Karen blinked once, then smiled faintly. "Wow, Dr. Vetter. I have never heard you curse before." She tilted her head, studying him as if he were suddenly fascinating. "How nice to meet you properly."
His eyes narrowed.
"Do not make me repeat myself."
She waved a dismissive hand, "Relax. I'm not here to exhume abandoned skeletons or drag ghosts out into daylight. I don't particularly enjoy stirring ashes that have settled."
He said nothing.
She let the silence stretch, then shrugged lightly. "All I'm saying is that you have a conference to attend, and I, as your assistant, should be present. Loyalty, support, paperwork. What sort of assistant would I be if I let you handle all that strenuous networking by yourself?"
He continued staring.
Her tone softened into something almost playful. "Mm-hmm. Yes. Exactly that."
The first thing he said was, "Why go through all this?"
Karen's smile sharpened. "Now that," she said quietly, "is another logical question I expected you to ask"
