Chapter 2 The Wrong Kind of Attention #2
Adrian had noticed that several times over the previous hour, although he had made a deliberate effort not to look in that direction.
The campaign timeline had created more work than expected.
The revised regional framework needed to be integrated with the client presentation, and a series of changes from the European team had arrived late in the afternoon.
The presentation was scheduled for the following morning, which left no room for postponement.
Adrian reviewed the latest version on his screen and frowned.
One section didn't align with the approved positioning.
He opened the previous draft, compared the two versions, and found the discrepancy.
"Of course," he muttered.
Across the office, Noah looked up.
"Problem?"
Adrian glanced toward him.
"No."
Noah studied him for a moment.
"That sounded like a problem."
"It isn't."
"Good."
Noah returned to his screen.
Adrian looked back at his documents.
He had no reason to explain himself.
Yet he found himself wondering why Noah had asked.
He forced the thought away and continued working.
At nine fifteen, Elena sent an email confirming that she had gone home and would review the final deck first thing in the morning. At nine thirty, the last members of the regional team signed off.
By ten, only Adrian and Noah remained.
Adrian was accustomed to working late. Noah apparently was too.
That shouldn't have interested him.
It did.
He glanced across the office.
Noah was leaning toward his monitor, one hand resting against his forehead as he read through a series of notes. His jacket was gone, his sleeves rolled to his elbows, and his tie had been loosened slightly.
Adrian looked away.
He returned to the presentation.
Five minutes later, he realized he had reread the same paragraph three times.
He closed his eyes briefly.
This was becoming ridiculous.
He had managed international accounts under far greater pressure. He had worked through nights when entire projects had been falling apart around him. He had never found it difficult to concentrate.
Noah was simply another member of the project team.
Nothing more.
Adrian opened another document.
"Noah."
"Yeah?"
"Can you send me the latest audience segmentation?"
"It's already in the shared folder."
"I know."
Noah looked over.
"Then why are you asking me?"
Adrian paused.
"Because I need the version you presented yesterday."
Noah smiled.
"You could have just said that."
Adrian gave him a level look.
"Can you send it?"
"Already doing it."
A few seconds later, the file appeared in Adrian's inbox.
He opened it.
Noah's analysis was thorough. The conclusions were clear, and the supporting data was stronger than the initial report had suggested.
Adrian scanned the document.
"You were right about the regional variation."
Noah looked up.
"Was that difficult to say?"
Adrian ignored the question.
"The European segment needs a different approach."
"I know."
"You knew?"
"I've been saying it for two days."
Adrian looked at him.
Noah's smile widened.
"You're welcome."
Adrian almost smiled.
Almost.
Instead, he returned his attention to the screen.
The office became quiet again.
Another hour passed.
The city outside the windows had become a field of scattered lights. The glass reflected the office behind them, creating the strange impression that they were surrounded by another empty version of the same room.
Adrian finished the revised strategy document and leaned back.
Something still wasn't right.
He opened the presentation again.
The regional adaptation on slide seventeen didn't align with the new messaging on slide twenty-two.
He frowned.
"Noah."
No answer.
He looked over.
Noah had headphones on.
Adrian stood and walked toward him.
"Noah."
Noah removed one earbud.
"Sorry."
"Slide seventeen."
"What about it?"
"It doesn't align with the new positioning."
Noah pulled his chair slightly away from the desk and looked at the screen.
"I thought I fixed that."
"You fixed the headline. The supporting copy still uses the previous framework."
Noah leaned closer to the monitor.
"You're right."
Adrian remained standing beside the desk.
Noah clicked through the slides.
"There."
"Yes."
"I'll change it."
Adrian nodded and started to walk away.
"Wait."
He stopped.
Noah looked at the screen again.
"I think there's a better way to solve it."
Adrian turned.
Noah pointed at the monitor.
"If we change the supporting copy here, we're going to repeat the same idea on the next slide."
Adrian stepped closer.
"Show me."
Noah moved his chair aside.
Adrian leaned toward the screen.
"Here," Noah said. "If we remove this section and move the regional explanation up, the next slide becomes unnecessary."
Adrian studied the layout.
He was right.
"That would shorten the presentation."
"By almost four minutes."
"Which the client will appreciate."
"I know."
Adrian looked at him.
Noah was smiling.
"You're doing that thing again," Noah said.
"What thing?"
"Looking annoyed when you actually agree with me."
"I don't look annoyed."
"You always look annoyed."
Adrian turned back toward the screen.
"Fix the slides."
"Yes, sir."
Adrian gave him a warning look.
Noah laughed quietly.
Adrian returned to his desk.
He tried to ignore the fact that Noah's laughter remained in his thoughts longer than it should have.
By eleven thirty, they were nearly finished.
Adrian reviewed the final presentation while Noah checked the creative files.
The office was silent enough that Adrian could hear Noah moving around behind him.
He clicked to the next slide.
Something looked wrong.
"Noah."
"Yeah?"
"Come here."
Noah walked over.
Adrian pointed to the screen.
"The spacing."
Noah leaned forward.
"It's fine."
"It isn't."
"It is."
Adrian looked at him.
Noah looked back.
They stared at each other for a moment.
Then Noah moved behind Adrian's chair.
"Let me see."
Adrian remained seated.
Noah leaned over his shoulder to reach the mouse.
His arm passed close to Adrian's chest.
"Here," Noah said. "You're looking at the wrong alignment."
Adrian followed his finger.
Noah's body was close behind him.
Too close.
Adrian became suddenly aware of details he had no business noticing.
The warmth of Noah standing beside him.
The faint scent of his cologne mixed with coffee.
The soft brush of Noah's sleeve against his shoulder.
Adrian's hand tightened slightly around the edge of the desk.
He stared at the screen.
Noah leaned a little farther forward.
"See?"
Adrian could barely process the slide anymore.
"Yes."
Noah paused.
Neither moved.
Adrian turned his head slightly.
Noah was already looking at him.
They were inches apart.
Close enough that Adrian could see the faint tiredness around Noah's eyes.
Close enough to notice the way Noah's expression had changed.
The teasing confidence was gone.
There was uncertainty there.
And something else.
Something Adrian didn't want to name.
Neither man moved.
The office seemed impossibly quiet.
Adrian could hear the low hum of the computer beneath them, the distant traffic outside, and the steady rhythm of his own breathing.
Noah's eyes dropped briefly to Adrian's mouth.
Adrian noticed.
His entire body seemed to react before his mind could stop it.
For one dangerous second, he imagined closing the remaining distance.
He imagined what it would feel like to kiss Noah.
The thought arrived with such clarity that Adrian almost moved.
Almost.
Noah seemed to realize the same thing at exactly the same moment.
He straightened suddenly.
"Well," he said, clearing his throat, "this is a very professional way to spend a Thursday night."
Adrian blinked.
"It's Tuesday."
Noah stared at him.
"Even worse."
Adrian looked back at the screen.
Noah stepped away, laughing under his breath.
"I'll fix the spacing."
"Good."
Noah returned to his desk.
Adrian remained where he was.
The presentation was still open in front of him.
Slide seventeen.
The same slide they had been discussing.
He stared at it without seeing anything.
He could still feel the warmth of Noah beside him.
He could still remember the brief movement of Noah's eyes toward his mouth.
Adrian slowly exhaled.
This was not irritation.
It wasn't professional disagreement.
It wasn't even simple curiosity.
He had spent the entire day telling himself that Noah was difficult because he challenged him, because he refused to follow instructions without questioning them, because his confidence could easily become a liability.
But that explanation was becoming harder to believe.
Adrian looked across the office.
Noah was back at his desk, focused on the presentation as though nothing had happened.
Adrian watched him for several seconds.
Then he forced his attention back to the screen.
The problem wasn't that Noah irritated him.
The problem was that Adrian was beginning to notice him.
And he was beginning to notice far too much.
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