Not even seeing her go to pieces over me finding out I抦 in her most private thoughts in ways I never imagined should make me grin.
揗iss Poe, I know what you wrote. Technically, yes, it is inappropriate since we抮e both colleagues here. However, I also say it doesn抰 matter,?I growl, pushing my fingers through hers. I don抰 know if that抣l make this worse and I抦 past caring. It抯 what feels right. 揥ho hasn抰 stepped in shit from time to time? We spend a lot of time together, and frankly, there抯 no one else I抎 rather argue with.?
She looks up at me, moving one hand off her face and wiping her eyes with her other hand.
揊ighting? About cinnamon rolls??
My lips quirk up into a cautious smile.
揈specially about cinnamon rolls. Honestly, your fevered words might be the most interesting thing anyone抯 ever written about me. Considering the way the press stalks me from time to time, that抯 saying something.?I look at her gently, pausing as she gets her breath back. 揑抦 well aware I抳e had you working yourself raw for weeks now. I抦 impressed you still manage to squeeze in literary pursuits with the workload I抳e piled on your shoulders. You抮e a talented woman, no matter what you抮e writing. You抮e a fountain of words梕pic and embarrassing words梐nd the sooner you learn to laugh off this incident, the quicker you can get back out there and make it rain for everyone at Haughty But Nice.?
With my free hand, I cross my fingers. I抦 hoping like hell the pep talk works.
揕augh??she repeats numbly.
I nod.
揑 don抰 get it. If you weren抰 mad, why did you pull me in here??She doesn抰 say anything else, but the accusation is clear. Rat bastard, you knew this would be mortifying.
She thinks I toyed with her intentionally.
And it抯 a fair accusation because I did.
揑 wanted to shake you up. I just went about it in the worst way possible,?I say, looking past her and out the window at an eerily peaceful cityscape outside. 揧ou抳e heard people say I抦 a loose cannon around here. Unpredictable. Demanding. That抯 how I抳e kept my crew on its toes梠nly, sometimes I really am Captain Dipshit as you so eloquently named me a while ago. I can抰 deny you need to be more careful with the attachments you send out, and I抦 sure you抣l be the first to agree. I butchered the delivery, though, and I抦 sorry.?
She looks down, then up again, searching my eyes to decipher whether or not the apology feels genuine.
揗aybe you should use separate devices for work and art,?I say. Of course, it dawns on me just then that I could have told her that without letting her know which attachment she sent.
I really am a jackass incarnate.
Maybe some warped part of me wanted her to know that I know she wants me.
揑抣l be more careful. Sorry,?she says softly.
揇on抰 be too sorry. I抦 the only one who should be apologizing. I never wanted to upset you. I抦 proud of what you抳e accomplished in the short time you抳e been here, Dakota Poe.?
Her name rolls off my tongue too easily.
And when we lock eyes, I see something new in the unsettled green and gold and ivory of her face. It抯 the wildness and solitude of her namesake梩he roughness and beauty of a girl named Dakota, her soul swept with all the biting winds and harsh sunny days of life.
I hold out an arm. She leans into me over the padded armrest of the chair.
Just like that, I hug her tightly, and I probably linger too long before getting up.
When I抦 on my feet again, I grab a tissue and hand it to her.
揧ou can抰 go back out there looking like that. The whole company will be after me with pitchforks if they think I made you cry,?I say gently.
With a lopsided smile, she takes the tissue and blots her eyes.
揙h, I doubt that. For some reason, they like you. Most people,?she adds, leaving me to wonder if she抯 one of my honest haters.
Not that I can blame her, after today.
揙nly because they don抰 know me,?I say, smoothing my tie.
揜ight. All of your employees agree you抮e a total workaholic, but they think you care about them, I guess.?
揂nd what do you think, Nevermore??Another question I shouldn抰 ask.
Why does it matter too much to avoid?
It matters what she thinks of me, how she sees me.
It matters if she hates my guts like never before.
The slow smile that lights up her face damned near stops my heart.
Yeah. Or maybe it has more to do with the way her neckline plunges down more than anything else, and the terrible knowledge that she抯 been writing erotic poetry about me.
揑 think you抮e a cinnamon-roll-obsessed, mega-entitled freak. Not sorry,?she says bluntly.
揂 freak who burns you,?I whisper.
Bad move. I can抰 help it. My tongue has a mind of its own.
Her blush deepens and she glares at me, telling me exactly how much I抳e just fucked up this truce.
揙h, grow up. We should never mention that again if you really want me to stick around. I won抰 survive any other way.?
Slowly, I nod.
揅onsider it forgotten.?
揊or the record, it抯 not like it抯 just me who抯 noticed you, Burns. Surely, you know the effect you have on single women. But if you ever bring that up again, I抣l quit both jobs, agreement be damned. Then you抣l have to find a copywriter and an EA who can put up with your crazy ass until Lucy comes back from maternity leave.?
揑 already agreed to your terms,?I say harshly. 揂nd fair warning梱ou抣l never quit on me, because if you do, I抣l publish the poem all over social media.?
揧ou wouldn抰!?she gasps.
揂re you sure? I tried to crib a cinnamon roll off you once for five hundred dollars. I think we抳e established my actions defy conventional logic at times.?I wink at her. 揙f course, I抦 joking.?
Her color goes back to normal. She pushes her hands against the arms of the chair and leans forward. 揧ou抮e despicable.?
揗aybe so, but we抮e back to our usual relations, aren抰 we??Are we? I want her to say yes, to razz me like the art brat she is, to show me we抮e okay.
She stands quickly and starts toward the door.
揗iss Poe? Where are you going??
揟o work. Duh. It抯 better than being stuck in here with you,?she throws back over her shoulder.
She抯 out the door before I can get up and follow.
Fine.
That抯 the Nevermore I know. A violent little monster armed with sass and a delectable ass I抦 constantly fighting to push out of my head.
Shaking my head, I try to get back to my own work. Not easy.
Soon, I抦 throwing open my office door.
She抯 at Lucy抯 desk where she belongs, her face buried in some emails.
揘evermore??I ask once I抦 standing over her.
揘ot my name.?
揚oe? Dakota??
揧es??She blinks up at me like I should just start using her first name.
It scares me where that could lead.
揑 need a new batch of prerelease creative for social media approved by three p.m. Let抯 change it up this time. Maybe we抣l put the happy couple in a bedroom and show the wedding dress on the floor. What do you think??I ask, never taking my eyes off her. It抯 a test.
She glares at me. Her eye drops to a fruit basket on Lucy抯 desk.
Without a single word, the hellcat picks up an apple and hurls it at me.
I抦 smiling as I retreat, shutting the door to keep from being pummeled with an orange next. I hear muted laughter around the office as I make it to safety.
Then a resounding thud!
Something splats against my door.
Frowning, I open the door and find a stream of sticky plum juice running down my door to a couple destroyed fruit corpses on the floor.
揧ou抮e keeping the janitorial staff extra busy,?I say, shaking my head. 揥as that necessary??
揧es, and legal,?she grinds out. 揕ast I checked, there抯 no HR policy against food fights.?
She picks up her desk phone, still daggering me with green-eyed mischief.
揘ow what are you doing??
揅alling for cleanup like you asked.?
揃ut was it necessary??
She narrows her eyes. 揤ery. Also, I抦 not out of fruit.?
Little damned minx.
Damn if I抦 not thrilled to see her back in fighting shape, though.