Chapter 10 - This Means Nothing
Monday morning, there was a coffee on my desk.
I stopped.
Looked at it.
Looked around.
Nobody was nearby.
The cup had my name written across the side.
And underneath it-
My exact order.
Not approximately my order.
Not coffee with milk and something sweet.
My actual, unnecessarily specific order.
I picked it up.
Still warm.
"Maya?"
She looked over the top of her monitor.
"What?"
"Did you get me coffee?"
"No."
I held it up.
"Then who did?"
She looked at the cup.
Then at me.
"I don't know."
"Ben?"
From two desks away-
"I love you, Angel, but not enough to voluntarily stand in a coffee shop line before nine."
"Fair."
I looked back at the cup.
Maybe Ethan.
Except Ethan wasn't in yet.
I took a sip.
Perfect.
Of course it was.
I should have been suspicious.
Instead, I drank the whole thing.
The second one appeared Thursday.
Same place.
Same order.
No note.
I stared at it for approximately ten seconds before Maya leaned around the partition.
"Secret admirer?"
"No."
"You sound very confident for someone receiving anonymous beverages."
"It's coffee, Maya."
"That's how it starts."
"How what starts?"
"Murder documentaries."
I looked at her.
She shrugged.
"They always accept the mysterious drink."
"I don't think serial killers usually remember the extra shot."
"That's exactly what a thoughtful serial killer would do."
I took the coffee anyway.
Because apparently survival instinct had limits.
And caffeine was one of them.
Adrian didn't mention the conversation from Friday.
Neither did I.
I hadn't expected him to.
I had said something inappropriate about his family.
He'd reminded me it wasn't my business.
End of story.
So Monday morning, when he stopped beside my desk and asked for revisions, I gave him exactly what I'd been giving him for weeks.
"Yes, Mr. Vale."
Tuesday-
"I'll send it before lunch."
Wednesday-
"Okay."
Thursday-
"I already updated it."
Nothing personal.
Nothing unnecessary.
He had wanted distance.
Apparently I had finally learned how to give it to him.
Although I was beginning to suspect he didn't particularly enjoy it.
That was not my problem.
At least, that was what I told myself when he stood beside my desk Thursday afternoon after we'd already finished discussing the glazing package.
I waited.
He didn't leave.
I looked up.
"Was there something else?"
His eyes met mine.
"No."
"Okay."
I turned back to my screen.
Another second passed.
Then he walked away.
I watched him go.
Only for a second.
Maybe two.
Then I returned to work.
Because there was absolutely nothing strange about that interaction.
Nothing at all.
Ethan appeared ten minutes later.
"Lunch tomorrow."
I kept typing.
"Is that a statement or a threat?"
"Invitation."
"Where?"
"The Thai place."
I finally looked at him.
"You're paying."
"Why?"
"You stole half my lunch last time."
"That is a wild exaggeration."
"You ate three of my spring rolls."
"There were six."
"Exactly."
"So technically I ate half your spring rolls, not half your lunch."
I stared at him.
He smiled.
"Fine. I'm paying."
"Then yes."
"Excellent."
He tapped the edge of my desk twice and walked away.
I smiled despite myself.
Then I looked up.
Adrian was standing outside the conference room.
Again.
He wasn't looking at me.
At least not anymore.
Interesting.
No.
We were done finding things about Adrian Vale interesting.
I returned to my screen.
Friday afternoon, Ethan and I went to lunch.
Maya came too.
Ben joined at the last minute.
It was normal.
Easy.
I laughed.
A lot, actually.
By the time we came back, I felt almost completely like myself.
Almost.
Ethan held the elevator door for me.
I stepped inside.
"Such a gentleman."
"I'm always a gentleman."
Maya snorted.
"You stole food off her plate yesterday."
"That has nothing to do with manners."
"It has everything to do with manners."
"You two are extremely judgmental."
The doors opened.
We walked out still arguing.
Adrian was crossing the lobby toward us.
The conversation died naturally.
Not because anybody was afraid of him.
Well.
Maybe a little because everybody was afraid of him.
"Adrian," Ethan said.
Adrian's eyes moved to him.
"Ethan."
Then to Maya.
"Maya."
Then me.
A fractional pause.
"Ms. Stone."
"Mr. Vale."
His gaze stayed on me.
Then he looked at Ethan again.
"You're needed in conference room three at two."
Ethan checked his watch.
"Got it."
Adrian walked past us.
Maya waited three seconds.
Then-
"Was that weird?"
"No."
Ethan looked over his shoulder.
"A little."
"It wasn't weird."
Maya looked at me.
I pointed at her.
"Don't."
"I didn't say anything."
"You were going to."
"I was breathing."
"Suspiciously."
She smiled.
I didn't.
Not immediately.
But eventually, I did.
The following week brought coffee number three.
This time I caught him.
Not literally.
Unfortunately.
I had just arrived at my desk when Adrian came around the corner.
He glanced at the cup beside my keyboard.
Then at me.
"Your coffee's getting cold."
I froze.
My eyes dropped to the cup.
Then slowly lifted back to him.
"You bought this?"
"Yes."
He said it like I'd asked whether the sky was blue.
I stared.
He started to walk away.
"Wait."
He stopped.
I picked up the cup.
"You've been buying these?"
His expression gave me nothing.
"Yes."
"All of them?"
"Yes."
I looked at the coffee.
Then back at him.
"Why?"
"You looked tired."
That was-
What?
"I looked tired?"
"Yes."
"So you bought me coffee."
A pause.
"Yes."
My brain was having difficulty processing the sequence of events.
"How do you know my order?"
Something changed in his face.
Very small.
Almost nothing.
"I've seen it."
"Seen what?"
"Your coffee."
I narrowed my eyes.
"My coffee has approximately seven instructions."
"It's not that complicated."
"It is absolutely that complicated."
He said nothing.
I looked at the cup again.
Then at him.
"When have you seen me order it?"
A pause.
"Around."
Around.
What the fuck did around mean?
Before I could ask, someone called his name from across the floor.
Adrian looked toward them.
Then back at me.
"Drink your coffee, Ms. Stone."
And walked away.
I stared after him.
Then at the cup.
Maya appeared beside me approximately four seconds later.
"No."
I didn't look at her.
"I haven't said anything."
"Don't."
"I wasn't going to."
"You absolutely were."
She leaned closer to inspect the cup.
"He knows your order?"
I picked it up.
"Maya."
"I'm just asking."
"I don't know."
"You literally just asked him."
"He said he's seen it."
"Where?"
"Around."
She blinked.
"Around?"
"Apparently."
Maya looked across the office.
I followed her gaze.
Adrian was speaking to one of the project managers.
Perfectly normal.
Perfectly controlled.
As if he hadn't just admitted he'd somehow memorized my coffee order.
I took a sip.
Perfect.
Again.
"I'm not discussing this."
Maya's mouth twitched.
"Okay."
"And don't say okay like that."
"I didn't know okay had a tone."
"Yours does."
Two nights later, I stayed late.
Not intentionally.
Solara had reached that delightful stage where fixing one problem created three more.
At seven forty-five, most of the office was empty.
At eight ten, I was still working.
At eight seventeen, I smelled cedar.
I stopped typing.
Oh God.
Of course.
I looked up.
Adrian was walking toward my desk.
Tie gone.
Sleeves rolled.
Hair slightly less controlled.
And two coffee cups in his hands.
I stared at them.
Then at him.
He stopped beside my desk and placed one cup next to my keyboard.
I looked at it.
Then at the cup in his other hand.
Black.
Obviously.
"What's this?"
"Coffee."
I looked down.
My order.
Again.
I picked up the cup but didn't drink it.
"You brought me coffee?"
"You're working late."
"Oh."
His eyes stayed on me.
I looked at the label.
Every single modification was right.
"How do you know my order?"
A pause.
"I've seen you order it."
I looked up.
"When?"
Another pause.
"Around."
Around.
What the fuck did that mean?
I waited, but he didn't elaborate.
Of course he didn't.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome."
I looked up.
Adrian Vale had just said you're welcome.
Voluntarily.
To me.
Apparently hell had frozen over sometime after six.
He was already looking at my screen as though he hadn't just demonstrated the existence of basic manners.
I decided not to comment.
Mostly because I was still trying not to talk to him unless absolutely necessary.
I took a sip.
Perfect.
Of course it was.
Adrian glanced at my screen.
"How much longer?"
"About an hour."
"Finish it tomorrow."
Normally, I would have argued.
Told him he was the reason I was still here.
Asked whether the building would collapse if I stayed another forty-five minutes.
Something.
Instead, I saved the file.
"Okay."
Adrian looked at me.
I closed my laptop.
Put it in my bag.
His expression changed slightly.
"You're leaving?"
"You told me to."
"I said you could finish it tomorrow."
"I know."
I put on my jacket.
Picked up the coffee.
"Goodnight, Mr. Vale."
He didn't answer immediately.
"Goodnight, Ms. Stone."
I walked toward the elevator.
The coffee was warm in my hand.
Exactly the way I liked it.
And somehow that made the silence between us feel worse.
The next week, Ethan started waiting for me when I worked late.
Not every night.
Just sometimes.
The first time, he stopped beside my desk at six thirty.
"You leaving soon?"
"Probably."
"I'll wait."
"You don't have to."
"I know."
Apparently everyone in my life had decided this was a valid response.
He worked at an empty desk nearby until I finished.
Then we walked to the garage together.
The next time, we stopped for coffee downstairs first.
Another evening, Daniel came with us.
It wasn't anything.
But Adrian noticed.
I knew because Adrian noticed everything.
One evening, Ethan was leaning against my desk while I packed my bag.
"You ready?"
"Almost."
"You've been saying almost for ten minutes."
"Architecture takes time."
"You're putting a laptop in a bag."
"Precision matters."
He reached over and zipped the bag for me.
"There. Architecture complete."
I laughed.
"Thank you for your contribution to the profession."
"My pleasure."
"Ms. Stone."
My smile disappeared before I could stop it.
Adrian stood several feet away.
Ethan straightened.
"Hey, Adrian."
Adrian barely looked at him.
"I need the revised section before you leave."
I nodded.
"Okay."
"It should only take ten minutes."
"I'll send it."
His eyes moved toward Ethan.
Then back to me.
"I need you in my office."
Now?
I glanced at Ethan.
"I'll meet you downstairs."
"No problem."
Adrian's jaw tightened.
Very slightly.
I followed him.
The revision took eight minutes.
There was absolutely no reason for me to have been in his office for it.
He could have emailed me.
I knew that.
He knew that.
Neither of us mentioned it.
I sat at the chair beside his desk, going through the section on my laptop.
Adrian stood on the other side.
"Move that line back."
I adjusted it.
"Here?"
"No."
He came around the desk.
"Here."
He leaned down beside me, one hand braced against the desk as he reached toward the screen.
Cedar.
Warmth.
His shoulder almost touched mine.
My body noticed immediately.
Of course it fucking did.
For one stupid second, I went completely still.
Then I remembered.
I rolled my chair back.
Fast.
Not dramatically.
Not enough that anyone else would have thought anything of it.
Except Adrian stopped.
His hand was still resting on the desk.
His eyes moved from the screen to me.
I stood.
"You can sit."
"I'm fine."
A pause.
"Angelica."
"What?"
His eyes stayed on mine for a second too long.
"Nothing."
He straightened.
And moved to the other side of the desk.
I sat down again.
Neither of us mentioned it.
We finished the revision in silence.
I closed the file.
"Anything else?"
"No."
I stood.
His eyes stayed on the screen.
I headed toward the door.
Then-
"Is Ethan waiting for you?"
My hand stopped.
I turned.
Adrian was still looking at his computer.
"Yes."
"Why?"
I stared at him.
"Because we're leaving."
His eyes lifted.
"Together."
It wasn't a question.
"He's walking with me to the garage."
Silence.
I waited.
Adrian looked back at the screen.
"Fine."
Fine?
What the fuck did fine mean?
I stared at him for another second.
Then opened the door.
"Goodnight, Mr. Vale."
"Goodnight, Ms. Stone."
I left.
And spent the entire elevator ride telling myself there had been absolutely nothing strange about that conversation.
I was getting very good at lying to myself.