Chapter 31
Kayla
I take a shuddering breath, and he continues. “Sorry, I should have left a note or something. Ransom took him down to breakfast, and I just stepped out into the hallway to talk to one of my guys.”
“Lucien?” I ask, remembering that name from last night.
“Yeah.” I want to ask more, but he doesn’t look very happy. “Do you want to go downstairs to get breakfast?”
Coffee’s the first thing that pops into my mind. “Yes. Please. Let me just get dressed really quickly.”
“Take your time. I’ll wait for you in the hallway.”
He leaves, and I spend the next few minutes getting ready.
When I packed, I wasn’t really thinking; I just grabbed clothes and shoved them in my bag.
So, it’s black leggings and an old t-shirt for today.
I run a brush through my hair and throw it up on top of my head in a messy bun.
I don’t have any of my makeup with me, so that’s not an option.
I brush my teeth and leave the bathroom.
I open the door to the room and find Jackson waiting. “Ready?” His eyes run over me.
“I wasn’t really thinking when I grabbed clothes, which is why I look like a bum.”
His eyes soften. “You look beautiful, Kayla; you always do. You’re just missing one thing, though.”
“Makeup?”
“No. My shirt.”
I'm already shaking my head. “I am fully covered; I am not wearing your shirt.”
He shrugs. “I tried.”
I shake my head and don’t try to understand him.
“I need coffee.” I start towards the elevators, anxious to lay eyes on Noah.
I remember about halfway there what Jackson said about the elevators and turn around and head to the stairs instead.
He doesn’t say a word, and I’m glad. My mind is all over the place this morning.
Everything feels like too much. I have too many questions, too much I can’t make sense of.
As soon as we reach the breakfast area, I see Noah at a table eating with Ransom.
I feel like I can finally take a full breath.
I can’t hear what Ransom’s saying, but there’s a slight smirk on Noah’s face, like he’s trying not to smile.
He looks up and sees me, and I wave and walk over to them.
“Hey.” I ruffle Noah’s hair, even as he pulls away.
It’s a habit I can’t break; I don’t think I ever will.
“Waffles? Yum.” I search his plate. “Where’s the protein?
” Ransom groans and shakes his head and then pulls out his wallet and gives Noah a five dollar bill.
I eye it and the two of them. “What’s that all about? ”
“I told him you would say I needed protein. He said you wouldn’t even notice.
He said he’d pay me five dollars if you said something about it.
” There’s a smile lurking at the corner of Noah’s lips, and it makes me really happy.
I shake my head. “You gotta have protein to balance out all that sugar.”
Ransom scowls at us, but it’s not serious. “He told me that very thing.”
I grin down at Noah. “I’m going to grab coffee; I’ll grab you something.” I’m about to walk away when his voice stops me.
“Do you feel better?” I turn back around and see the worry in Noah’s eyes.
“I feel amazing. So amazing, I’m going to eat two waffles.
” Noah’s eyes widen in disbelief, and I ruffle his hair once more before leaving to go get coffee.
I see the coffee bar and nearly groan in relief.
If I’m going to function today, I really need coffee.
I grab a cup and put it up to the carafe.
But when I push the handle down, there’s no coffee.
I resist the urge to groan out loud, barely.
Desperate, I try the decaf. It’s empty too.
I stare at the two coffee pots and wonder if this is how my day’s going to go.
“Nope,” I say to myself, turning around.
I’m not going down that negative path today.
I look around and find an employee mopping the floor a few feet away.
“Excuse me,” I say, approaching him. “The coffee pots are both empty,” I say, pointing over my shoulder.
He scowls at me. “Does it look like I do the food or coffee?” He looks down pointedly at his mop.
“Oh.” I take a step back. “Okay. Thanks.” I head over to the kitchen and look for somebody that could help. Finally, a lady steps out of the kitchen. “Good morning,” I say brightly. “The coffee pots are both empty. Is it possible to get them replaced?”
“Oh goodness. Thanks for telling me. I’ll replace them right now.”
Relief fills me. “Oh, great. Thank you.” I walk back over to the coffee area.
While I wait, I open a pack of stevia and tip the contents into my cup.
When I look up, I notice the guy with the mop pretty much leering at me.
I smile, and he glares at me. I wonder what in the world I did to make him hate me so much.
I open a few cups of creamer and pour them into my cup.
I chance another look over at the man and see he’s mopping but very much still angry at me for some reason.
Suddenly, there’s a tall presence at my side.
“Jackson,” I say, looking up at him. I notice his eyes aren’t on me; they’re over my shoulder.
I know exactly what or who, I should say, he’s looking at.
“I’m not sure what I did to make him hate me so much,” I say quietly.
“He needs to stop looking at you that way,” he says in a loud enough voice that I know the guy had to have heard him.
I don’t turn to face him; I really don’t want to attract any more negative attention.
Trying to get Jackson’s attention back on me and not the creep with the mop, I lift my cup. “I’m just waiting on coffee.”
He finally glances down at me. “I see that.”
“Are you a coffee drinker, Jackson?” I ask, suddenly curious.
He leans forward and sniffs my cup and frowns. “Yes, but without all that stuff in it.”
I roll my eyes. “That stuff is vanilla creamer and sweetener.” I shake my head. “I’ve never understood how people drink coffee black.”
“That’s how normal people drink it,” he says in return.
“Nope. Not true. Most people don’t drink their coffee black.”
He stares down at me. “Yeah? Prove it.”
I lift my chin. “I will.” I see the woman from the kitchen wheeling a cart with fresh coffee carafes our way.
“Thank you so much,” I tell her as soon as she replaces them.
“By the way,” I ask her before she leaves.
“Do you drink your coffee black or with cream and sweetener? We’re having a disagreement about it,” I say pointing at Jackson.
“Oh with cream and sugar definitely,” she says with a smile.
I grin and give Jackson a triumphant look. “See? That’s how normal people drink coffee.” She laughs and walks away.
“We’ll see.” He doesn’t say anything more, and I figure the subject is dead. I grab an empty cup and fill it with hot, fresh coffee and then put a lid on it and hand it to him. He looks at me in surprise. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” I finally fill my cup, add a little more creamer and then put a lid on it. My first sip is totally worth it. I close my eyes.
“What are you doing?” he asks.
“Letting it hit my bloodstream,” I say without opening my eyes. He chuckles, and my eyes fly open. I take in the small smile on his face and the humor in his eyes, and my breath catches in my throat. I manage to smile back, so I don’t look like a total creep.
“Do you want to grab a plate of food?” he asks.
“Oh, no. I'm good.”
He frowns. “You need to eat.”
I lift my cup. “I have coffee.”
“That’s not breakfast.”
I nod. “Nope. It’s coffee.”
“You need food to balance out the coffee, so you don’t get sick.”
“Is that why I get sick every morning?” I can’t help messing with him.
“Yeah, you need—” he catches himself when I grin and scowls. “I’ll get you a plate.” He turns and walks away.
“Wait, I don’t want anything.” I hurry to catch up to him and nearly run in to Sage.
“Good morning, Kayla,” she says brightly. “How do you feel today?”
I give up on chasing after Jackson and smile back at her. “Good. Thank you again.”
“You’re welcome. Did you eat yet?”
I shake my head. “Not yet. I’m going to work on this first.” She nods, understanding perfectly. “I’m on my way to get coffee too.” She glances over her shoulder at the table where Ransom and Noah are.
“There’s plenty of room,” I tell her. She leaves to get coffee, and I walk over to the table and slide onto the bench seat next to Noah.
“I’m going to get more food,” Ransom says, pushing his chair back. “I’ll be back.”
Noah turns to me with big eyes. “That’s his third plate.”
I laugh. “I guess that’s what you have to look forward to when you grow up.” I take another sip of my coffee and remember the protein I was supposed to get. “Oh, I forgot to get you protein.”
“Here,” Jackson says, appearing next to me. “I brought bacon and sausage; take what you want.” I swallow hard when Noah looks at both of them with a look of indecision. Before I can say anything, Jackson pushes the plate towards him. “Take both; I’ll get more.”
Noah demolishes the first piece of bacon and then starts on the sausage.
I know how much he loves both of them. Jackson nudges my knee with his, and I realize he’s sitting next to me on the bench seat.
It’s a tight fit; there’s barely an inch between us.
“I brought you some food too.” He puts a plate in front of me.
My eyes widen at the plate of food. “Did you bring me the entire buffet?”
He shrugs. “I’ll eat what you don’t.”
I lift my coffee. “I’m happy with just this.”
“Eat,” he all but growls at me again. I take in his plate that’s filled to overflowing and shake my head. Then Ransom comes back, and I shake my head.
“Man, you guys know how to put it away.” They both smirk but don’t say anything. “Oh, Ransom, how do you drink your coffee?” I ask suddenly.
He gives me a look. “In a cup.”
“Seriously?” I try again. “Do you drink it black or with—” I don’t even get to finish my question.
“Black.”
“Really?” I ask.
He eyes me. “Is that bad?”
“Yes.”
Sage and Paul join us a moment later. “Morning,” Paul says to our group.
“Good morning,” I say in return as they get settled next to Ransom.
“You must be Noah,” Paul says with a warm smile. Noah nods, and Sage smiles at him.
“I’m Sage, and this is Paul.”
“Okay.” I lean forward after the introductions. “How do you both drink your coffee?”
“Black,” Paul says, and I frown.
“Whenever possible, I drink iced coffee with cream and sugar. If it’s hot, I do flavored creamer,” Sage says.
“Me too.” I scowl at the men. “That’s how you’re supposed to drink coffee.”
“Oh, don’t even bother,” Sage says, waving a piece of bacon in her hand. “All guys are the same; they all drink it black. It’s so boring.”
Paul smirks but doesn’t say anything, and I sigh. Jackson hits my knee with his again under the table, and I scowl. When I look up at him, he gives me a small smile. Then he does something that nearly makes me fall out of my seat. He winks at me.