20. Manic Monday
Manic Monday
K ellan rapped their knuckles lightly on the glass next to Alex’s door. Inside, Alex looked up, their expression unreadable. They hesitated, almost too long, before finally exhaling and waving Kellan in.
Kellan stepped inside cautiously, keeping the door open behind them, lingering just inside the threshold. “Hey,” they started, voice careful.
Alex raised an eyebrow. “You can come in and close the door, Kellan.”
Kellan hesitated another second before nudging the door shut and finally sitting down across from Alex’s desk.
They leaned forward, elbows on their knees, fingers fidgeting.
“So, um… are you okay?” A pause. “Wait, no, that’s dumb.
Obviously, you’re not okay. I mean, not that you look, like, bad—just, you know, the whole, um…
” They exhaled sharply, stopping themselves.
“Right. Okay. I’m just gonna shut up and ask again. Are you okay? ”
Alex sat quietly for a moment, rubbing at their temple. Finally, they sighed. “I’m sorry. I just… I have a lot going on.”
Kellan studied them, then asked carefully, “Is this about what happened at the game on Saturday?”
Alex’s jaw tensed. “That’s part of it.” They leaned back in their chair, staring at a spot on their desk. “The bigger part is my dad.”
Kellan’s brows furrowed. “What happened?”
Alex let out a dry, humorless laugh. “Same argument, different day.” They exhaled sharply, rubbing at their eyes.
“He invited me, Tricia, and Jack over for Sunday dinner. I declined. I had places to check out… apartments, rental listings, that kind of thing. And of course, that turned into a whole thing.”
Kellan frowned. “What kind of thing?”
Alex’s mouth twisted. “The usual. He doesn’t get why I won’t just take the money he offers.
Why I’m being so pigheaded about it. Why I’m making things harder for myself than they need to be.
” Their fingers curled into a fist against their knee.
“And I told him—again—that I don’t want to owe him anything.
Not money, not favors, and sure as hell not control over my life. ”
They exhaled sharply, shaking their head. “And I told him that I think he manipulated this whole job situation to get me to move back here. That he knew damn well there was an internal candidate and still let me believe there wasn’t.”
Kellan’s expression tightened. “And?”
Alex scoffed. “And nothing. He didn’t confirm it. But he didn’t deny it, either.”
Kellan let out a slow breath, absorbing that. “Damn,” they muttered. “That’s… yeah. That’s messed up.”
Alex huffed a laugh, but there was no humor in it.
“Tell me about it.” They leaned forward, resting their elbows on the desk, pressing their fingers against their temples.
“It’s just exhausting, you know? The same fight, over and over.
He acts like I’m some kind of spoiled brat for refusing his money, like I’m just trying to make a point.
But it’s not about that.” They looked up at Kellan, something raw in their expression.
“I need to know that what I have, I built. That it’s mine. ”
Kellan nodded slowly. “I get that,” they said carefully. “But… damn, Alex. That’s a lot to carry, on top of everything else.”
Alex let out a breath, shoulders sagging slightly. “Yeah.” They hesitated before adding, “Between that and the obvious hate Cassie feels for me, I just needed some time to lick my wounds a bit. But I’m guessing I didn’t do a great job of that either.”
Kellan snorted. “I mean, you could have probably done a better job of it,” they teased, “but I get it.”
Alex sighed. “Sorry.”
“You don’t have to apologize,” Kellan said, waving a hand dismissively. “Just… maybe next time, you’ll feel comfortable actually talking to me instead of locking yourself away like some tragic gothic novel protagonist?”
Alex let out a small huff of laughter. “I’ll try.”
“Good.” Kellan grinned before shifting in their chair. Kellan tilted their head. “Do you want to know about brunch?”
Alex’s fingers, which had been idly tapping against their desk, stilled. Their expression didn’t change much, but Kellan could feel their attention sharpening.
“And?” Alex asked carefully.
“And,” Kellan said, drawing the word out before shaking their head, “she doesn’t hate you.”
Alex blinked, skepticism clear in their expression. “Could’ve fooled me. ”
Kellan rolled their eyes. “She feels guilty, Alex. Like, really guilty. About the game, about how she treated you. She even looked for you after the game to apologize but freaked out and left before she found you.”
Alex sat back, absorbing that. “...Oh.”
“Yeah. Oh,” Kellan echoed. “She was also pretty freaked out about you acting weird today, convinced it was all her fault.”
Alex exhaled sharply, dragging a hand down their face. “Great.”
Kellan smirked. “Yeah, well… at least now you know.”
Kellan leaned forward, resting their elbows on their knees. “Look, I get that today has been a lot, but maybe… just a thought… you open your door for the rest of the afternoon?”
Alex’s brow furrowed.
“Not saying you have to make some grand statement or anything,” Kellan continued, “but people have definitely noticed that you’ve been holed up in here all day. It’s making everyone a little on edge.”
Alex sighed, rubbing the back of their neck. “I wasn’t trying to freak everyone out.”
“I know that,” Kellan said. “But easing the tension might not be the worst idea. Just check in with people. See how things are going, make a joke, exist outside of this office.”
Alex gave them a look. “You’re really good at making things sound simple.”
“Because it is simple,” Kellan shot back. “You’re the boss. People take their cues from you. If you’re closed off, they start wondering why.”
Alex exhaled through their nose, considering.
“And maybe,” Kellan added, “just maybe, you should talk to Cassie.”
Alex’s jaw tensed. “What would I even say? ”
Kellan shrugged. “I don’t know. Anything would be better than the radio silence you’ve got going on now. You could tell her you don’t hate her.”
Alex let out a dry laugh. “Yeah, ‘Hey, Cassie, just so you know, I don’t actually hate you’…that’s not awkward at all.”
Kellan grinned. “Could be worse. You could say nothing and let her keep assuming the worst.”
Alex groaned, dragging their hands down their face. “I hate that you’re right.”
“You’ll survive. Now, go be a good boss and open your damn door.”
As Kellan stood to leave, Alex leaned back in their chair, a smirk tugging at the corner of their lips. “Be a good underling and leave the door open on your way out.”
“Kellan snorted. “Underling? Wow, okay. I’ll remember that.” Still, they did what they were asked, making a show of dramatically pushing the door open wider before stepping out.
Their laugh carried through the office, loud enough for Cassie and several others to hear.
Almost instantly, the tension that had been thick in the air all day seemed to lighten.
Alex exhaled, running a hand through their hair before turning to their computer. Okay. One step down. Time for the next. A peace offering.
They grabbed their phone and placed a quick order with the coffee shop in the lobby.
Coffees for the team, plus a variety of pastries.
It wasn’t an apology exactly, but it was something.
Fifteen minutes later, a knock at the door signaled the arrival of the order.
Alex carried the box of pastries to the designated snack table, setting it down where treats always went.
That alone earned them a few murmured “thank yous” from nearby employees .
As Alex made their way through the office, they took a moment with each delivery.
Not just handing over coffee, but actually engaging.
At one desk, they set down a cup with a nod.
“Thanks for the update during the meeting. I know that project’s been a beast, but you’re handling it well.
” The employee grinned, shoulders straightening with pride as they murmured their thanks.
At another, Alex offered a cup along with some quiet praise. “Your presentation was solid… concise, but detailed. Exactly what we needed.” The smile they got in return was warm, appreciative.
With each interaction, the tension continued to ease.
People relaxed. Smiles became easier. And with every small exchange, Alex reminded themselves of something important…
despite everything else, they were good at this job.
By the time they reached Cassie’s office, only one cup remained in their hand.
Alex hesitated, just for a second, before lifting their hand and knocking on her open door.
Cassie glanced up from her computer, eyes flicking to the coffee in Alex’s hand before settling on their face. She looked wary, like she wasn’t sure what to expect.
“Hey,” Alex said, leaning lightly against the doorframe. They held out the cup. “Figured you could use a caffeine boost.”
Cassie hesitated just long enough for Alex to wonder if she might refuse, but then she sighed and waved them in. “Thanks.”
Alex nodded, shifting their weight. They’d delivered all the other coffees with casual ease, but standing here, in front of Cassie, that confidence wavered.
“I also put out some pastries,” they added, gesturing vaguely toward the snack table. “Figured it might help... I don’t know, reset the vibe in here a little.”
Cassie huffed a small laugh, shaking her head. “You really didn’t have to do that. ”
Alex shrugged. “Maybe not, but it felt like the right move.”
A beat of silence stretched between them. Cassie tapped her fingers against her coffee cup.
“Alright, well,” Alex finally said, straightening. “I’ll let you get back to it.”
Cassie hesitated for a beat before speaking. “Can we talk for a minute?”
Alex, who had just been about to step out of her office, paused and glanced back. “Uh, sure.”
Cassie gestured toward the door. “Can you close it?”
Alex’s brows lifted slightly. “Closed doors might not be the best idea,” they joked, though there was a thread of nervousness in their voice. Still, they shut the door and took the chair across from Cassie, resting their hands on their thighs as they tried to read her expression.
Cassie looked down at her coffee, her fingers resuming the light tap, tap, tap against the cup. After a moment, she let out a breath. “I wanted to apologize,” she said finally.
Alex blinked, caught off guard. Of all the ways they had imagined this conversation going, Cassie apologizing hadn’t been on the list. “You don’t have to—” they started, but Cassie cut them off with a shake of her head.
“No, I do,” she said firmly. She glanced down again as if gathering her thoughts. “I was out of line on Saturday. I let my feelings get the best of me, and I took it out on you. That wasn’t fair.”
Alex sat back, studying her. It wasn’t just the words, there was real sincerity in her voice. “Thanks,” Alex said after a moment. “That… means a lot.”
Cassie exhaled, looking a little relieved before shifting in her chair. “I also talked to Kellan about the expansion plan,” she continued. “ And I get why you need my help with it. So, yeah—I’ll do what I can to bring some of my clients on board.”
Alex’s shoulders eased slightly, and they offered a small, genuine smile.
“Thank you, Cassie. Really.” They held her gaze for a moment before adding, “I know Kellan told you we can’t do this without you, but I wanted you to hear it from me too.
We need you—” Alex’s eye dipped as they cleared their throat. “ I need you to make this work.”
Cassie looked away, her fingers tightening around her coffee cup. There was something about the way Alex said it, with such quiet sincerity, that made it harder to hold onto the bitterness she’d been clinging to.
She cleared her throat. “Well, like I said, it’s a good move for the company. And for me.”
Alex nodded, understanding that Cassie wasn’t quite ready to accept this as anything more than a strategic decision. “Still,” they said, softer now, “it means a lot.”
Cassie didn’t respond right away. She took a sip of her coffee, her expression unreadable. Alex resisted the urge to fidget, waiting. After a moment they stood, smoothing their hands over their pant legs. “Well, thanks for hearing me out. And for being willing to work on the expansion with me.”
Cassie gave a small nod. “Yeah. And… thanks for the coffee.”
Alex smiled faintly. “Anytime.”
And with that, they stepped toward the door, leaving Cassie alone with her thoughts.