“Oh I know,” he said quickly. “But Friday was a lot.”
“Yeah, let’s talk about Friday.” Elliot squared his shoulders. “What the fuck, Ralf?”
“What about it?” Ralf barked. “We bumped into Claude Melroy, he asked some questions, that’s all.”
“By accident?” Elliot said.
“What exactly are you accusing me of?” Ralf demanded.
Elliot didn’t reply, he just stared at Ralf, jaw clenched. And then I saw it, Ralf’s smirk. It was fleeting, but real. Could Elliot be right? Could the meeting with Melroy have been deliberate? But it didn’t make sense for Ralf to sabotage the funding for RJ’s script; after all, his professional success rode on this project too.
Ralf shook his head. “Classic Elliot with the classic bullshit.”
“Me with the bullshit? Come on. We have enough pressure without your games,” Elliot steamed on. “So whatever you’re up to? Stop.”
“Up to?” Ralf repeated with a laugh. “It’s work, pal, you should try it sometime.”
Elliot’s eyes narrowed, his fists clenching. “The fuck you say?”
“Whoa.” Ralf raised his hands defensively, but Elliot didn’t move. He stared down at Ralf, chest heaving. “Oh, you want to take me on?”
I was no expert, but Elliot being the size he was, I felt confident he could best Ralf in a heartbeat. It wouldn’t be a fair fight. “Elliot,” I urged. “Just leave it.” Elliot and Ralf eyed each other wildly for a few long seconds. I grabbed Elliot’s shirt. “Please.”
His gaze drifted to mine and stayed for a second, unreadable. He took a deep, shuddery breath. “Fine.” Then he stormed off without a backward glance.
“That’s what I thought,” Ralf snarled after him.
“Are you all right?” I asked. “That got kind of scary for a second.”
Ralf looked affronted. “Sure. Elliot may think he’s some tough guy, but you and I know the truth.”
I looked towards the writers’ room, where Elliot was currently squeezing through the stubborn door. When it came to knowing Elliot, I always felt like I was taking two steps forward and one back. “He shouldn’t have spoken to you like that.”
“I can take care of myself,” Ralf said kindly. “And remember, you can bounce any ideas off me. Let me take you through that AI software I mentioned.”
“It’s okay.” I thumbed towards the writers’ room. “I’d better get back to it.”
He stroked my arm. “See you later?”
“Sure.” I backed away. Although I couldn’t deny it was reassuring to have someone looking out for me, when it cameto Ralf, I was in a spin. Was he interested in me romantically or did he just see me as a pawn in whatever ambitious little game he was playing? Honestly, it was exhausting.
Ralf opened his mouth but then his phone rang twice, then stopped. He grinned. “That’s my cue,” he said, heading off. “Back to the grindstone!”
I stormed into the writers’ room, where Elliot was adjusting his chair. “Do you mind telling me what that was about?”
“I do mind.” Elliot straightened. “We have work to do.”
“I know.” I threw RJ’s notes on the table and took my seat. “And we’ll never get through it if you won’t stop picking a fight with Ralf Fisher.”
“I don’t know,” he rumbled. “I think punching Ralf Fisher could give me some kind of relief.”
“You shouldn’t let him wind you up so much.”
“I know, I know.” He slumped down on the desk, sitting next to my laptop and I had to lean back in my chair to look up at him. “You’ve been here for less than two weeks; you’re still learning the lay of the land. Fisher is not the guy to be showing you it.”
“You show me then,” I said.
Our eyes locked and suddenly the air felt thicker, as if it were forcing him and me closer together.No no no, I told myself. Elliot and I worked together. It was one thing for me to secretly appreciate his undeniable appeal, but nothing could ever happen between us, especially after my gross error with Melroy. If Sadie thought I was unprofessional now, she’d have had a field day if she knew the thoughts that were currently rampaging through my brain.
