Chapter 12 - Still Employed #3
Then to me.
"The client call moved to three."
"Okay."
"I need you in conference room two at two thirty."
"I'll be there."
His eyes shifted to Ethan again.
A beat.
Then he walked away.
Ethan watched him go.
Then looked at me.
"What?"
"Nothing."
"You're doing the Maya thing."
"What Maya thing?"
"The nothing that is obviously something."
He shrugged.
"I value my employment."
"Apparently I'm the only person here who doesn't."
"That has become increasingly clear."
Friday evening, I stayed late.
Not terribly late.
Seven fifteen.
The office gradually emptied around me.
Maya left at six.
Ben at six twenty.
Ethan stopped by at six forty.
"You leaving?"
"Soon."
"I can wait."
I looked at the work on my screen.
"No, go. This might take a while."
"You sure?"
"Yes."
He picked up his bag.
"Text me when you get to your car."
I frowned.
"Why?"
"Because it's late."
"It's seven."
"And parking garages are creepy."
"I can survive a parking garage."
"I know. Text me anyway."
I smiled.
"Fine."
He squeezed my shoulder once.
"Night, Angel."
"Night."
He left.
At seven thirty-eight, I saved my work.
Closed the file.
Packed my bag.
Then headed toward the elevators.
I passed Adrian's office.
Light on.
Of course.
I kept walking.
Three steps.
Stopped.
Why?
No idea.
I looked back.
His door was open.
Adrian sat behind his desk.
Tie gone.
Sleeves rolled.
Hair slightly messy.
Glasses-
No.
Not glasses.
Apparently my imagination had started accessorizing him.
He was reading something on his screen, one hand resting against his mouth.
I should leave.
Instead, I walked back.
Stopped at the doorway.
He looked up.
"Ms. Stone."
"You're still here."
"This is my company."
I sighed.
"There it is."
"What?"
"The building ownership speech."
"I wasn't aware it was a speech."
"You've given it enough times to qualify."
His mouth moved slightly.
I leaned against the doorframe.
"Have you eaten?"
"Yes."
I narrowed my eyes.
"Actual food?"
Silence.
There it was.
I knew it.
"Coffee doesn't count."
"I didn't say coffee."
"What did you eat?"
Another pause.
"Food."
"That is suspiciously nonspecific."
"I wasn't aware my dinner required documentation."
"It does when you're obviously lying."
"I'm not lying."
"What did you eat?"
He stared at me.
I stared back.
Nothing.
Of course.
I sighed.
"Adrian."
Silence.
Complete.
Immediate.
Silence.
My brain caught up approximately one second too late.
Oh.
I'd never called him that.
Not once.
Mr. Vale.
Always.
Even when I was furious.
Even when I'd stormed into his office without knocking.
You're divorced.
Still-
Mr. Vale.
But now-
Adrian.
His eyes lifted fully to mine.
Something changed in his face.
I couldn't identify it.
His expression hadn't softened exactly.
But the room felt different.
I became extremely aware that we were alone.
Extremely aware of the quiet office.
Extremely aware of him.
And suddenly I wished I could put the word back in my mouth.
Neither of us spoke.
Then, quietly-
"What?"
One word.
That was all.
But somehow it sounded completely different.
I swallowed.
"You didn't eat."
His eyes stayed on mine.
"No."
There.
Finally.
Truth.
I crossed my arms.
"Why?"
"I forgot."
"How do you forget food?"
"I was working."
"So was I. Somehow I maintained awareness of basic human survival."
"You're very impressive."
I stared.
"Was that sarcasm?"
"Possibly."
"Oh my God."
His mouth moved again.
This time-
It actually happened.
Small.
Barely there.
But unmistakable.
A smile.
Not the one from the ice cream shop.
Nothing like that.
Smaller.
Quieter.
Just for me.
My stomach dropped.
Oh.
No.
Nope.
Absolutely not.
I straightened away from the doorway.
"I'm leaving."
The smile disappeared.
"Okay."
"You should eat."
"I will."
"Actual food."
"Yes."
"Not coffee."
"Angelica."
"What?"
"I'll eat."
"Good."
I turned.
"Goodnight."
A pause.
Then-
"Goodnight, Angelica."
I walked toward the elevator.
My heart was beating too fast.
For absolutely no reason.
The elevator arrived.
I stepped inside.
The doors started closing.
And because apparently I had learned nothing-
I looked back.
Adrian was standing in the doorway of his office.
Watching me.
The doors closed between us.
I stared at my reflection.
Then pressed the button for the garage.
He's divorced.
That didn't mean he liked me.
Coffee didn't mean he liked me.
Looking at me didn't mean he liked me.
Knowing my order didn't mean he liked me.
Almost smiling when I argued with him didn't mean he liked me.
And calling him Adrian definitely didn't mean anything.
Absolutely nothing.
My phone buzzed.
I looked at it.
Then typed back.
I put the phone away.
And spent the entire elevator ride trying not to think about the way Adrian had said-
What?
Like hearing his own name from my mouth had meant something.
Which was ridiculous.
Because it hadn't.
Probably.