Koradonda Chapter 2: City Hall: Part 2

Jones reveals more of what he can do, and Ann gets a new job

Ann arrived before the new breakfast and looked at the crowd of people wondering what to do, then adopted a wait and see attitude.

When the breakfast arrived, no one objected when Harrison took it, and then knocked on the door.

Jones opened it. Taking the tray from Harrison, he looked at Ann. “Patrolman Donaldson, would you care to join me for breakfast?”

Not knowing what to do, she walked in and he closed the door, with none of the others entering.

Fords turned to Harrison. “How long do you think he’ll make us wait?”

“For being slighted this morning, I doubt it will be any longer than needed to make his point. I would guess about two hours.”

The others heard this and groaned.

**

“Patrolman Donaldson, I did not expect to see you this early, if at all, today. You do not wish to do this then?”

“Can she stay in human form when she is with me?”

“I’m sorry; if that is a condition, it will not work for several reasons. One, in time she will realize that you are not accepting her as her and may decide to forget you entirely. Then you would have no influence over her at all. Another is I have to expend energy to keep her human. With what I went through, and am likely to go through in the near future, I would prefer not to waste the energy.”

“I kept dreaming of cages last night. I don’t want to put Sara through that. Sara is sensitive, and I do not know if I can deal with her as a cougar. If I freaked, it would hurt her.”

“And the problem you are not saying?”

She swallowed hard. “I don’t like you and think you’re using Sara for your own gratification. She deserves better than that. Keeping that thought from her would be difficult.”

“Then, if you stay with Sara for an appreciable amount of time and truly attempt to understand her, I guarantee to you I will listen to what you say on how I should treat her better and give it careful consideration.”

“That is blackmail.”