“Affection Puffs?” he repeated, looking at the tag on one in the Jim & Pam room.
“They’re knockoff LoveSacs from China.”
He laughed and dropped into one. “They just popped out the old thesaurus, didn’t they?”
“Or used a Google Translate. Brooke—she’s our marketing manager—campaigned for us to rebrand them as Compatibility Cushions or Snuggle Sacks, but when the vote was taken, Affection Puffs won.”
“What about Passion Pods?” He wiggled his body around to get it into the perfect position. “I can see these being a comfortable place to?—”
“That’s not really the type of behavior we’re trying to encourage,” I said as the image of Jenna and Grant lip-locked in a Passion Pod flashed across my mind.
The laugh lines around his eyes deepened, like my reaction pleased him. “I was going to say a comfortable place to discuss passion projects.”
I shot him a flat look of skepticism, and the enjoyment in his eyes only grew.
We toured the break room—not without Grant finding Brooke’s Bad Date Recovery Kits in the second drawer of the island—and made our way to the Love Pit again.
Questionable quirks aside, it was hard not to puff up with a little bit of pride over what we’d built at Matchify. I could still remember when the company was just scribbles on paper.
I pointed out the different sections of employees—engineering, design, customer support, et cetera—but was cut off when Grant suddenly turned away and opened a door.
Thedoor. To the cleaning closet.
Cam’s smiling face peered back at us, and Grant grinned at me.
“What’dyoudo to get put in the doghouse?” Grant asked Cam.
“Congratulations on finding the cleaning closet,” I said, my voice slightly clipped.
What kind of visitor opened random doors? I made a mental note never to take Grant to my house.
Not that the situation would ever arise.
“It’s my job to look behind closed doors,” Grant replied, as though he could hear my thoughts. “Especially when someone’s being held against their will.”
“We’re getting into the cardboard cutout issues again,” I said. “Let’s stick with the tour, hm?”
He flashed me a conciliatory look as Brooke came up.
“How’s it going?” she asked.
She must’ve sensed I was losing control of things.
I introduced her to Grant, and he immediately said, “You’re the one I need to take up the magenta versus coral thing with, right?”
Brooke laughed and glanced at me likewhat kind of interviewisthis?
“He needs a bigger t-shirt,” I explained.
Brooke grimaced. “Unfortunately, that was our last one. We’re waiting on a shipment, but it got delayed a few weeks.”
“You don’t have to take the shirt,” I assured Grant.
“No takebacks.” He turned to Brooke. “So, you’re one of the founders?”
“The Founding Five,” Brooke responded brightly. “Katie right there is another.”
Katie, who was sitting ten feet away, glanced over and smiled.
