“Hey,” I respond, feeling the warmth of his grin and wondering why my heart can’t decide which direction to race in.
At the cafeteria, we let go of each other, and I wander to the vegetarian section, feeling a sense of trepidation wash over me. I stop and stand next to the counter, arms crossed, not even trying to choose something for myself.
He will scrutinize it anyway.
Grey notices my reluctance and gives a knowing smirk. He steps closer to the counter, his eyes scanning the options and ingredient lists with meticulous intensity before selecting two avocado rice bowls. I’m not surprised. It’s exactly what I would have chosen.
I walk after him to their usual table. Sitting down, he puts one bowl in front of me and says, in a low, husky voice that sends shivers down my spine, “Good girl.”
My head snaps up, my eyes locking onto his.
What?
My first thought is that he is teasing me, comparing me to a dog, but the way he said it, with that hint of approval and possessiveness, makes me feel like I’m melting into my seat. I’m ready to retort, to play it cool, but Misha and Oliver join us at the table, each bringing a sandwich.
Misha’s the first to break the silence, his voice carrying a touch of excitement. “So, the weather’s going to hold up for the next few days. Perfect for that hike I’ve been planning for the weekend.”
I turn to him. My interest is piqued despite myself. “A hike?”
“Yeah,” Misha continues, his eyes lighting up. “Thinking about hitting up Rattlesnake Ledge. It’s only about a half-hour drive from Seattle. If I start early, I could catch the sunrise from the ledge. It’s just a two-hour hike up, but the view? Absolutely amazing.”
The idea of watching the sunrise from a mountain peak is enticing, and Misha glances at me expectantly as if hoping I’ll tell him I want to join. But I’m probably reading too much into it, and I wouldn’t dare to invite myself so boldly.
“Rattlesnake Ledge? That’s not your usual challenge. What’s up with you?” Grey asks, his voice tinged with humor as he spears another forkful from his bowl.
“Well, my ankle is still fucked up from that slip two weeks ago.”
“Slip? You mean that tumble down the path for a good ten feet?” Grey teases, raising an eyebrow.
“It was not ten feet, and it wasn’t a tumble. I just… stumbled a bit,” Misha mutters defensively.
I hardly know Misha, but this seems typical for him, and it’s hilarious.
“Sure, and overclocking a CPU is just turning up the heat,” Oliver chimes in, his tone so indifferent that it makes me laugh out loud. He finds my gaze, and I return the tender smile he’s giving me.
“Exactly, nothing to worry about,” Misha quips back, rolling his eyes with a grin spreading across his face.
My weekend will probably consist of working on my AR and the walk with Grey and Peanut since beta testing is probably over now. Though the thought of giving Jamie back already makes me sad.
Maybe they still need something else tested?
“Since you guys fixed the problems so quickly, is there anything else I should test?” I ask, hoping that I could keep him at least for today, or this would be a fucking sad birthday.
Grey shakes his head, a slight smirk playing on his lips, “The beta is over. There’s nothing left to test, thanks to you.”
Fuck.
A pang of disappointment hits my chest. I’m really going to miss Jamie.
At the risk of sounding desperate, I try again, “Are you sure? I could talk to him some more or make sure he’s working with all the gadgets again. I’m working on a new solar-paneled?—”
“Amelia,” Grey cuts me off. “You did an amazing job. There is no need to test anything further.”
Pausing with my fork halfway to my mouth, I mumble, “Okay, I guess I’ll bring him back later then.” I should at least try to keep the disappointment from my face and tone, but I can’t help it. I feel like I’m losing something important.
And it’s not only Jamie.
Grey swiftly interjects, “You couldn’t remove him yourself. I updated the security measures when I reinstalled him for you. You’d need dual-factor authentication to even start the process, which includes multiple security checks and my approval.”
