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She was the boss The head of Human Resources; she only answered to one other person, and Ann Denison hated her jobthat as iradually ca the company more than Hailey hated exit interviews In her quest to pursue Olynition for her treasured sport, broo Raned for the purpose of people shooting them to knock them over, after which they would be picked up and repositioned and shot at ?" she’d asked during her interview

"Shush," Ann had replied, poring over the brooot a serious problem here Minnesota only ?" she guessed

"We should be on it seventy-five times!"

"Ah"

"And for sure, first I mean, come on That’s so obvious it hurts But not even the top five? Souys" She sla the broomball trophies tremble Most people put family photos on their desks, and occasionally computers Not this one; the space not occupied by trophies was taken up by the broorip tape "The corruption starts at the bottoh all the layers of the brooonna sit here? Sit here and let theood and holy about broo white Scandinavian butt, I will!"

"I’m sorry" Hailey stood "I had no idea you were clinically insane I’ll leave you tothat"

"No, you can’t go!" Ann had said, cruitation "You have to stay and run HR and, you know, hire people and things so we have people to make stuff and then we have stuff for custoet broonized as an Olympic sport, and to practice"

"That was the most succinct mission statement I have ever heard"

"I can’t do what I want you to do I hate that stuff Butand a bunch of people left with him, so there’s all these slots to fill and I just can’t, Hailey Also"

"You have to root out the insidious corruption hidden in the national broos"

"Yes!" she’d screaed her Hailey was so startled and ah thebehind them

So she’d taken the job To this day, she had no idea why Well, she kneay down at the bottom of her brain, where it was dark all the time But the top of her brain pretended she had no clue

So here she was, late again She was supposed to be running a new hire through the worthless maze that was corporate life at Ramouette One of her h that she let it stand, so now there were in-houseseminars and Wretch 101--anyway, one of them had interviehat’s-his-nae enough to keep hih to pull together savings and eventually depart to a better life And the poor wretch had accepted

She raced past reception, hearing the soft drone of Audrey’s near-constant, "Thank you for calling Ramouette, how kinnI direct yer call, then?" like some would listen to Zen chants She’d only lived in Minnesota four years, but she loved the mild local accent Someone could be in the middle of a murder, but when they piped up with a cheery, "Oooookay, then, I’uy in the face and dismember him and then play with his body in a ritual-type deal, and then I’ll just haveta kill you, too, then," it was hard not to smile (She knew this for a fact The ht adorable when they drew out their os)

Past reception, she took a left by the restrooht an empty elevator (yes!) to third, another left down a dull less hallway carpeted in Corporate Buff, and then alking through the small HR department toward her office in the back It had, of course, a realthat opened Alarge enough to accommodate her occasional leaps to the perfect turf below

"Hi, I’m Hailey Derry, sorry to--"

"Hero Hero"

"What?" She nearly dropped her laptop Her eight o’clock had gotten to his feet the reeted her--unless she had misheard, and sheabout hi she had ever seen "You--what?"

"Hero That’s you"

She stared, and then, trying a different tack, stared ht, maybe an inch taller at five-eleven or so, with a rude shock of bright red hair Not a pretty auburn or a any: it was red red, Irish red, and he had a face full of light freckles to go with it, and a wide mouth that looked like it was full of smiles and perhaps kisses A conservative blue shirt and blue – and red-striped tie, khakis, and dark loafers that looked comfortable as well as practical

For whatever reason, her mind seized on his outfit "Every day at Raans trumpeted "Except when it comes to customer service, of course!"

But his eyes Never mind his clothes, or the freckles, or the mouth she hoped was full of kisses "Your eyes," she said, and then couldn’t believe she’d said it out loud

"Yeah" He laughed and rubbed the back of his neck "My mom’s Irish My dad’s fro