Life's Lessons on Stress

  ~*~

  I added another paragraph to the narrative synopsis of my research and blinked back a tear. Sally, stop being a baby! I sniffed and focused my attention on the reports to flip pages, reread information, and then search for more within the Network. Footsteps approached and I looked up.

  Seifer motioned to the monitor and the papers strewn across my desk. "Progress?"

  "Steady." I moved my focus back to the papers. Everyone else in my shift had left over an hour before.

  "Good." Silence. "Dincht’s bringing dinner."

  I blinked and looked over at Seifer with wide eyes. He had already turned to move away. I smiled. "Thank you, sir."

  He didn’t respond.

  Warm fuzzies attacked and my expression glowed as I returned to my duty with new energy and focus. It was amazing how such a simple statement made me able to see things clearly. I had to rewrite entire paragraphs of my narrative synopsis because I saw new information.

  Recognizable footsteps approached. I smiled and looked up and to my left. "Hi, sweetie."

  Zell grinned. "Hey, kitten." He kissed my cheek. "Long day, huh?"

  I nodded, still smiling, and then pointed to the basket he carried. "What’s for dinner?"

  Zell looked down at it. "Nothing fancy. Finger food, mostly. You know? Make your own cracker sandwich or whatever. Thought it would be kinda fun." He smiled at me. "Figures today would be the day you’d be an overachiever."

  My eyes crinkled at the corners. You have no idea. "Tell me about it."

  He chucked my chin. "But don’t sweat it. We can go out this weekend." He sat cross-legged on the floor and opened up the basket. "You get to work, and I’ll stack your plate."

  "Okay." My expression softened. "Thanks for coming, Zell."

  He popped a grape into his mouth and sent me a wink. "No prob, Sally."

  Zell dived back into his search and rescue of the food within the basket. I watched him. The weirdness factor and dreamlike state had worn down--no. No, it had evolved into a feeling I couldn’t classify. I didn’t mean that I just loved him. It was more than that. I couldn’t imagine Garden life without him. I couldn’t imagine my life without him. I reached out and caressed his tattoo with the back of my hand.

  Zell looked up and smiled, taking my hand in his and giving it a squeeze. "Not while the boss is watching, kitten," he said in a low voice. He kissed the inside of my wrist. "You better at least look like you’re working."

  I smiled and nodded, feeling the blush and not minding in the least. "Yeah. I better."

  He released my hand and went back to his inner basket search. "Man. I can’t believe I said that."

  I giggled as I turned back to my computer. "Me neither."

  "You realize I’ll have to make up for that later, right?"

  I sent Zell a sidelong glance. "Yep."

  "I’ll try and give you some warning before I do."

  "That’s all right." I sent him another glance, which he caught. I smiled. "You don’t have to."

  "Cool!" Zell motioned to the picnic basket. "You want the works? Or do you only have the nibbles?"

  "Just the nibbles."

  "Okey dokey. Nibble plate comin’ right up."

  As Zell gathered the ‘nibbles’, I set to work with comparisons and searches and the like. Paragraph after paragraph was organized and conceptualized, ready for the trip to computer keyboard. Zell set a plate to my left, careful not to mess any of my reports and papers. I absently munched on grapes, cheese slices, rolled up pieces of meat, and quarter slices of pickles--my favorite--while I typed my report and listened to Zell tell me about his newest group of candidates or the newest combo‑attack he worked on.

  I listened with a smile, hearing and understanding only a fraction of it. Zell didn’t care, and I enjoyed the sound of his voice and what it did to the stress that had started collecting at the base of my spine. It always did, and Zell seemed the quickest way to get rid of it.

  "Hey, Seif," Zell greeted suddenly. "Wanna grape? Pickle?"

  I swallowed and self-consciously straightened the papers on my desk before looking over my left shoulder. "Coming right along, sir." Please don’t make Zell go away. "Should be done within the hour."

  Zell munched on a piece of cheese. "Need me to vanish?"

  Seifer ignored him. Instead, he leaned in to read a portion of the report over my shoulder. I grimaced, all the while wishing I could sink into the floor.

  "Looks good. Keep at it." Seifer glared at Zell. "Dincht, keep talking and you’re gone."

  Zell popped the rest of the cheese into his mouth and sent Seifer his infamous thumb salute. "No prob."

  Seifer moved away.

  I released a deep breath and slumped back into my seat. "Whew. I thought he would make you leave."

  Zell grinned. "Me? I’ve got a right to be down here." He quickly covered his mouth as he looked around for Seifer.

  "That’s right. You better not talk."

  He wordlessly nodded.

  I smiled and handed him the copy of Combat King Seifer had given me earlier. "Here. Why don’t you munch and read this. I’ll finish up this report, and then we can go."

  Zell accepted the magazine and gave the side of my leg a smack with it, smiling. Then he leaned back against my desk, his legs stretching out from him as he opened the magazine. He rested his elbow on my leg without comment or glance. I smiled and refocused my attention on my monitor.