2. Sunshine in the Server Room #2
“Want a Splatter?” I ask, offering him a handful of the bright, jewel-toned sweets.
He hesitates, asking what they are. Gods, what is it about small, soft guys?
I chuckle. “Splatters? They’re candy, silly goose.”
He bites. Eyes widen. Pupils shrink. He wasn’t expecting the squirt. Newbies never do. His mouth makes a perfect O, and my heart skips a beat as my chest warms.
And then my stomach does a flip.
Not a small one.
One of those massive, roller-coaster-dropped-out-from-under-you flips that make you question every life choice leading up to this exact second.
Mate instincts? With Sean Rivers? New admin with the blond swoop, ocean-blue eyes, tiny freckles, and soft-looking belly my eyes can’t stop staring at. Impossible.
Still… something sparks when he mutters and chews the candy. I shove it down. Professional. IT first. Or maybe… not entirely professional.
He mumbles under his breath, fingers fumbling across the keyboard like he’s wrestling with it. I lean a little closer, just enough that our shoulders brush, and the chair groans under the added weight. He freezes, his face flushing a bright shade of pink, eyes darting anywhere but mine.
Oh, that’s adorable. Look at him, all flustered and trying not to melt into the chair. My heart does a little hop. Tiny victories like this? They’re magic.
I grin, trying to hide how much I’m enjoying his reaction. Firewall’s satisfied. And more importantly, he survived. Somehow, in his panic, he managed to remain calm—mostly. Not bad for a first-day rookie.
I tap a finger on the desk, just enough to remind him I’m here if he needs help, and I swear I catch a spark in those sharp little eyes.
“Well, you should be all set,” I murmur, loud enough for him to hear but soft enough that it sounds casual. Inside, I’m thinking, Yeah… you’re doing fine. Better than fine. And maybe, just maybe, I wouldn’t mind hanging around a little longer.
I retrieve one of my cards from the cart, and I place it on his desk. “If it gives you trouble again, call my cell.”
I grin wide, the cool air of the office hitting my tusks as Sean stares up at me.
“Thanks… I think?” he mutters. Good enough. Professional boundaries intact.
I roll my cart down the hallway, checking other floors. Trolls giving side-eye. Gorgons hissing. Humans scrolling their phones. Harpies flapping. Everything’s normal. Manageable. And yet… Sean Rivers. Blond hair and soft belly. Muttering man.
I shake my head. Professional. But maybe a little helpful. Maybe a candy here, a tip there. Keep it light. See what happens.
By mid-morning, after a quick check-in with Lance and Brill, I’m back at my server room desk, scanning tickets.
Nothing. I breathe, letting fluorescent sunlight wash over my skin.
But I can’t shake it. That feeling. The one my parents talked about.
The one I’ve never felt. The one I wondered if I’d ever feel.
The new admin might be my mate. It could be one-sided. Could be sparks. Could be… fun.
I glance at the help desk monitor. A ticket pops in. Sean Rivers. Another chance to see him. To help.
I grab my cart and head back. Sean’s at his desk, mumbling curses and pushing buttons.
I lean over his shoulder, cracking my knuckles like I’m about to perform digital surgery. A few swift keystrokes, one command prompt later, and the firewall stops screaming. I give the monitor a gentle pat.
“Firewall’s happier now,” I say, kneeling beside him again. “Try not to anger it anymore.”
He shoots me a glare over the rim of his monitor. “It started it.”
“Uh-huh.”
He groans, mutters, and sighs. Good. Grumpy but responsive.
There’s something about his irritable resilience that’s… charming. Dangerous for my heart.
I hand him another Splatter. “Here. This will help.”
“You trying to bribe me?” He glances up at me, and that blond swoop sways, sending my stomach tumbling.
“Think of it as hazard pay.”
He hesitates then takes it. “You IT guys are insufferable,” he says, but there’s a twitch of a smile.
“You’re allowed one small pleasure amidst the chaos,” I say.
He bites. Eyes widen again. Juice squirts. Gods, he’s making me sweat. My glasses slip, and I push them up.
“Holy hell,” he mutters around the mouthful. “These are criminally good.”
And then he laughs. Small, tight, amused. My chest does a little flip. Okay. Definitely attracted. This is it. I should call my mother.
“Happy to provide a steady stream of Splatters,” I say, my face warming. “Along with the IT support.”
And then Sean Rivers smiles at me. Not tentative.
Not soft. A real smile. Bright and unguarded, the kind that hits me like sunlight after too many hours under fluorescent lights.
Something inside me knocks, an instinct that rumbles low and primal.
A part of me whispers before my brain can catch up.
Absolutely not, I tell it. We’ve just met.
He’s adorable, distracting, and probably terrible for my productivity.
“Thanks, Greg,” he says, and that smile stays right where it shouldn’t—lodged in my chest, radiating heat.
“No worries,” I mutter under my breath, voice low as I tell myself to focus. Be professional. Help the new guy. And maybe, maybe… flirt a little.
Because honestly the alternative is thinking about him all day, which is worse than any system crash I’ve ever fixed.