Madison wasn’t sure how to feel. She was perfectly capable of handling Nicole’s suspicions. But Simon standing up for her was weirdly gratifying. He had her back.
Simon shook his head. “She’ll get used to you being here.” He ate one of his fries. “But what was that about you probably being here for a few weeks?”
Madison shrugged. She didn’t want to mention her appointment with the mayor if people might overhear. The story would spread, and who knew how twisted it’d get by the grapevine? “It’ll depend on how the afternoon goes.” Her stomach squirmed nervously just thinking about it. She’d been sure she wouldn’t be able to eat much until she smelled the omelet. She had to let go of Simon’s hand to cut it, but it was worth it. It tasted even better than it smelled, with fresh spinach and just the right amount of cheese. “Oh, this is good.”
Simon pushed the bowl with fries closer to her. “Try these.”
She ate one, again pleasantly surprised at how good it tasted. Back home whenever she ordered fries, they always seemed like an afterthought to the main meal. “Also great.”
Simon smiled as if he’d made the meal himself.
The great food and the even better company made her feel more at ease. “You know, maybe we shouldn’t have met up for lunch. You’re going to have to top this during dinner,” she teased, going back to her omelet.
He picked up his sandwich. “I know when I’m beaten, but I make a pretty good lasagna, and I can give you several references for my chicken and random vegetable stir-fry.”
“Tempting.” She’d always liked men who didn’t shy away from the kitchen. Not that there’d been any men in her life lately. She was too busy.
“What about you? What do you like to cook?” he asked, before taking a bite.
“Usually something that leaves me leftovers. But last week was ‘eat everything that’ll go bad’ time since I’ll be out here.”
They talked about favorite foods and successful and failed recipes they’d tried, and Madison enjoyed herself so much she almost forgot about her appointment with Mayor McFadden.
Simon paid, taking care of the tip as well, and escorted Madison over to the mayor’s office, which shared a building with the post office. She checked her bag for her notes, and when Simon came in with her, she was surprised.
“I know you can do this by yourself,” he told her, having noticed her expression. “But like I told you, I want to help you. And I know our mayor. She’ll want to know how people in town feel about the plan, and I can tell her that.”
“Not that you’re biased.” It was sweet of him, though.
“I am extremely objective.” He led her down the hallway. “And if Kathleen doesn’t want me there, she’ll tell me.”
“Good. I mean, not that I want her to tell you to leave, but that she’s straightforward.” She hated dealing with university politics and higher-ups who never gave you a clear answer.
She knocked on the door to the secretary’s office, despite it being open.
A woman in her late forties, with blonde hair tied back in a neat bun, looked up from her computer. “Can I help you?”
Madison gave her friendliest smile. If this was the secretary she’d spoken to earlier, the mayor must’ve informed her what Madison was doing here. And like everyone else in town who knew who she was, the secretary eyed with her with a justified amount of suspicion. “Good afternoon.”
“Good afternoon.” The secretary noticed Simon standing in the doorway. “Simon? I thought only Doctor Adams was meeting with the mayor.”
“I know,” he replied. “I thought that an extra shifter’s perspective on the matter would be useful.”
The secretary picked up her phone. “I’ll tell her you’re here.”
Madison clutched her bag, trying to look calm and confident. She’d given presentations at conferences with her scientific peers and rivals in the audience looking for something in her results to criticize. And yet this appointment was more nerve-wracking than any of that.
The secretary informed the mayor that her two o’clock was here, and so was Simon Miller. She stayed silent, humming once, and put down the phone. “Mayor McFadden will see you both now. She’s in the next office over. Would you like something to drink? Coffee? Tea? Water?”
“Water will be wonderful, thank you.”
Madison led the way to the mayor’s office, knocking twice and opening it upon the ‘come in’.
The office wouldn’t have looked out of place in her building at Pinevale University. Several plants sat in the windowsill, with at least one of them dying and hanging on for dear life. The bookcase behind the mayor’s desk was filled with thick folders and a few books, and the table in the center of the room had several stacks of paper on it.
Mayor McFadden stood up from her desk, dressed in a charcoal pantsuit. She looked to be in her early fifties, taller than Madison, with her shoulder-length dark hair graying. Her handshake was firm and she gestured for Madison to take a seat at the table.
“It’s been a busy morning.” She grabbed several stacks of paper, moving them over to her desk to join other stacks. She sighed as she put them down. “Very busy.”
“If you have more important things to do, I can—”
Mayor McFadden gave her a sharp look. “You are the important thing, Doctor Adams. A scientist discovering shifters exist? Nothing’s more important.” She glanced at her desk. “Although I really should get back to the principal about new PE equipment. Shifter kids don’t know their own strength.” She gave another sigh before sitting down. “It is good to meet you face to face.”
“Likewise.” She resisted the urge to ask more about shifter strength. Judging by Simon’s smile, he knew she was thinking about running experiments with volunteers already.
“And what brings you here today, Simon?” the mayor asked.
He looked at Madison and smiled. “Well, it’s the right thing to do. I’m the reason she’s here. Why she
