Yeah he heard me that time.
“What?”he snips.
“You need to focus.”
“Iamfocusing. I don’t need you being my mother.”
Wow. What the hell crawled up his ass today? I know he's mad about his precious little ex-wife flirting with someone else but is it really that big of a deal to him?
“Lincoln, we’re working and you’re very distracted.”
“I’m not distracted. You’re riding my ass.” He scrolls abruptly. “I’m reading over the stuff right now.Waita fucking minute!” he barks, causing me to stiffen suddenly in surprise, and a couple of the other workers nearby look over.
Tom pokes his head around the divider. “Hey, what’s going on?”
Lincoln blinks strangely at all of us, like he’s forcing his regular state of mind back into the room. “I need a bathroom break. I’m sorry, hold on.”
Before I can ask anything else, he’s already heading for the door.
I stand there, confused, watching him disappear down the hallway. I think he’s going to confront Gabby, but he doesn’t even glance in her direction. Instead he turns sharply and heads toward the restrooms.
Fine. If he won’t deal with it, I will.
I leave the observatory and cross the main floor. Gabby and Fabian are still laughing about something, and I swear Fabian looks seconds away from offering to carry her to another department to undress her.
“Gabby, can I talk to you for a second?” I tug her aside.
“Um, what’s up?” she asks, still smiling from whatever joke she and Fabian were sharing, but also staring down at my hand on her arm like she expects me to take it off.
“Look, I don’t know, is there something going on between you and Fabian?”
“No? What the hell?”
“You have good chemistry with him. You guys look really cute together.”
“Nothing’s going on. Me and Fabian, we’re just friends.”
“Well, that’s not the image that you’re giving everybody else, especially Lincoln. He looks pretty pissed. I personally don't care. I love that for you but, if it’s possible, could you do your flirting on another floor or something? Not right in front of him?”
Gabby glances back toward where Lincoln was standing. She doesn’t see him. “Wait, why? Is he okay?”
“It’s just that you’re very distracting. Fabian’s a nice guy. But you know how men are. Lincoln doesn’t want to look stupid in front of everyone if you end up dating one of the co-workers here. Not that I mind. I’m completely for it.”
“Yeah, ofcourseyou are.” She gives me a smug little look. “If it makes you feel any better, you can have Lincoln if you want.”
“Really? I thought that you still cared about him.”
“Yeah, I do still care about him. But honestly, I’m still angry with him. And you’re the two people that people want to see together. So honestly… I don’t want him back.”
I stare at her. I know bullshit when I hear it. It also doesn't escape me that ever since our little threesome happened, she hasn't mentioned it once. And I know she remembers.
She keeps going. “The more I think about it, the more I think it would be a mistake.Youguys work together. You have good chemistry with each other. And I guess I was always gonna lose in the end, right? So might as well move on. He can find his soulmate at work. Why can’t I, right?”
Then she shrugs, grabs her packets, and heads toward the elevators to deliver whatever she’s carrying to the next department.
I really hate that Lincoln and Voss made me waive that restraining order, because having that woman around here is going to make my life one big inconvenience. Especially with Lincoln losing his focus and pining over her. It grinds my ever loving gears.
I exhale and decide someone has to talk to Lincoln before he combusts.
