Fic Snippet: An Invitation

[meridian_rose]

A snippet from my supernatural drama WiP featuring shapeshifters and set in modern day UK, on the England-Wales border.
Romaine (Wolf) and El (Cat) are currently working at a supernatural helpline but Romaine was a field agent until taking leave after an incident, and El is biding time until her chance to make field agent.

El doesn't want to go to a family party alone; maybe her friend and colleague Romaine can help.

An Invitation

El glowered as she typed. “My family is having a party,” she said. “Anniversary party for my great-aunt Madelana and her husband Grant. They’ve hired a room at a social club, a DJ, catering, full bar.”

“Sounds nice?” Romaine ventured uncertainly, twisting on his swivel chair to look at her. El was upset about some aspect of this party.

“It might have been, except my cousin Laura will be there,” El fumed. “Laura whom I hate, not Laura I like. Nor Lana from Texas. Laura the smug asshole.”

Romaine typed a few things into the database, updating some records. El’s extended family seemed impossible to keep track of but he was fairly certain he’d not heard of hated!Laura before. “Right.”

“If I show up alone she’ll make a snide comment. She’s engaged to some dumbass but he’s always too busy to come anywhere with her. He’s supposedly jetsetting around the world, saving illiterate llamas or building toys for endangered children or something.” El shook her head. “Flashes her engagement ring, talks about her So Important work in finances in fucking London, and how Findus is combating climate change by travelling the world in aeroplanes and helicopters.”

Despite the obvious hyperbole and sarcasm, Romaine had to ask. “Findus?”
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