“Everyone does.” I don’t want Walker to think he’s a lost cause. Too damaged and jaded to ever find happiness. “You just gotta find somebody whose bullshit aligns with yours.”
Walker’s eyes drift down the hall as Mariah bangs around my kitchen, likely assembling some sort of magical dessert I’ll have to run off tonight.
His expression turns thoughtful. “I’d be interested to know what part of your bullshit aligned with caramel cake.” He backs toward the door. “Because I’m pretty sure I’ve got that same sort of bullshit.”
35
Mariah
“You’re finally looking like you feel better.” Maren greets me as I slip through the doors of the room housing the bulk of Titus’s team. “Thank God, because I’m not built for running through this place to try to find yourfiancé.” She waggles her brows, holding out one of the cookies I always steal from the break room. “You wanna keep me company?”
“Always.” I take the snack and bite off a chunk. “How’s your week been?” I’ve started spending most of my time at McKinley with Maren, helping her deliver supplies and gossiping about people I don’t actually know. I genuinely love being at home with Titus, but I have to admit it’s pretty nice to get out once a week to socialize.
“Not terrible.” Maren shoots me a grim look. “But not amazing either.” Her nose wrinkles. “I do my best to stay away from Trevor because there’s just something about that guy that makes me want to punch him in the face. But it seems like he’s everywhere I go, and I’m pretty sure if I punch him in the face he’s going to fire me.”
“Probably. But he also probably needs to be punched in the face every now and then.” Saying Trevor has a one-track mindwould be the understatement of the century. This company is quite literally the only thing he thinks about from the minute he opens his eyes until they accidentally close at his desk at night.
It’s kind of sad when I really think about it. Until Maren tells me about some asshole thing he’s done here at work and I’m less sad.
“If he needs to be punched in the face, you’re the one who’s going to have to do it. It’s not worth losing this job over his dumb ass.” Maren pushes her cart of goodies down the hall. “And he’d probably stand there and let you punch him in the face because he knows he has to or Titus will kill him.”
I don’t know why I’m smiling over assault, but I am. “Trevor isn’t a bad guy, he just takes his job very seriously and expects everyone else to do the same.”
“I didn’t say he was a bad guy. I said he was an asshole. Those are two totally different things.” Maren pauses outside Walker’s office, carrying in a few different items to stock his team's supply closet before rejoining me in the hall. “Maybe I’ll get lucky and Walker will hire me to work in the warehouse or something. Then I won’t have to see Trevor at all.”
“Would you want to work in the warehouse?” I look Maren over, taking in her stylish outfit. Every time I’ve seen her, she’s been dressed in the cutest clothes. I just can’t imagine her pleated skirt and chunky loafers would be acceptable warehouse wear. “It doesn’t really seem like your speed.”
“Well I can’t code or hack, I don’t know shit about cars or construction, so packing boxes for shipment is probably my best shot at permanent employment here.”
“I guess it wouldn’t be terrible.” I give her a grin. “And if anyone could make steel-toed boots and high-vis shirts look glamorous, it’s you.”
I was really hoping Maren could just stay working at the position she has now, but apparently that’s the spot they use as sort of a test run to try out new people and see if they’d be a good fit. If theyshow up every day and manage to keep everyone supplied, they’re offered a permanent position.
And Maren deserves a permanent position. She takes this job very seriously, and is ridiculously organized. Add in how much everyone around here loves her, and she is for sure a great fit for the company.
And for me.
I’ve missed Janie so much. We still talk on a regular basis and will be good friends forever, but having someone I can hang out with face-to-face has helped so much more than I expected. Talking to Titus is amazing, and I tell him anything and everything, but nothing can replace a girlfriend.
Maren and I make our way through the buildings, dropping off paper and pens and Post-its. I can’t believe how much paper a place like this goes through in the digital age, but at the end of the day, people still like data they can hold in their hand. Look at. Highlight five hundred different colors—hence all the highlighters we distribute.
We refill the cart at least three times, going to the large storage room tucked behind the area where Titus’s team works. On our last trip before I need to head out, I pause, looking at the door to the next room over. “What in the heck do they keep behind that thing?”
All the doors in the building require badges to enter them—not surprising since this is a security company—but this particular door looks like it would withstand a nuclear bomb. Its steel frame is wide and thick, and the pad next to it is way more complex than any others I’ve seen.
“Dunno.” Maren grins. “Probably where Trevor has to barricade his assistants so they can’t leave.”
I snort. “I haven’t heard about one leaving recently. He must have managed to find one who tolerates him.”
“Yeah, no.” Maren stacks a pile of boxes onto the lower rack of her cart. “I think the guy he’s got now will be gone by the end ofnext week. He can’t handle the job and came back here looking for a place to cry about it the other day.”
I take in the storage room. It’s quiet and isolated and probably a great place to hide out. “Poor guy.”
“Also no. He’s a bigger asshole than Trevor.” Maren’s lip curls. “He tried to grab my ass last week and acted all affronted when I wasn’t flattered.”
“Gross.” I wrinkle my nose. “Why are men?”
That’s it. That’s the whole question. Why are men?
