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was back at her place with the addition of a guard at her door. The end of a very weird day couldn’t come soon enough.
     
    As Lianne stumbled around her apartment and got dressed for the day at work, she was positive that the previous day’s scenario had been caused by a food allergy she didn’t know she had. She went through the motions and pulled on her normal work clothing, thinking that everything was going to be normal. When she left for work, another escort confronted her.
    “So, not a dream then.” The Luthin-Rrassic smiled, and his black-on-black eyes held her hypnotized for a moment.
    He walked with her to the port and was forced to wait in the common area. He wasn’t cleared for access to the secured part of the port.
    Mrtok came by halfway through her shift. “Whelling, come down.”
    She secured the load she was working on and climbed down to face her boss.
    “What’s up, sir?”
    “Are you sure you want to be doing this when you could just be relaxing and going on endless introductions?”
    Lianne grinned. “Yes, I am sure. Are the escorts getting in the way?”
    “No, but your admirers are. They have flocked to the common room and are waiting for you to get off shift.”
    Lianne swallowed. “Can I request overtime?”
    “No. You agreed to this status; you are going to have to live with it. I just didn’t want you to be surprised when you left the side gate and snuck home.” He winked.
    She grinned. “Very nice of you. Thanks.”
    “Back to work. You are off in an hour.”
    “I thought I had—”
    “You have cleared your roster and that of two other operators and nearly emptied the warehouse. You are done in an hour. Finish your order and go.” Mrtok chuckled. “You may as well get one of the mixers out of the way. It will give you tomorrow off, and we should be stocked up again the day after.”
    “So, you want me to finish up, go home and not come back tomorrow?”
    “Yes. That is it precisely. You are having a stressful week. You need time to adapt.”
    Lianne wrinkled her nose. “How can I adapt if I don’t get into a routine?”
    “The socializing has to be part of your new life, so integrate that, and we will be waiting eagerly for you when you are ready. Don’t take too long though. You are my best loader.”
    She chuckled and climbed back to her rig. She resumed picking and palletizing the load and was done far earlier than the allocated hour. Her paperwork was caught up, and she climbed down, leaving her machine shut off behind her.
    A quick run to the bathroom and getting Mrtok to let her out the side door let her get away from the crowd in the common space.
    She recognized two of the Hunters from the day before, and they simply fell into step beside her.
    “Mrtok tipped you off?”
    One of them nodded. “He takes this seriously, even if you do not.”
    She blinked and took in his statement. He was right. Her conscious mind was refusing to accept that this was happening. She hadn’t been in danger from the men until now, so why would it change?
    “You are expected to attend one of the gatherings this evening.”
    Lianne stumbled, and the guard on her left put a hand under her elbow to steady her. He released her as soon as she was stable.
    She muttered, “I thought I was able to pick my mixer.”
    “You must attend one every week, and the week ends tomorrow.”
    She wrinkled her nose. “I am on a work schedule.”
    The guard on the right murmured with a smile, “We are cheating.”
    It went from serious to silly with that one statement. She snickered the entire way home.
    When she entered her apartment, saw the wardrobe rack, things got serious again.
    “Aw hell.” She went to her com and called Lisa.
    “Lianne, damn. You look rough. What is the emergency?” Lisa frowned with concern.
    “I have a fashion emergency. I require your assistance.”
    Lisa disconnected the call, and Lianne grinned, starting a mental timer.
    When the surprised yelp came through the