The disappointment was back. “I’ll have to check with Roger about that,” she said, then turned and started down the hallway. “Are you just going to stand there, or are you coming?”
She grabbed two of the boxes and followed Sandra down the hallway and into a big room with several long tables and a bank of computers along one wall. Plopping the boxes down, she looked around and noticed that she wasn’t alone, a man was watching a video, a pair of headphones on his head. She started to turn away, then realized with a shock that felt like a punch to the gut that it was Malcolm who kept running into her and turning her world upside down, the man she was supposed to use to help her spy on the Sigmas.
Trying not to panic, she looked around the room and found Sandra staring at her. “Don’t tell me there’s something wrong with the room,” she sneered at her. “Isn’t it good enough for you, princess?”
“It’s fine,” she said, trying not to panic. “I’ll get to work now, thank you.”
CHAPTER 4
***MALCOLM***
After a busy morning with the real estate agent and class, Malcolm found himself getting sleepy as soon as he sat down in front of the computer. It didn’t help that the narrator’s voice had one tone and volume. It was almost like listening to white noise, making it almost impossible to resist the lure of a short nap. No one would know if he closed his eye for a few minutes just to rest, he thought, fighting to keep his eyes open. The video would keep playing, and he was sure he could pass the test at the end without even looking at the questions.
He drifted off a few minutes later, the drone of the narrator the last thing he heard and woke with a start, the video over, the screen flashing at him to take the test. Shoving himself back up in the chair, he stretched his arms over his head, trying to remember what the video had been about as he worked out the kinks in his back and neck. Groaning when he realized that he had no idea and he would have to watch the stupid thing again, he pulled off the headphones and threw them onto the desk, deciding it was time for a break.
Grabbing his empty coffee cup, he started to get to his feet, but the feeling that he wasn’t alone slowly settled over him, and he looked over at the doorway, expecting to see someonestanding there. It was as empty as it had been a few seconds before, and he got to his feet, shaking his head, wondering if taking a nap had been a mistake. Blaming his foggy brain for the feeling, he turned to head for the door, then let out a yelp of surprise when he saw the woman from the hallway standing in the back of the room staring at him.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you,” she said, her cheeks turning pink. “I guess you didn’t know I was here.”
He looked around, surprised to see stacks of invoices covering every available space, then back at the woman, remembering what Roger had said about her. “You’re Rose, right?” he asked, ignoring the way saying her name made tingles rush through his body. “I’m Malcolm. Maybe now that we’ve formally met, we’ll stop running into each other.”
“I didn’t know it was you,” Rose said, her voice shaking a little. “I mean…I didn’t know…that you worked here.”
“Well, I don’t know how you would have since this is the first time we’ve talked,” he said, then paused, wondering if he should mention the first time they’d run into each other. “I’m sorry I knocked you down the other night. I didn’t see you. I hope you didn’t get hurt.”
“Just a little wet, and I should have been paying attention to where I was going,” she said, shaking her head. “Honestly, I shouldn’t have been out there so late. I couldn’t sleep, and sometimes taking a walk helps.”
“Do you live close to campus?” he asked, feeling her out to see if she’d heard about the explosion. “I’m a senior this year. I’m getting a degree in business administration with a focus on finance.”
“I’ve got an apartment not too far from campus, but I already graduated last year. I was just learning my way around, but I probably should have done it in the car,” she said, shrugging hershoulders. “I was a business major too. This is my first job since graduation, and I’ve only been in town for a couple of days.”
“Welcome to town,” he said, flashing her a big smile. “Working for Sandra can be…difficult, but Roger is a solid guy, he’ll treat you right.”
“So far it’s been a bit…stressful, but I’m hoping it will get better,” Rose said, smiling back at him and making his insides do funny things. “Vanessa seems nice, and now that you’re not trying to knock me down, you seem okay too.”
He laughed, making her blush. “Just okay?” he asked, then stepped a little closer to her. “Since we’re friends now, I was wondering if I could ask you a favor?”
“Umm…I guess,” Rose said, instantly wary. “But that doesn’t mean I’ll say yes.”
“Setting boundaries already, I like that,” he said, then sighed. “The thing is…the other night when I ran into you…well…I wasn’t exactly supposed to be there. I was hoping that you’d keep seeing me, our little secret. I didn’t hurt anyone or anything; I was just…playing a prank, I guess you could say.”
“Oh, Vanessa said that you belong to a fraternity,” she said, then her cheeks turned pink. “We weren’t talking about you…I mean not really…she just…”
“It’s okay, after I nearly plowed you down in the hallway, I’m sure she had a few choice things to say about me,” he said. “She and I have a bit of a history.”
“Yeah, she warned me about you,” Rose said, then slapped her hand over her mouth.
He laughed. “I guess she would,” he said, shrugging his shoulders. “It’s okay, I understand why she’s upset. She liked me more than I liked her, I’m not exactly the relationship kind of guy.”
“Good to know,” she said, clearly embarrassed. “I really didn’t mean to bring it up, it’s none of my business. Sometimes my mouth gets ahead of my brain.”
“That’s okay, at least you were talking to me instead of behind my back,” he said. “Now about that vow of secrecy…”
Rose looked confused for a second, then her eyes widened.
“Oh, right, the fraternity prank,” she said, then smiled at him. “My lips are sealed, not that there’s anyone I could tell. I don’t have any friends in town yet, but I promise to take it to my grave.”
He studied her for a second, then, before he could stop himself, blurted out. “Come to dinner tonight. I’m sure everyone would love to meet you, and Hattie is cooking tonight, you don’t want to miss that.”
