The Tessa Randolph Collection, Books 1-3 by Paula Lester (best ereader for comics .txt) 📗

the armrests, getting to her feet. "Come on. I'm going to be mentoring you through your reaps today."

Gloria headed for the door. Tessa admired the floor-length maxi dress her friend wore, which was the same shade of fuchsia as her eyeshadow.

"I've been reaping for months. Why do I need mentoring now?" Tessa hopped off the desk and followed Gloria into the lobby.

Gloria cast a smirk over her shoulder. "Because you're a slow learner."

Tessa's jaw dropped and she stopped walking for a second and then had to hurry to catch back up. "I am not! There's just been a lot of weird stuff going on since I came on, that's all. I mean, it isn't like everything's been routine or easy with the reaps."

"Actually, it’s my opinion that everything has been routine and boring, but you've been inserting some drama." Gloria made a beeline for her car, and Tessa followed without arguing.

Gloria's ride was much more reliable than Linda.

"I'm not dramatic."

Gloria's cheeks puffed out like a chipmunk's. And then she burst into high-pitched laughter. "Really? You're going to take that route? Honey, you bring more drama with you than Hollywood celebrities bring to the red carpet. It's one thing after another with you.

“First, you lose a soul, then you exchange one soul for another, then you’re involved in a bunch of improper reaps at the convention.” She pointed a finger at Tessa’s nose. “I'm telling you, you're the one bringing the madness."

Tessa got in the car and put on her seatbelt. Then she crossed her arms and huffed. "Okay, I lost the soul. That much was my fault. But all the stuff that happened in Miami—that had nothing to do with me. I was just along for the ride. In fact, I'm the one who got it all figured out and cleared up. You should be thanking me instead of . . ." Tessa waved a hand in the air aimlessly. "Whatever this is."

Gloria put the car in reverse and eased out of the spot. "Relax. All I'm going to do is show you a couple of tricks of the trade. It's not any kind of statement about what kind of job you’re doing. It has more to do with me taking over and making things . . . you know, the way I want them."

Now, that actually didn't sound bad. Cheryl's management style, while standoffish, was fairly intense. She liked things to be just so and didn’t hesitate to micromanage to get them that way.

Maybe Gloria would be a little more lenient. And, if nothing else, she'd been reaping for a lot longer than Tessa and would have some tricks up her sleeve. Tessa was interested in learning all the tricks possible. Even after the flubs and dangerous situations Tessa had been put into since she became a reaper, she really did love the job. She wanted not only to keep at it but also to do a great job. She just had to figure out how to get Silas out of trouble first.

Gloria glanced at her. "You're pouting again. It's about your boyfriend, isn't it?"

"He's not my boyfriend," Tessa replied automatically, following up with, "I'm serious—he really isn't my boyfriend. We had an argument the night before Artemis Green’s reap. And Silas was really upset after he followed me and saw what happened. He didn't understand. He thought our agency was some sort of assisted suicide thing. I never had a chance to explain it before he was arrested."

"Okay, well, that's not good. But don't worry. You'll get it straightened out and hottie landlord will be your boyfriend again." The grin on Gloria's face could only be described as impish.

"That reminds me. You're always trying to get involved in my love life—giving me advice and all that on what to do with Silas. I don't ever get to hear about your love life. In Miami, you said you do have one. So, what gives? Who are you dating?"

Gloria kept her eyes on the road. "I date lots of people," she said cryptically. "But I've been seeing someone a little bit more seriously the last couple of weeks.” She paused.

Tessa could see her friend chewing the inside of her lip, like she was nervous. What did she have to be nervous about? “Okay, spill it. Tell me about this mysterious person.”

“There’s not much to tell.” She checked the side mirror, even though there was no reason to because she wasn’t changing lanes. Then she spoke in a fast rush of words. “Her name’s Ella. If you’re nice to me, maybe I'll let you meet her."

Her. That was something Tessa hadn’t known about Gloria. But it clicked into place in her mind fast, filling in a piece of knowledge that had been missing. "That sounds great. I can't wait to meet her." Tessa smiled. “Ooh, does she like Thai food? I’ve been dying to see if that new place downtown is any good.”

Gloria finally glanced at Tessa. "Thanks," she said softly.

"For what?"

"For not being weird about it."

Tessa scowled. "Why would I be weird about it? I don't care who you date. I just want you to be happy. And to stay out of my love life." She jabbed Gloria’s arm lightly with her elbow.

Gloria snorted. "Never gonna happen."

She twisted the wheel, pulling the car into Mist River Hospital’s parking lot. “You need all the help you can get with that love life of yours. Just consider me your personal relationship guru. You should be paying me a salary.”

Gloria threw the car in park and hopped out before Tessa could get a word in edgewise.

“Great,” she muttered, following more slowly.

At first, Tessa thought she’d missed Gloria somehow. She was nowhere to be seen between the front of the car and the hospital. Then she heard the sound of the car trunk popping open.

Gloria began digging in the trunk, so Tessa joined her there. A lot like her desk, it was a mess. Her trunk was like a middle schooler’s locker at the