But instead of opening any files, I pick up the laptop and carry it to my desk, getting to work.
“I thought you needed some vendor information?”Steven asks, looking confused.
“Yeah,” I say distractedly, my fingers moving across the keyboard.
Steven takes a step back, his expression growing alarmed as he watches me.“Eve?Why are cackling like that?What are you planning?”He looks like he’s starting to regret his decision.“Eve, maybe this wasn’t such a good?—”
“Don’t worry about it,” I tell him, already getting to work.
Time for some payback.
* * *
When Caleb walks backinto the office forty-five minutes later, I can barely contain my grin.He looks composed as always, but there’s something different about his stride—a little more tension in his shoulders, maybe.Or perhaps that’s just wishful thinking.
He settles into his chair and immediately opens his laptop, his jaw set in that particular way that usually means he’s pissed but trying to hide it.Perfect.
“Caleb,” Joshua calls out from across the room, not even looking up from his screen.“Can you send me the promotional materials for the Serastra campaign?I need to take them down to the Digital and Content Division for the final review.”
“Sure thing,” Caleb replies, his voice perfectly normal.He clicks around on his laptop for a moment, then hits send.“Just sent it over.”
Joshua’s computer chimes with the incoming email.After a few seconds, he slowly turns to stare at Caleb with the most bewildered expression I’ve ever seen on his face.
“Uh...Caleb?”Joshua’s voice is cautious, like he’s talking to someone who might be having a mental breakdown.“Are you...feeling okay today?”
Caleb glances up, frowning.“I’m fine.Why?”
“If you say so,” Joshua says slowly, his eyes still fixed on his screen with the same expression you’d have if you opened an email expecting quarterly reports and found pictures of dancing lobsters instead.How odd.
I have to bite my lip to keep from laughing.
The day progresses beautifully.Every few minutes, someone from another department walks by our section with curious glances in Caleb’s direction.Maria from Accounting actually stops dead in her tracks when she passes his desk, staring at his computer screen over his shoulder before quickly scurrying away, whispering to her colleague.
Later in the afternoon, someone from the content division comes up specifically to ask Caleb about ‘the promotional materials he sent down.’The conversation is brief but involves a lot of confused hand gestures and what looks like barely contained laughter from the content guy, more so when he glances at me and I nod my head.He’s smart enough not to give it away, though.
As the day goes on, Caleb has gotten no fewer than seven strange looks from various coworkers, two hushed conversations that stop abruptly when he approaches, and one very awkward interaction with someone from IT who asked if he needed ‘help with anything technical.’
I’m having the time of my life.
“Eve,” Caleb says suddenly, his voice cutting through my barely concealed amusement.“Did you do something to my computer?”
I look up innocently from my screen.“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I say sweetly, returning my attention to the mock-up of the launch invitation.“Why would I do something to your computer?”
His eyes narrow.“Because you’re you.”
“That’s not an answer,” I reply, tapping my pen against my lips thoughtfully.“Although if you’re having technical difficulties, maybe you should call IT.I hear they’re very helpful.”
Before he can respond, his phone buzzes with a text.He glances at it and his expression shifts from suspicious to professional.“I need to take this call,” he says, grabbing his jacket.“Meeting prep.”
I know exactly what meeting he’s talking about, and I have to admit, I’m curious about how it’ll go.Landing Zeeshan would put our campaign in an entirely different league—the kind of artisan whose mere involvement would get us featured inYacht & Leisure Magazinebefore we even launch.But the man hasn’t taken a commission in five years.If Caleb can actually secure him, it’ll be the coup of the century.
Caleb disappears for twenty minutes.When he comes back, he looks cautiously optimistic, which means the preliminary call went well.Good.Whatever prank war we have going on, the Serastra project is too important to sabotage.
But that doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy watching him squirm a little.
An hour before the day ends, Caleb’s computer pings with an email.He opens it, and I watch his face go through several interesting color changes—pale, then red, then a sort of greenish shade I didn’t even know was humanly possible.
He stands up abruptly, his chair rolling backward.
