"Eli, here's your coffee," Ceres said, placing the steaming mug onto his desk. A rare, genuinely jovial mood laced her voice, smoothing out her usual sharp edge. "Can I step out for a moment? You don't have any immediate appointments, right?"
Eli glanced up from his paperwork. "Not until lunch. That gives you about fifteen minutes."
"Great. I'll just be outside talking to Karis."
"Karis?" Eli's brow furrowed slightly in confusion. "Who's that? A relative of yours?"
"Nope. She's a new friend I ran into when you sent me to deliver those documents to Dr. Larry."
"I see," Eli murmured. A faint, knowing smile touched his lips as he nodded. "Go ahead, then. Just make sure you're back in time for lunch."
"Got it."
