Shannon and Dan need no further prompting; I let them loose in the cafeteria to plunder its spoils.
—
I don’t know if I decide it or Connor does, but we silently collude to give Dan and Shannon the impression that we must get back to work, and they agree to head back to their hotel, where I promise to meet them at the end of the workday.
We wave goodbye at the elevators. My smile drops the second the doors slide shut.
“You have to come to dinner,” I say as the two of us make our way back to DatStrat.
Connor gives a humorless laugh. “Absolutely not.”
“Please.”
“No.”
“Connor.”
“Annie.”
“You’re the one who wants me to be the bigger person,” I reason as we get back to our desks. “How am I supposed to do that without you?”
John and Martin are working from home today, so it’s only Ben there to greet us. He pulls his headphonesoff.
“Brad was looking for you,” he says to Connor. “I told him you were gone.”
“Thank god for that,” Connor mutters, and then turning back to me, “I’m busy.”
“I’mbeggingyou.”
He shrugs.
“Please,” I wheedle. “I’ll do anything you want. I’ll even go talk to Brad.”
Ben perks up at this briefly, tilting his head toward Connor likemaybe not a bad idea?
Connor is unmoved. “No. It would be a little weird to bring your boss to dinner, don’t you think?”
He logs back into his computer.
I open my mouth to reply, then shut it again. Is he…mad?
Across from us, Ben is not evenpretendingnot to eavesdrop. I look back at him. All he does is raise his eyebrows likewell?
I sheepishly avoid his gaze and take the conversation to messenger.
ANNIE:Are you…………. mad that I called you my boss
CONNOR:No.
He is. Hesois. How the tables have turned!
ANNIE:I’m sensing a bit of a tone there.
ANNIE:How would you like me to introduce you, just for future reference?
He does not dignify this with a response, but I can see the messenger open on his screen. He’s listening.
ANNIE:I’m sorry Connor
