Chapter 3 #2
“Sure.” Alex placed the order on his phone, then glanced back at Grace. She was in the zone again, her eyes narrowed as she stared at the screen. Alex got the feeling that if he tried to get her attention, he’d fail.
The only person he’d ever seen work like this, with so much focus that blinking was almost forgotten, was himself.
When the food arrived half an hour later, he gently pulled the laptop away from Grace.
“Take a break. Eating and looking away from the screen will help you.”
Grace made a face, but she let him close the lid of the laptop and hand her a takeout box. She opened it and inhaled deeply.
“Oh, that smells amazing. Thanks.” She took her wooden chopsticks out of the paper sleeve and snapped them apart, then grasped a spear of broccoli. “Yum.”
“So, any progress?” Alex asked as he opened his own steaming box of kung pao chicken.
“Yes, actually. The last time, the code passed all the tests easily.”
Alex’s brows rose. “Then you’re done.”
“Well…” Grace blushed. “Sort of.”
“What do you mean, sort of?”
“I fixed the initial bug, but I’m pretty sure I can come up with a more elegant solution if I just put in a little more time.”
Alex chuckled. “You sound just like me. I can never rest until the code is perfect.”
“Me neither!” Grace grinned. “Even in college, I never wanted to turn in an assignment that was less than perfect. Even if it was only going to be graded pass or fail, or was just extra credit.”
“I was the same way in school,” Alex agreed. “I just wish I could be like that in my life outside of work, too.”
Grace laughed as she took a piece of tofu out of her paper box and popped it into her mouth. “Same. In real life, I can be so forgetful that I once tried to microwave a cup of instant noodles without water. To be fair to myself, I was thinking about a stress test I wanted to do after I ate.”
“That’s a rough one,” Alex said. “I once tried to wash my clothes in the dishwasher when I was thinking about a new security measure for the app.”
Grace laughed, a sweet, open sound. “That doesn’t make any sense. Forgetting to add water to noodles is one thing, but mixing up the washing machine and dishwasher is completely different!”
“I didn’t mix them up,” Alex protested as he scooped some rice out of the to-go box.
“The apartment I rented after college didn’t have a washing machine, and I was out of clothes, so I would have had to walk to the laundromat.
And I didn’t want to waste that kind of time, not when I could use the dishwasher and keep working. ”
Grace laughed again. Then her brow furrowed. “I don’t want to be rude, but you’re a billionaire. It’s in all the papers. So, why didn’t you rent a place with a washing machine? Or at least a laundry room?”
Alex took off his glasses and wiped them on the edge of his shirt to stall for time. When he put them back on, he replied, “I haven’t always been wealthy. Are you enjoying the food?”
Grace seemed to recognize that he wanted to change the topic, because she nodded appreciatively.
“It’s great. Thanks again. I’ll pay you back.”
“Don’t worry about it.” Alex smiled and winked. “I’m a billionaire, remember? I can afford a box of takeout.”
This time, when he was rewarded with Grace’s sweet laugh, he was ready for it. He smiled at her.
“Well, thank you anyway,” Grace said. “Maybe there’s another way I can pay you back.”
For a split second, Alex wondered if she’d meant that in a suggestive way, but his mind was just playing tricks on him, because she added, “Like by fixing this bug for you, once and for all.”
“That would be very helpful,” Alex agreed. “I was wondering… how did you get into computer science? It seems you went to college a little late.”
Grace’s expression shuttered, and Alex realized he’d made some kind of misstep.
“It’s a long story,” she said. “And I should probably get back to work.”
“Take a few more minutes,” Alex suggested, but she was already reaching for the laptop again, setting her takeout box to the side.
Alex wished he hadn’t asked about college.
He should have known better. After all, he had parts of his own history that he tended not to talk about, like that he’d come from a family that had lived paycheck to paycheck and sometimes struggled to put food on the table.
Maybe going to college late was like that for Grace.
She went back to work, stopping occasionally to eat a little more of her food, so Alex worked too. Around ten p.m., she yawned and shut the laptop.
“Done. Can you review the code for me tomorrow?”
“Of course. Thank you for staying late.”
“It was fun.” Grace grinned, seemingly having forgotten about being closed off before. “Thanks for dinner.”
“Anytime.”
“And next time you need a bug fixed, think of me.” She winked as she stood and stretched.
“I will,” Alex promised. In truth, he’d likely think of her long before then, though he wasn’t going to say that. “Can I walk you out?”
“Only if you leave, too. You need rest just as much as I do. Probably more.”
There was still a little work Alex wanted to get to, but he nodded and stood. “Fair point. Let’s go.”
They strolled to the elevators together, past darkened offices and closed doors.
“It’s a little creepy,” Grace said, gesturing to the deserted offices.
“Really? I kind of like it. It’s peaceful.”
Grace shook her head. “Disagree. At least you’re walking with me.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll protect you from all the ghosts.” Grace’s eyes widened, and Alex laughed. “I’m kidding.”
“Sure, sure.” But Grace looked around a little apprehensively.
“Louisa, my assistant, always says that the office ghosts are nice people,” Alex continued. Grace glanced at him, then grinned.
“You’re kidding.”
“No, she really believes in ghosts. I think.”
“I have to ask—if you have an assistant, why do you still do everything yourself?”
“Not everything,” Alex said. “Just most things.”
They reached the elevators and headed down to the parking garage, where they went their separate ways.
“Good night,” Grace said as she headed for her beige Toyota.
“Good night,” Alex replied as he went to his own car, a white Lexus in this year’s model.
Part of him wanted to tell Grace to text him when she got home safely, but that wouldn’t be very professional.
Though they’d eaten dinner together and talked, it wasn’t as if they’d been on a date. This had been purely about work.
Still, he watched to make sure Grace drove out of the lot safely before getting in his car for the drive home.