She came in fully, followed by Gabriella, who was trying—and failing—to hide a massive grin. Both of them held shopping bags and to-go cups from the Mexican restaurant down the street.
“So,” Sutton said, settling onto the armchair across from us with all the gravitas of a judge. “This is the spreadsheet guy?”
My face went nuclear. “Sutton?—”
“I prefer Nicholas,” he said smoothly. “And yes, I’m the spreadsheet guy. Though in my defense, Danika has now seen fit to dismantle my entire organizational system.”
Gabriella laughed. “Good. You needed it.”
“Apparently.” His smile was self-deprecating, charming. The humor he used to hide behind. “I’m learning that some things resist quantification.”
“Like feelings?” Sutton supplied helpfully.
“Like feelings,” he agreed.
There was a beat of awkward silence. Nicholas shifted beside me, and I felt the mood change. He cleared his throat, his posture straightening into something more formal. Business mode. I recognized it from our first meeting.
“Actually,” he said, turning to me with an expression I couldn’t quite read. “I wanted to talk to you about something, Danika.”
My stomach dropped. Something about his tone felt wrong.
“Your insights this morning—they didn’t just help me understand where my analytics were failing. They completely revolutionized my approach.” He was talking faster now, clearly excited. “You identified the emotional variables I’d been missing, the human factors that drive holiday purchasing. It’s brilliant. You’re brilliant.”
“Okay…” I said slowly.
“So I want to offer you a position. VP of predictive analytics. Equity stake, full benefits package, corner office—whatever you want. You’d be reporting directly to me, working on the most cutting-edge retail prediction models in the industry.”
The words hit me like ice water. Meanwhile, Sutton and Gabriella had gone very quiet.
“You want to hire me,” I said flatly.
“I want to bring you onto the team, yes. You’re exactly what Nicholas Analytics needs. WhatIneed.” He was smiling, oblivious to the way my entire body had gone rigid. “We could do incredible things together.”
Together. Like a business partnership. I felt something crack inside my chest.
“Come on, Gabs,” Sutton said suddenly, standing up. “Let’s give them some privacy.”
“No.” My voice came out sharper than I intended. “Stay.”
Both roommates froze.
I turned to Nicholas, forcing myself to meet his eyes. “Is that what this was? A recruitment strategy?”
His smile faltered. “What? No?—”
“Because it feels like a recruitment strategy. Sleep with the data genius, offer her a job, keep her close and useful.” I could hear my voice rising and couldn’t stop it. “Very efficient, Nicholas. Very optimized.”
“That’s not—Danika, I’m trying to give you everything you deserve.”
“I don’t want ajobfrom you.” The words burst out of me. “I wanted… I thought we…”
I couldn’t finish. Couldn’t say, “I thought you loved me.” Not in front of my roommates. Not when he was looking at me like I’d lost my mind.
“Oh God.” His face went pale. “That came out wrong.”
“Did it?” I backed away a little, needing distance. “Or is this just another entry in your spreadsheet? ‘Danika—solves problems, optimal employee, convenient girlfriend who comes with professional benefits’?”
“Ouch,” Gabriella whispered.
