#lotta1

Technically speaking, the church was closed, but Jack tended to have an open door policy when he was hanging around the rectory because the need for guidance didn’t care about office hours. He wanted to be available, wanted this place to be available, so he stuck close and did his rounds-- just in case. 

Hands fisted into his pockets, he hadn’t expected anyone to actually be here, so his steps faltered, too loud to pretend he hadn’t intruded on a private moment, too far into the sanctuary now to turn away. He could only see the back of her head, but he was almost positive he’d never seen her before and he didn’t want to scare her off. “I don’t mean to interrupt, just wanted to let you know that you’re welcome to stay for as long as you want. And if you need anything, please don’t hesitate to ask.”

He liked the office better this way. Nearly everyone had gone home, the gray winter night creeping in through the windows, the pale orange glow of a street light cutting lines across the floor. He looked every bit the dutiful son, head bent over his desk as he scanned invoice, trying to find discrepancies-- anything-- to send to Alli. 

Nate felt rather than saw someone enter, seeming to all but hover at his desk. He kept his cool, not sparing a glance up from his very important work documents, and blew out a slightly annoyed breath when they didn’t seem keen to announce exactly why they were bothering him. “Just leave it on the desk,” he said, his voice ringing with dismissal. But they didn’t move. He clenched his jaw and set the paper down on his desk, finally glancing up to see a waif of a woman he recognized but couldn’t quite place. His mouth was a tight line as he raised his brows in barely concealed impatience. “Are you waiting for a formal dismissal?”