I kept my gloves on as I pushed the required elevator buttons, sighing and trying to pull on a professional face as the elevator zoomed upwards.  I could handle this without telling him how angry I was.

The door opened and revealed signs directing me to different offices.  I followed the one to Woodson Foundation and pushed open a door – with my shoulder – to the appropriate office, glancing around at the comfy-looking chairs in the front office.  If it wasn’t for my current attitude, I’d think this looked like a nice place to hang out and just chat with someone.  Maybe read.  Hang out with a dog.

We should get chairs like that, Kat noted, apparently on the same page as me.  I like the idea of giant plush chairs.  Ooh, what about one of those giant beanbags?  You think those are comfy or would you fall off the sides if you weren’t careful?

It seems like it might be hard to get out of them, I agreed, fully knowing she was probably trying to distract me but also falling for it because I couldn’t help it. Though Goose might like it.

True, true.  Oh look, he’s here.

I turned to see the fairy – didn’t he say he liked to be called Fitz? – emerging from the offices, a smile on his face.

“Ezra!  Thanks for bringing those over.  I decided to edit some of the requests just in case.”  He took the envelope from me, not even glancing inside, still seeming overly happy to see me.  “Want to see some of our plans?  Everything’s looking great, but I’d love to see an outsider’s perspective.”

I took a small step back, a stiff smile on my face.  “I just came to drop those off.  If that’s all, I’ll be going.”

Fitz seemed taken aback by my response.  “Is everything okay?”  He asked, his eyes searching my face.  “Did something happen with your friend or your dog?”

“No.”

He blinked, clearly confused when that was the only answer he got.

Ezra, he has no idea what he did wrong, Kat pointed out.  And I don’t think he meant to be entitled.

Exactly.  He just assumed everyone’s willing to jump to serve him.

While I was arguing with Kat, he was thinking through my response.  “Did I do something to offend you?”

I folded my arms across my chest.  “You didn’t need to request that I personally deliver those, did you?  I wasn’t needed.  You needed them delivered, and normally we have couriers we hire for that kind of stuff.  Instead, I get dragged away from my work, meaning it gets piled up, and I have to deal with finding buses over my lunch hour just to deliver something to you because you’re used to everyone jumping to fulfill your wishes, regardless of whether that inconveniences anyone else.  When I said I’d help you, I meant with filling out forms, not with becoming your personal City Clerk.”

Ezra, that might be a bit far, Kat tried to argue. I know you like him and it bothers you more because you don’t want someone you like to use you like that, but I really don’t think he meant anything by it.  He actually looked excited to see you, remember?

He did, actually, looked first taken aback and now almost crushed with my speech.  More so than I’d have thought for the lecture, but in the past few years at my job, I’d gotten used to snapping at people who expected me to bend over backwards to help them.

“I didn’t mean to inconvenience you,” Fitz confirmed Kat’s suspicion.  “When I called to ask about these being taken care of and was routed to the head Clerk, I’d asked about you because I’d thought I’d end up talking to you, not him.  I didn’t realize he’d send you here, especially if it’s not part of your regular job duties or it’s causing problems for you.”

He really did look repentant, and I reluctantly had to admit that maybe I’d gone too far.

“I’m sorry,” I told him.  “I’m very sensitive to being used by people after some stuff in my past, and it felt like you were just expecting me to personally serve you, which was not what I meant to offer when I said I’d help.  I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions, though.  If you didn’t mean to have me sent down here, then it’s not your fault.  I’m sorry for getting mad at you before figuring out what was actually going on.”  I’d like to chew out my boss, but unfortunately that might mean I’d get fired, so I’d probably have to pretend everything was fine about this, even if it had turned out to be my boss’s fault and not Fitz’s.

He seemed relieved and maybe happy again.  “Well, since you’re here, want to see the plans?”  He asked tentatively.  Then he frowned abruptly.  “Wait, did you say you have to do this over your lunch break?”  He glanced at his watch, confirming the time.  “That’s no good – want to grab lunch with me?  My treat, since you came down here.  Your boss can’t fault you for taking your time coming back, right?”  He suddenly wiggled his eyebrows at me.  “Just say I asked for your company, and he should forgive it, right?”

I had to concede he was right and I almost laughed at his intentionally mischievous expression, all my earlier anger fading away surprisingly quickly.  “That would work,” I agreed, fidgeting with my gloves.  “Apparently the mayor has been telling my boss and the other city officials to do anything you want to try to get you to stay in town.”  As soon as I said the words, I wondered if that was too much information, but he also didn’t seem surprised by this info.

“See?  You can just blame me for keeping you longer.  Want to get some lunch while you’re here?  There’s some places on the second floor that are great, or there’s several restaurants nearby.”  He pulled out his phone and presumably went to look at the map or something that showed food options.  “It’s the least I can do for you since you came all the way out here to deliver my stuff.”

I wasn’t sure if my courier services really required that, but I was also deeply uncomfortable with the idea of a restaurant.  I only bought coffee at one place, because I knew how clean they kept it, and Elanius and I had found a total of two restaurants near work I was happy with, but the idea of sitting in an unfamiliar restaurant and not being sure how often they cleaned everything made me squirm.

Offer to cook, Kat suddenly volunteered.  His place is upstairs, you could just go there.

Subtle, and no, I’m not inviting myself to his place, I responded, maybe a bit heatedly.  That’s a totally different level.  He feels bad about this whole thing since I lectured him and wants to make it up to me, even though it turns out it’s not his fault.  Inviting me into his house suggests a personal level of friendship, not just a professional acquaintance like we are.

Exactly.  She sounded smug.  Get to know him personally.  Shoo, go on, do it!

I nearly rolled my eyes, but caught myself in time.  Sometimes it was hard to remember not to respond to Kat externally when I was with others.

“I appreciate the offer, but I don’t really like eating out,” I told him.  When he seemed rather surprised by this, I reluctantly explained.  “It’s not food allergies or anything, it’s, um, I don’t exactly like, uh, germs.”  I dropped my voice on the last word.  I didn’t much like explaining this to people, or even more so where it came from.  I knew it was ridiculous, this idea of perfection in order to be loved, but it was hard to just turn off my brain when it insisted that germs would hurt me.  “It’s kind of like OCD, I guess, just I don’t – I don’t like being unfamiliar places and eating.  I’m sorry.  But thanks for the offer,” I added, briefly glancing at his face and hoping I hadn’t offended – or horrified – him too much.  This was part of the reason I struggled with friends.  On the one hand, I desperately wanted to be able to hug people, and on the other, touching people meant germs.  Most of the ones I’d tried making either didn’t respect my boundaries or thought they could “shock” me out of them by just drowning me in contact, and that hadn’t worked, either.  Elanius respected that I wanted it, but could only rarely bring myself to actually let someone touch me, so that was one of the reasons we had remained friends.

He did seem a bit taken aback, but thankfully not insulted or disgusted.  “Okay, well, I can understand not wanting a restaurant, then.  Oh!”  He brightened up.  “My place is upstairs.  I can clean everything to your satisfaction and we can just grab stuff and make it.  I’ll re-wash the dishes, if that helps,” he promised.  “It is kept pretty clean, I promise – I have a housekeeper,” he looked embarrassed with this admission, “who handles the cooking and cleaning and she keeps things spotless, but if you’d be more comfortable just making sure they’re clean, I can certainly wash them, I don’t mind.”

I couldn’t imagine this likely millionaire – maybe even more – washing his dishes just to make me happy.  I almost felt suspicious, because why would he go that far for me, but he didn’t seem like he had ulterior motives.

Kat?  What do you think?

Okay, first, he and I are on the same page about you eating upstairs, so I’m all on board with that.  Second, why not?  When will you ever get a chance to eat with a guy like him anyway?  Plus, like I said, this give you a chance to move more towards friends.

I shifted uneasily.  It seems like too much just for me, I pointed out.

Oh come on, maybe he’s someone who actually sees your worth for once!  Maybe he sees what I do and thinks you’re totally worth the trouble, not like it’s that much trouble.  Come on, do it!  You never take any risks and this one is pretty minor – you can even offer to clean stuff and then cook if you want so it’s to your satisfaction and you don’t have to make him do any work.

Oh.  That was a good point.

I looked back at Fitz, who was waiting hopefully for an answer and didn’t seem too bothered that it had taken me a while.  “If I come, can I clean and do the cooking?”  I asked hesitantly.  “I don’t want to put you out.”

He seemed surprised again, but laughed.  “I mean, sure, but I wanted to thank you for coming down here, and it doesn’t seem like much of a thank you to have you clean my stuff and then cook.”

“It’s simpler for me,” I muttered.  I hadn’t expected him to catch that, but he did, and his eyes softened a bit.

“Yeah, okay, I get that.  Sure, if that’s what you want.  Hang on, let me lock up here and we’ll go upstairs.”

He seemed awfully cheerful as he put the envelope in what appeared to be a conference room, grabbing a couple of things out of it before he locked that door and a few others, then led me back out towards the elevator.

“I got a pamphlet for the event,” he told me.  “It’s brand new, so it shouldn’t have as many germs.  Are you okay handling it with your gloves or would you rather me show you?”

I was actually deeply touched that he was considering that.  I’d had very few people that were willing to cater to my issues touching things other people touched, and it was kind of him.

“I’m okay with gloves,” I told him softly, accepting the pamphlet and flipping it open while he explained all the stuff.  Several different DJs, different events such as a drawing or kids’ themed events, an ice-skating rink, and so on.  It had the full menu listed, which included options for various eating preferences, of course.  It didn’t surprise me to see vegetarian and vegan options, but I hadn’t expected to see stuff like gluten-free or kosher stuff, too.  It was kind of impressive that he was taking the time to consider everyone’s interests – and spending the money to make sure that happened.  I was even more impressed with his willingness to put this whole thing together as I looked at the pamphlet and saw just what all it would include.

“The gifts are things we are hoping will be helpful for everyone,” he concluded as the elevator came to a stop at the last floor.  “Things like blankets, scarves, mittens, coats – different sizes listed on the package.  Toys for kids, some tools and things.  We want the gifts to be fun, but also useful, especially for those who might have more trouble affording gifts this year.”

He led the way off the elevator and unlocked the door just in front of it, letting me into his penthouse.

I’d never been to a penthouse before – nor had I expected to ever have an opportunity to visit one – so I took a moment to just look around, probably more wide-eyed at the view from the windows and the clearly luxurious furnishings and artwork.  This was a place that looked like where a rich person lived, and suddenly I looked down at my feet, alarmed that they were possibly dirty and I was bringing germs into this pristine environment, because it was pristine.  I doubted germs were allowed to live in such a nice place.