She puts her hands on her hips. “Harper. Why are you so against this guy? I know there are a few things you don’t see eye to eye on in the office, but I’ve got to know him a bit and I want to give him a chance. He’s obviously a guarded person, and Ithink his baking is his way of making an effort with the team. It’s quite sweet.”
“Sweet?Ha!”
“Look, my party is a good way to chat to him outside of the office—a nice relaxed, informal setting where you won’t need to squabble over who’s in charge of what,” she says, leaning against the sinks. “If you gave him a chance, you might like him.”
“I doubt it.”
She hesitates. “You know he talks to you more than he talks to anyone else in the office.”
“That’s because he argues with me all the time.”
“True,” she acknowledges, “but he also seems different around you. When you’re in the conversation, he’s less reserved. You bring him out of his shell.”
“Mimi, what are you talking about? Him disagreeing with everything I say is not coming out of his shell!”
“I’m just saying that around everyone else he has a bit of a wall up, but he seems a lot more at ease around you. Like he forgets to be in his own head all the time. Sometimes I catch him looking at you. And, I don’t know, there’s something about the way he…”
“What?” I feel my cheeks growing hot as she scrutinizes my reaction. “Mimi, please do not make up ridiculous scenarios in your head. Ryan and I have nothing in common, and the only reason he may seem to talk to me more is because we both cover features in the magazine.”
“If you say so,” she sighs. “Just promise me you’ll play nice at my party. I’m the birthday girl, so you can’t say no.”
I roll my eyes. “Fine.”
“Thank you, and don’t worry,” she says with a grin, “I’ll make sure you’re on opposite teams.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
The sun is shining on the day of Mimi’s birthday party.
It’s an easy walk from my flat to the park, so I have all morning to get ready, which I’m grateful for because I have no idea what to wear.
And it’s not becauseRyan’sgoing.
Okay, fine. It’s because Ryan’s going.
It’s not that I want to look nice forhim.It’s more that I need to feel confident, and it’s also very important I look like a winner. Because there is no way in hell that I am letting Ryan Jansson’s team beat mine. I wouldn’t be able to stand that stupid little smile of his that he saves for when he gets one up on me.
The other day in the office, the art team put up two potential cover designs on the wall and asked for our thoughts because Cosmo couldn’t decide which was more striking.
“The orange,” I said instantly, tapping the printout with my finger. “It’s bold and eye-catching. Plus, it looks really good with the white and pink cover lines.”
“The blue,” Ryan countered, stroking his chin and nodding to the other one. “It’s softer, warmer. More inviting.”
I glared at him.
“Mimi, what do you think?” I asked, lifting my chin as she examined the two.
“I think—” she paused, her eyes darting between the two covers and then anxiously between me and Ryan “—the blue. It works better. Sorry,” she added for my benefit.
The smug smile on Ryan’s face.
It made my blood boil.
I swear he looked so pleased with himself for the rest of the day. At one point he startedhumming.
“I’m not allowed to hum?” he questioned when I told him off.
“People are trying to concentrate,” I snapped back.
