Look at You

Chapter 10

10

I get up on Wednesday morning, pleasantly surprised that I wake up before my alarm goes off. I take my sweet time in the shower, throw in a load of laundry, make myself a toaster strudel. I find it odd that I don't run into either my mom or dad, but I know they both work today so it's possible they've gone early.

I check my phone when I finish the toaster strudel, seeing if I have time to read a bit before I get to work to meet Cam for coffee.

And that is when I see it is 10:36 a.m.

"Awwwww fuckkkkkkkkkk."

I sprint to the garage and am moving so fast I almost forget to open the door. I get to TechNet in a record 8 minutes and propel myself up to the eighth floor as fast as our 22nd-century elevators can get me there.

I walk in and sit down at my desk very breathless.

Callie drops everything and anything she is working on to talk to me. "Morning! You're late! Or did you have a doctor's appointment or something?"

I almost want to lie, but it's Callie. And she's blinking her eyes all innocently and I can't speak untruths to that face. "I overslept," I mumble.

"Well," The corner of Callie's lips twists up as she turns back to her computer. "Coffee's still waiting for you."

And it is. It's sitting on my desk atop a folded-up piece of notebook paper that says must I protest alone?

I sigh and fall back into the chair, sending myself a few inches backward. "I was here working when he came up," she says nonchalantly, her nails clicking against her computer keys. "And there it is, sitting cold on your desk."

"It's a thing we have going," I push myself forward and try to convince myself the disappointment I feel is in myself for missing the alarm. Not for anything else. "It's a joke really." Either way, I fold up his note and shove it in the back of my drawer.

Later, Callie and I order Cava for lunch and take it into the free conference room behind the marketing squadron. "I need to go to Ikea today," she says. "I need a few more things for my apartment."

"Whatcha need?"

"What I need," she smiles devilishly, waving her fork at me. "Is a handsome, strong, amazingly talented person to help me get everything into my car and up three flights of stairs."

"Should we ask Mathias then?"

She doesn't find me funny. "Haha. So you'll come?"

I nod through a bite of my bowl. "Course." Alice would be swatting me for talking with my mouthful, but Callie just squeals and squeezes my knees.

"Thank you thank you thank you! I'll buy you dinner."

I put on my haughtiest, poshest voice, but my voice is deep, so it just comes out a little too sexually. "A small price to pay for such services."

She sticks her tongue out at me and wrinkles her nose.

"Ha!" I even slap my knee. "Glad we're in agreement there."

"Oh Simon," more fork waving. "We both know I'm not your type."

"Oh?" I sit up now. "Why not?" I want her to say nothing. I want her to go back to not knowing a thing about me, not seeing me smile at stupid coffee cups with stupid notes and getting to the office 30 minutes early for a guy I can't figure out and certainly am not interested in anything more than friendship with.

"You know," she shuts her bowl tightly and stands up. "I think it's the nails."

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