Chapter 17 #2
“Were you ever going to tell us?” he asks. I hear the disappointment in his voice. It’s like he’s accusing me of withholding my news from him.
“Sorry. I was. I've just been busy. You know how the old man has been on my back about the tech issues.”
He doesn’t say anything, and I’m not sure he believes me, or that he understands what a difficult issue this is for me. That he’s had to come here to find out, makes me feel shitty.
Enzo and I have become much closer, especially since Raquel has taken up so much space in Rio’s world.
I don’t hate her for it. I like Raquel. She’s great, and Rio is clearly in love. I’ve never seen the guy so at peace and content. It feels serious, him and Raquel, and to me, it feels like he’s soon going to be on his journey with Raquel by his side.
We’ve always been a close-knit band of brothers ever since we moved here, and now, with Jett, Dex and Zach, we’re all coming together, while splintering away.
“I’m sorry, okay?” I say again, when Enzo remains quiet.
“Okay.” But he doesn’t offer a smile or any reassurance that it is okay. He falls silent for a moment. Then, “How's your new hire doing?” His mouth curves into a smile, and I’m unguarded for a moment.
“She’s doing great.” I sit back, folding my arms across my chest in case his X-ray eyes see what’s bubbling inside me.
“You had reservations about her.”
He’s fishing for information. “Not because she's a woman, because the old man hired her without telling me.”
“Is she as clever as you say?”
“She's fucking brilliant. Catches things the others have missed.” I stop immediately, realizing I'm gushing about her.
“Sounds to me like you're more than impressed with her.” I detect a tone of curiosity. Enzo is quiet and observant. He lifts a brow, grinning, and I know he fucking knows I have the hots for her.
“Like I said, she's good at her job. Thanks for the update,” I say, abruptly standing up. “I have to be someplace.”
“No problem.”
***
I push the bar door open and walk into the crowded bar. The scent of fried food and alcohol wafts in the air, mixing with the sound of music and overlapping conversation.
It's loud, and crowded, slightly dim except for the neon lighting. I slowly make my way through groups of people, some standing huddled together, glasses clinking. Some perched around high-top tables and converted wooden barrels, hugging drinks and laughing at jokes I can’t hear over the music.
I scan the room and find them in the usual corner, away from the bustle of the bar, in the section reserved for people who want to eat.
The tech team take up three long benches.
Alex, Sonny and two of the programmers from the dev team sit around one table, with the rest of tech occupying the other two.
I put my card behind the bar and tell the friendly bartender to start a tab. The tech team are regulars here.
Elizabeth is nowhere in sight.
Then I hear her laughter. Louder than usual.
Throaty and deep, and I see her standing near the jukebox, with Joel beside her.
Her head is thrown back, like she can’t contain herself, her face flushed.
Happier than I’ve ever seen her. Joel whispers something in her ear, leaning too fucking close to her.
She listens, a beer bottle in her hand. Then, he leans in closer and says something more.
Her head lowers almost to her chest, as she doubles with laughter, and her hair falls forward.
Something sharp stabs my gut. Jaw clenched, I move over to the tables, acknowledging everyone.
“What time do you call this?” Alex raises his glass.
“We were about to send a search party,” Sonny says. I congratulate Sonny, shake his hand, and tell him I’ve put my card behind the bar.
“Get a round for everyone. It’s on me.”
“Thanks, boss.”
“You took your sweet time,” Alex remarks.
I sit down beside him. “I had some work to finish.”
“What time do you call this, boss?” I feel a hand on my shoulder, and turn to see Joel behind me. Elizabeth stands by his side, and my gut hardens.
“You're sitting in Elizabeth's chair,” Joel says, before pulling an empty chair from another table. I press down on my molars, hating to hear this guy talk about her like she's with him. He needs to move the fuck away.
Elizabeth and I exchange looks.
I get up. “Didn't realize,” I mutter.
She shifts at the same time, stepping back to make space, like it doesn’t matter where she sits as long as she’s not in the way.
But my mind goes somewhere it shouldn’t.
Not to the chair itself but to me taking her hand instead, pulling her in, settling her down onto my lap so she stays right there, close enough that she can’t keep moving away from me so easily.
The thought lodges in my brain, impossible to shift. I clear my throat, hard, and force it out of my head.
“It’s okay, sit down,” she says, already moving to another empty chair nearby. Her smile is easy, softer now and more at ease, when inside I’m a tangled knot of want, need, and desire.
I don’t sit.
Instead I straighten fully and look at her too intently than I should, given that we’re surrounded by people. I fist my hands, trying to restrain myself before I say or do anything else I’ll regret.
I look away, like I can't bear to look at her. I’m tempted to ask her if she's had problems going to sleep after that evening at the wine bar, but Joel returns with an empty chair which he sets down next to Elizabeth.
I sit back down, next to Alex.
“The boss has offered to buy drinks for everyone,” Sonny announces, to a chorus of “Thanks” in my direction. The table empties as people go to get drinks, leaving just me, Elizabeth and the two programmers.
I don't have a drink yet and end up sitting around empty-handed. I’d be twiddling my thumbs if I thought nobody would notice.
Sonny returns with a beer. “Here’s your beer, boss.”
“Thank you.” I lift the bottle and tap it against his. “Congrats, again.”
The programmers talk among themselves. Elizabeth stares at her hands. I try not to look at her, but I can feel where she's sitting, a few spaces away from me and still I'm aware of every small movement she makes. Of when she tucks her hair behind her ear.
It’s painful.
It’s so different from how we were a few evenings ago, with her fingers tracing my skin. Making me feel things that shouldn't have even crossed my mind.
I'm relieved when the guys return with drinks and the chatter turns louder. The jokes start up again and laughter ripples around. I take a sip of my beer and try not to look in Elizabeth's direction.
The jukebox stops playing and suddenly the conversation is easier to hear.
“You must be at the end of your audit by now,” Alex says to Elizabeth. “We’ve not heard about your findings. Are they top secret?”
“I’ll be putting a report together soon,” she replies. I see the tightness in her expression and know she feels uncomfortable talking about it.
“How much more have you got to do?” Sonny asks.
“I am getting there,” she says, looking uneasy.
“Do you have to go and see the big boss with your findings?” Joel asks.
“Well, yes, but he’s busy a lot of the time, so I just email him my findings.” She quickly flicks a glance in my direction. Everybody looks at me.
“Boss, are you going to tell us what's going on?” asks Sonny.
“She's not quite finished her audit yet.” I look at Elizabeth, and see that her cheeks have turned redder. I hope the others don't notice. “We can have a meeting about it tomorrow, if you want,” I suggest to Elizabeth.
I think I hear her murmur a quiet. “Okay.”
“How are you finding it down in the dungeon with us?” One of the programmer guys asks Elizabeth.
“The dungeon?”
“That’s what we call the tech floor,” Joel explains. “No sunlight, too many cables, and Matteo stalking around looking stressed.”
The fucker. “I do not stalk,” I snap.
“You stalk, sometimes.” Alex backs him up immediately. Asshole.
Elizabeth smiles a little. “It’s been… interesting. I think I’ve already made half of you change your passwords.”
The guys groan in unison.
“She told me my password was a crime,” Sonny says.
“It was a crime,” Elizabeth replies, smiling. “You used your dog’s name and your birth year.”
Sonny looks offended. “How did you know that?”
Elizabeth smiles. “I’m very good at guessing passwords.”
Joel leans closer to her, a fucking wide grin on his face. “Remind me never to make you angry.”
I clench my teeth together. He so badly wants to go home with her.
I take another sip of my beer and decide that I need to leave soon, before my head explodes.
The rational part of my brain, as opposed to my dick, tells me that Joel isn't being inappropriate.
He's just being Joel. Friendly, curious, and flirty.
But I don't like how he’s sitting so close to Elizabeth.
How he's leaning towards her. I don't like how she's turned slightly towards him.
I don't like that she's laughing at every pathetic word that comes out of his fucking mouth.
He lifts his beer bottle and points it at her. “You should stay after the audit, you know. We could use someone like you. Someone who actually knows what they’re doing.”
She smiles politely, looking a little embarrassed. “I don’t think that’s up to me.”