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Chapter 28

Dayne and Adam went down the menu, not certain about anything. Their waiter arrived with a list of the afternoon specials. Dayne decided on the clam and corn chowder for an appetizer, fresh blackened trout, and stuffed potato.

Adam smiled and said, "Yes. That's exactly right. I'll have the same."

It would be very easy to love a man like him, Dayne thought.

The waiter brought their drinks and vanished again. Dayne sipped hers and said, "So if you hate computers, how in the world did you end up with the job you have?"

Adam laughed. "I just sort of fell into it." He seemed to find the remark very funny, though Dayne didn't get the joke. Adam took a little sip of the Coke, nearly choked, and said, "That's . . . . sweet!" He wrinkled his nose, then pushed the drink back. "Seriously, I was second-in-command at the main corporation, but this incredible new opportunity opened up. If I can make a go of it, North Carolina could give us a base of operations like we've never had before. The growth potential here is just beyond belief. So I ended up with sort of a lateral promotion. . . . I'm in charge of the North Carolina operation, but the boss is still watching every move I make. If we can't make a go of this" —he drew his finger across his throat and made a cutting sound— "I'm in hot water." He shrugged. "It's no big deal, though. If I weren't damned good at what I do, I would never have made it this high. I'll win . . . and we'll be one hell of a success."

Dayne chuckled. She enjoyed talking to people who enjoyed their work. "It sounds fun."

He gave her a broad, slightly wicked smile. "It's very competitive. There are at least a dozen other department heads who would do anything to get my job . . . well, my main job. This North Carolina move will only be something everyone else wants if I can get it to go. If I fail at it, then it's going to become the post that the big boss uses to punish screw-ups. So a lot is riding on it."

"You sound like you enjoy the challenge."

"I had my doubts when I got the assignment. The boss gave me a lot of stipulations, and he wants the operation in the black and self-supporting inside of one year."

"I don't have much to do with major corporations, but that seems like a pretty steep order."

Adam nodded. "It is. I think I can do it, though."

"I'll bet you can. I bet you'll be great." She sighed. "I need a break from what I'm doing. You guys ever need nurses?"

"We have some medical interests. In fact, maybe I can bring over an application, and even get you an interview. I don't have anything to do with the medical subdivision of the corporation, but I know who does. I'd get a few points for recruiting you, though; we can always use new people, and Satco is definitely an equal-opportunity employer."

"Satco?"

He put a hand over his mouth. "You didn't hear that. The corporation is keeping a low profile for now."

She smiled. "Hear what?"

He shook his head ruefully. "Thanks. But I didn't want to monopolize the conversation. You're a nurse. Do you like it? I heard a little bit about it in your interview—it sounded pretty grim to me."

Dayne shrugged. "There are transcendent moments when I know I've done something that mattered—there have been a few in the years I've been doing this when I've known I was the only person who could have done what I did. Doing the kind of nursing I do, I have to live for those moments, because the rest of my work is so grim." The food arrived, and she dug into hers. "I love my patients. I got into nursing because I wanted to help people, and my patients are all I could have ever hoped for. I hate the paperwork I have to do because it keeps me away from them. I don't care much for Administration, because they focus on the bottom line—which is invariably monetary—and sometimes that focus interferes with good patient care. I get along pretty well with most of the doctors, but there are a few I wish would go away."

Adam nodded. "The ones who keep your patients, who have no hope, hanging on."

"Those are the ones. How did you—?"

"That was the part of the interview I caught. You're an interesting woman." He lifted an eyebrow. "Challenging, even."

They talked about inconsequential things for the rest of the meal. The waiter returned to offer dessert.

"The hot apple pie with vanilla ice cream," she told him. "Ice cream on the side, please."

The waiter nodded. "And you, sir?"

Adam looked at the dessert menu. "Devil's Food Fudge Tower." He winked at Dayne.

"Yes, sir. That's been very popular tonight," the waiter said with a straight face. The waiter shook his head. "From the news, you would think they were everywhere, but I don't know anyone who's seen them. I would almost think this was a prank like that Orson Welles radio show I heard about, where everyone thought the Martians were coming . . . but I don't suppose there would be any way to get all the networks involved in something like that."

"You wouldn't think so," Adam said. "I haven't seen any of the Hellraised. How about you, Dayne?"

She shook her head. "You know, I would have thought I, more than anyone else, would have at least seen some of them by now."

"Stopping by to thank you?" Adam asked. "Yes. I suppose you have every right to think that. . . ."

Dayne shook her head vigorously. "Gratitude wasn't what I expected at all. If anything, I would have anticipated a fair amount of trouble from them. Temptation, you know. The trials of Job. Something like that."

She couldn't understand Adam's reaction. He looked . . . shaken. "You expected to be tempted?"

She didn't think she was imagining the fact that he'd gotten paler, either. "Adam . . . are you all right?"

Whatever the strange reaction was, it passed. "Sure. But, I don't know—I guess if I were you I would have expected gratitude from Hell and a certain amount of protection from Heaven. I mean, you're evidently something pretty special."

"Not only do I not expect gratitude from Hell, but I even doubt that many of Hell's Fallen will take this opportunity that they've been given. I suspect most of them will choose to stay in Hell."

Adam looked bothered. "Why would you think a thing like that? Everybody wants second chances."

She chuckled. "But almost nobody is mature enough to admit he was wrong and apologize for what he did . . . and really mean it. I think Lucifer's biggest problem is being too stubborn and too immature to admit he screwed up." The apple pie arrived, ice cream in a separate dish; she took a bite and sighed. "Perfect," she told the waiter. "Absolutely perfect." The waiter smiled and put down Adam's dish, mounded high with layers of cake and ice cream and fudge and chocolate chunks, then vanished again, in the manner of all superior waiters. Dayne gave Adam a wicked grin. "Not that I know Lucifer, of course."

Adam said, "I imagine by this time he knows you."

She nodded. "I'm sure. And I'm sure sooner or later he'll send one of his loyal fiends after me."

"You don't seemed worried by that."

She stopped and thought about it. "I suppose I'm not, really. God never lets us carry more of a burden than we can. Besides," she arched an eyebrow at him and said with a perfectly straight face, "if some devil gives me trouble, I'll just ask God to turn him into a puddle on the ground."

Adam swallowed and nodded slowly. "I figured it would be something like that."

Back | Next
Contents
Framed

Back | Next
Contents

Chapter 28

Dayne and Adam went down the menu, not certain about anything. Their waiter arrived with a list of the afternoon specials. Dayne decided on the clam and corn chowder for an appetizer, fresh blackened trout, and stuffed potato.

Adam smiled and said, "Yes. That's exactly right. I'll have the same."

It would be very easy to love a man like him, Dayne thought.

The waiter brought their drinks and vanished again. Dayne sipped hers and said, "So if you hate computers, how in the world did you end up with the job you have?"

Adam laughed. "I just sort of fell into it." He seemed to find the remark very funny, though Dayne didn't get the joke. Adam took a little sip of the Coke, nearly choked, and said, "That's . . . . sweet!" He wrinkled his nose, then pushed the drink back. "Seriously, I was second-in-command at the main corporation, but this incredible new opportunity opened up. If I can make a go of it, North Carolina could give us a base of operations like we've never had before. The growth potential here is just beyond belief. So I ended up with sort of a lateral promotion. . . . I'm in charge of the North Carolina operation, but the boss is still watching every move I make. If we can't make a go of this" —he drew his finger across his throat and made a cutting sound— "I'm in hot water." He shrugged. "It's no big deal, though. If I weren't damned good at what I do, I would never have made it this high. I'll win . . . and we'll be one hell of a success."

Dayne chuckled. She enjoyed talking to people who enjoyed their work. "It sounds fun."

He gave her a broad, slightly wicked smile. "It's very competitive. There are at least a dozen other department heads who would do anything to get my job . . . well, my main job. This North Carolina move will only be something everyone else wants if I can get it to go. If I fail at it, then it's going to become the post that the big boss uses to punish screw-ups. So a lot is riding on it."

"You sound like you enjoy the challenge."

"I had my doubts when I got the assignment. The boss gave me a lot of stipulations, and he wants the operation in the black and self-supporting inside of one year."

"I don't have much to do with major corporations, but that seems like a pretty steep order."

Adam nodded. "It is. I think I can do it, though."

"I'll bet you can. I bet you'll be great." She sighed. "I need a break from what I'm doing. You guys ever need nurses?"

"We have some medical interests. In fact, maybe I can bring over an application, and even get you an interview. I don't have anything to do with the medical subdivision of the corporation, but I know who does. I'd get a few points for recruiting you, though; we can always use new people, and Satco is definitely an equal-opportunity employer."

"Satco?"

He put a hand over his mouth. "You didn't hear that. The corporation is keeping a low profile for now."

She smiled. "Hear what?"

He shook his head ruefully. "Thanks. But I didn't want to monopolize the conversation. You're a nurse. Do you like it? I heard a little bit about it in your interview—it sounded pretty grim to me."

Dayne shrugged. "There are transcendent moments when I know I've done something that mattered—there have been a few in the years I've been doing this when I've known I was the only person who could have done what I did. Doing the kind of nursing I do, I have to live for those moments, because the rest of my work is so grim." The food arrived, and she dug into hers. "I love my patients. I got into nursing because I wanted to help people, and my patients are all I could have ever hoped for. I hate the paperwork I have to do because it keeps me away from them. I don't care much for Administration, because they focus on the bottom line—which is invariably monetary—and sometimes that focus interferes with good patient care. I get along pretty well with most of the doctors, but there are a few I wish would go away."

Adam nodded. "The ones who keep your patients, who have no hope, hanging on."

"Those are the ones. How did you—?"

"That was the part of the interview I caught. You're an interesting woman." He lifted an eyebrow. "Challenging, even."

They talked about inconsequential things for the rest of the meal. The waiter returned to offer dessert.

"The hot apple pie with vanilla ice cream," she told him. "Ice cream on the side, please."

The waiter nodded. "And you, sir?"

Adam looked at the dessert menu. "Devil's Food Fudge Tower." He winked at Dayne.

"Yes, sir. That's been very popular tonight," the waiter said with a straight face. The waiter shook his head. "From the news, you would think they were everywhere, but I don't know anyone who's seen them. I would almost think this was a prank like that Orson Welles radio show I heard about, where everyone thought the Martians were coming . . . but I don't suppose there would be any way to get all the networks involved in something like that."

"You wouldn't think so," Adam said. "I haven't seen any of the Hellraised. How about you, Dayne?"

She shook her head. "You know, I would have thought I, more than anyone else, would have at least seen some of them by now."

"Stopping by to thank you?" Adam asked. "Yes. I suppose you have every right to think that. . . ."

Dayne shook her head vigorously. "Gratitude wasn't what I expected at all. If anything, I would have anticipated a fair amount of trouble from them. Temptation, you know. The trials of Job. Something like that."

She couldn't understand Adam's reaction. He looked . . . shaken. "You expected to be tempted?"

She didn't think she was imagining the fact that he'd gotten paler, either. "Adam . . . are you all right?"

Whatever the strange reaction was, it passed. "Sure. But, I don't know—I guess if I were you I would have expected gratitude from Hell and a certain amount of protection from Heaven. I mean, you're evidently something pretty special."

"Not only do I not expect gratitude from Hell, but I even doubt that many of Hell's Fallen will take this opportunity that they've been given. I suspect most of them will choose to stay in Hell."

Adam looked bothered. "Why would you think a thing like that? Everybody wants second chances."

She chuckled. "But almost nobody is mature enough to admit he was wrong and apologize for what he did . . . and really mean it. I think Lucifer's biggest problem is being too stubborn and too immature to admit he screwed up." The apple pie arrived, ice cream in a separate dish; she took a bite and sighed. "Perfect," she told the waiter. "Absolutely perfect." The waiter smiled and put down Adam's dish, mounded high with layers of cake and ice cream and fudge and chocolate chunks, then vanished again, in the manner of all superior waiters. Dayne gave Adam a wicked grin. "Not that I know Lucifer, of course."

Adam said, "I imagine by this time he knows you."

She nodded. "I'm sure. And I'm sure sooner or later he'll send one of his loyal fiends after me."

"You don't seemed worried by that."

She stopped and thought about it. "I suppose I'm not, really. God never lets us carry more of a burden than we can. Besides," she arched an eyebrow at him and said with a perfectly straight face, "if some devil gives me trouble, I'll just ask God to turn him into a puddle on the ground."

Adam swallowed and nodded slowly. "I figured it would be something like that."

Back | Next
Contents
Framed