Jennifer makes excuses

"I'm, er," Jennifer stammered. "Under the weather?"

"What?" Holden said.

"Yeah! Healthy, just transformation is a bit touch-and-go. It's temporary," Jennifer said quickly. "Talked about it with my cousin. I should be raring to go by tomorrow, but I still wanted to get some work done. Would you rather I call in sick?"

She fidgeted for a moment. She managed a winning smile, grimacing only a little, as Holden regarded her for a moment.

"...Right," he said, slowly. "Well, we wanted you contribute. Will you be free in ten minutes?"

Jennifer faltered. Leaving the safety of her office did not feel like an enticing prospect just them.

"Sorry, miss..." Holden said, suddenly looking at Riri.

"Riri," she said.

"I hope Jennifer's been able to help you," he said.

"I think so," Riri said. "She seems to have an interest in my case. Seems to be an area of the law she's interested in."

Jennifer flushed. She coughed pointedly, hoping Holden didn't ask any more questions. Riri looked between the two of them, apparently bemused.

Jennifer's eyes kept darting down, perpetually paranoid of how much the desk hid. She fiddled with the hem of her jacket nervously with one hand, the other still firmly keeping it pulled closed. Then she quickly reached for her phone.

"Sorry, got a message," Jennifer said.

"I didn't hear anything," Riri said. Jennifer glared a little at her, feigning interest in her phone as she typed another, slightly frantic message to Nikki.

"Well. Jen, ten minutes," Holden said. "Conference room C."

"G-got it," Jennifer stammered.

Okay, what she was goingto do about that, she didn't know - she didn't want to stand up just then, let alone walk through the building almost naked. She shifted, legs brushing together, the contact of skin on skin renewing her blush.

"You do look a little flushed," Holden said, after a moment. "It's not serious, is it?"

"No, no, don't worry," Jennifer said.

"Because if you wanted to head home, I'd understand - being dedicated to your work is one thing, but don't let it get in the way of your health," Holden said. "If you wanted to get up and go right now, that'd be fine."

Jennifer bit her lip. Walking outside the building was an even less enticing prospect.

"I'm good!" she squeaked.

"And did something happen to your chair?" Holden said.

He frowned, beginning to walk forwards, poised to peer around her desk. Jennifer yelped.

"I-it's fine!" she said quickly. "Shouldn't you be setting up the meeting?"

Holden paused, inches from passing the desk, a breath away from gaining a sideways glimpse of the half-naked lawyer on the other side. Jennifer shuffled nervously, inching her legs a little bit further under her desk, bright red.

"I suppose you're right," Holden said.

Jennifer breathed a sigh of relief as he drew back, her heart pounding in her chest. She barely relaxed, even as he left her office.

A few minutes until she was due to meet several other staff in another room, and almost nothing on. She wasn't sure how she was meant to get out of that.

"I'm... going to leave you to it," Riri said, after a moment. "You, er, have fun."

"Not what this is!" Jennifer said.

Though even being alone in her office wasn't all that much of a comfort, with what was looming.