope in and began his attempt to crest the bulge in the rock. As he pivoted, he realized the angle he was moving to would erase any grip he had on that hold. As he thought this, he felt a weightless sensation as he began to fall away from the rock. The rope went taught and jerked him mid-air as Kerrigan was pulled off her feet, flying fifteen feet in the air. She managed to hold the rope in its breaking position but her head was dangerously close to his feet. When he had caught his breath, Conor looked down into Kerrigan’s terrified green eyes. “Fancy meeting you up here. Think we could meet up again, once we are safely on the ground?” Kerrigan gawked at him for a second before smiling, “I suppose I could let you down, but You are at my mercy. I might just have to leave you up here like a pinata.” Conor chuckled as he watched her slowly release tension, lowering herself back dow
“OK, now it's time for you to try. Who is up first?” Conor volunteered. “Fine, Kerrigan, you are on belay. I will back you up and walk you through each step. I want you both to understand, Lead climbing like this places your life in the hands of your partner. If you don’t trust each other and learn not only to communicate but to anticipate each other’s needs, you will fail and likely hurt each other.” Kerrigan looked dubiously at Parker. “Conor is easily 50 pounds heavier than me!” Parker eyed Conor’s muscular but toned form, “You are what? 200 or 210 pounds these days?” “Last I checked, yea, right at 205.” “Should be fine. Kerrigan, you just have to learn to brace yourself correctly. You could go for a ride but if you use the skills I taught you earlier you could even belay me, and I am 230 pounds these days. Climbing is about technique as much as it is about skill. Now, let's get Conor tied in.” Parker tied the end of the climbing rope to Conor’s harness and showed Kerrigan.
Conor leaned against the SUV with Parker standing across from him checking through a few bags of gear. “We have three ropes, harnesses for everyone, belay devices, and four full sets of quickdraws. I am also bringing a few crash pads. I don’t plan on you needing to use them but we will put them along the base just in case. Here, try these on.” Parker tossed a pair of strange shoes to him. Conor looked at the shoes that had a sharp curve to the toe and the sole was a flat rubber that followed the arch curve. The tan material seemed to be some sort of soft doeskin or very supple leather. Conor tried to pull the shoe on but his toes cramped and they were shoved into the tight shoes. “Umm, I think these are too small.” Parker walked over and check them. “your heal fits right?” “Yea, but my toes are all curled” “Painfully curled or just uncomfortably curled?” Conor considered before finally replying, “just uncomfortable. My shoes are normally a bit loose.” “Then they fit perfectly.
Kerrigan spent the next day walking around the property at her house with Faolan. It had been a while since they had been able to just play, and she took this opportunity to play fetch. Thankfully her right arm still functioned, though being it was her off-hand, it was a bit awkward to throw. She figured this was good training for anything that might injure her dominant arm. Mercifully she had awoken almost entirely pain-free. The pills the Colonel had given her had truly worked wonders overnight and she had to admit, she was looking forward to being able to learn to climb the sheer rock faces near the waterfall tomorrow. The day passed rather uneventfully, and as the sun set Kerrigan found herself curled up on the back porch on one of their outdoor couches, with Faolan warming her feet with her furry mass. Reilynn stepped out a few minutes later with two glasses of wine and handed one to Kerrigan as Gabriella come out behind her. the girls each sank into chairs and leaned back, look
The next morning Kerrigan arrived on the roof of Vokrizin for their daily training session. Colonel Eli strode over to her but before he could start setting her to drills she decided to interject, “I actually wanted to talk to you.” “Oh?” “two things really. First, do you think tomorrow I could take the girls climbing? Perhaps Conor will join us?” The Colonel glanced to where Parker was sparing with Conor, “I don’t see why that should be a problem.” He looked to Reilynn, “You feel confident in training them?” “Yes, sis.” “Fine, I will requisition the gear. What size shoe do you were, Miss Lokir?” “Umm about 23.5 cm.” “Hmm ok. I will make sure to get you and Conor some. Be warned, they will be tight. These are not meant for walking, they are designed for grip. Don’t be surprised if they feel a size or two smaller than is comfortable. What was the other thing?” “I am returning to Dragon Corporation at the end of the week.” “Ah, I see. I will begin redeploying a detail. We still