Dorran:Uh-huh.
I roll my eyes, and Mave shifts in front of me, making me look up at him.
“Who’s that?” he asks.
“I thought you were going to go get me my macchiato.”
He chuckles. “I’m not your errand boy.”
“Of course not,” I state, “but I still need my coffee.”
He shakes his head at me. “Fine, but let me get you in safe first.” He gestures ahead.
A few IT techs pass by us to get to the elevator, so I turn around and head for my office.
Mave’s right behind me, of course, which makes me smile a little.
“Who’s going to harm me here?” I ask, then glance around for emphasis. “It’s not like these people have the balls, or the right tools, for that matter.”
Mave groans in exasperation. “You’re an obstinate little brat,” he mutters.
I push open my office’s glass door and step inside. “And you’re a prickly asshole who doesn’t have faith in my skills.”
“And what skills are those, exactly?”
I pivot on my feet so fast, that he has to stop abruptly in order to avoid colliding with me.
“Morning, boss,” Raj, Lexie, and Misty, say in unison when they see me, and then return to whatever it is that they are working on, on their computers.
Raj is in charge of creating and posting our social media posts, reels, stories, etc., whereas Lexie runs our website and YouTube channel, and Misty answers, and solves, customer grievances via Twitter and Instagram DMs.
And I – well,Iapprove everything they do before they actually do it, and also look afterLure’sofficial emails. Every collaboration, marketing, or sponsorship offer that comesLure’sway, is only sent forward to my mom if I give it the greenlight.
My office is a massive cubical area with separate worktables for every member of my team, and floor-to-ceiling windows behind a rectangular glass table, which is my personal workspace. There’s a bathroom on the right and a small storage area on the left. That’s it. Simple and spacious. Nothing over-the-top or too fancy to give me a pink eye.
I click my tongue. “Well, if I reveal all my skills to you,” I tell Mave, “then I’ll lose my element of surprise, won’t I?”
“I’m pretty sure I can feel you out, though,” he challenges.
I scoff. “That’s a bit presumptuous, don’t you think?”
He works his jaw as he scans my face. “Pepper spray,” he says matter-of-factly. “Kick to the groin, heels to the head.”
Fucker.
“You forgot fingernails to the eyeballs,” I provide.
He grins. “Hmm, ballsy.”
I roll my eyes. “Get your smug face out of my sight.”
He grins further. “Fine.” He laughs when I flip him off, then shakes his head again.
“I’ll get your coffee, you brat,” he says. “Just stay in here and don’t leave the floor. But if you reallyhaveto, then text me before you do.” With that, he turns around and heads out, still laughing.
I make my way to my desk and settle into my chair. I then turn on my laptop and get back to Dorran’s message.
Me:Sorry for the late response. Just got into work. So, you gonna tell me what you realized?
