Page 50 of Taken By My Grumpy Pakhan

“I’ll think about it and let you know.”

“Why do I get the feeling you’re using that as a polite escape?”

Was I that obvious?

“Not at all,” I replied hurriedly. “I just like to think things through. We’re good friends and I wouldn’t want to jeopardize that.”

His lips curled, but the expression barely touched his eyes. “So friendzone, then?”

“Easy.” I let out a nervous laugh. “I’ve not made any decisions yet.”

Collin folded his arms in front of his body, his very built upper body popping through his shirt with the movement.

He was conventionally attractive in a boy-next-door way with his sandy brown hair and matching brown eyes, but I’ve long figured I preferred my men cut with a darkness that drew me in.

“You know I mostly hang around because of you?”

“What?”

“Rose and Caroline.” He pointed. “I only hang around them more to be close to you.”

I gently set my fork down. “Oh… I didn’t know that.”

He let out a light chuckle. “Of course you wouldn’t. You’re mostly oblivious, deeply absorbed in your work, or complaining nonstop about the boss.”

I chewed at my inner gums to stifle the blush threatening to spread at the last part. Was that all I did? Complain about Kazimir?

“It’s not that. I’m just new and trying to figure out the ropes.”

“I’m not complaining,” he said softly. “It’s one of your most endearing qualities. Oblivious charm.”

The bites couldn’t hold back the blush this time. “Thank you?”

“No need. It works well for you.”

I caught the presence of a hidden message beneath the statement, but the conversation was already weird as it was and I didn’t care to press for an answer.

“Shoot.” I exclaimed at my watch. “We have barely ten minutes left.”

Collin waved down the waiter while I tried to finish off what was left on my plate.

Despite my protest, he paid for both our food, insisting it was merely a token of friendship.

Thankfully, the conversation lightened on the way back and we made it just in time for the start of the meeting.

“We decided every member of the office gets the code installed into their doors as part of the test, that way, we can get both inside and outside feedback.”

“And how do we know these codes won’t spy on us?” Richmond surprised everyone with his bold question.

“Excuse me?”

“It’s still being tested like you said, so how do we know you’re not collecting data?”

I stole a glance at Kazimir, who appeared to be very uninterested in whatever was going on, but I had no doubt he heard everything.

Did Richmond have a death wish?

“He does this all the time,” Collin whispered next to me.