“You think he’scharming?”
Gah!
I was clearly saying all the wrong things. I stammered in my panic to tell him whatever it was he clearly wanted to hear.
“I, uhm, I-I don’t know, I just meant he’s charismatic! Which, he has to be, right? He’s the CMO. It’s his job to be charming.”
“So you think he’s charming in aprofessionalway?”
“What other way did you think I meant?”
Jay no longer looked frustrated. He was smirking now, and he reached over to gently brush his thumb between my eyebrows. I sat, frozen as he smoothed out the crease that had formed on my brow.
“You’re really cute when you’re nervous.”
“I - uhm…”
I blinked to find he was now cupping the side of my face gently. Light as a feather, his thumb swept over my cheek.
“Your cheeks are all red.” He chuckled.
“Jay—”
He was leaning closer to me, and I was frozen, sitting there like a deer in headlights. My normally busy brain went completely blank. It was like I couldn’t compute what was happening.
I could feel his hot breath on my lips, and my eyes fluttered closed as he gently tilted my head to the side.
“THIS IS YOUR FRIENDLY EVENING WARNING THAT CURFEW GOES INTO EFFECT IN TEN MINUTES.”
NOVA’s voice blared through the room, and I nearly leapt out of my skin.
“ALL NEUROVANCE EMPLOYEES ARE EXPECTED TO PROMPTLY RETURN TO THEIR CUBES.”
“Fuck,” Jay cursed, closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose.
“Shit—” I gasped, leaping to my feet. “I should go.”
“Milo—”
“I’ll see you tomorrow! Bright and early. Those transmitters aren’t going to optimize themselves!” I blurted, rushing for the door and sliding into my Vans.
Jay followed me to the front door at a much slower pace. His hands were crammed in his pockets, and he looked upset, which was making my heart hurt.
“Do you mind if I bring breakfast over again in the morning?” he asked me quietly as I fumbled with the door.
“I don’t know if?—”
“Milo…” he whispered, and I paused my frantic scurrying to look at him.
He looked so sad and…Lonely.
“Please?” His voice was so small… I felt like my heart was breaking.
I realized for the first time that, as cool and successful as Jay was, he probably didn’t have a lot of friends here, either. Not real friends, at least.
He genuinely seemed devastated that I had been about to say no, and that more than anything caused me to push past my own anxiety over whatever had just been happening on the couch.
“Yeah. Okay. Sure. Breakfast sounds nice.” I sighed, and the relieved smile that spread across his face made all my reservations fall away.
