I had pictured m

h's headquarters h

r five hours of wor

oudly that I suspected it

se

under my breath, realiz

a

ing I had eaten was a sa

istake as much as it had

a total of four weeks awa

change for the vending

ide on my laptop screen

f-e

eyboard, hesitating o

nu

phone, drawing my at

I unlocked it, and an i

p

ious flat white, topped

e was a triple-chocolate

under th

e: Y

ify the plan or send me

nd the Corner, our favori

ately salivating at the

afe haven on

groan, I

e to, but I'm

jumped on

ure? I saved

back a reply, anothe

nie, but I'll share. Only

de of

tter than the reality o

y evenin

ing on the Open Day stu

photo, BTW.

tell me more than the fac

s it taki

back from Spain. *brid

t why you have to do it

o

hat I should have been

open-doors day that ser

hat I'd have to feed, bab

meant. But complaining

ed emoji* It

don't like Jeff all

said he was a silver

y. And he can look good f

seem to find those p

e. That Ted was a total

thing

*poo

g long enough for me to

I needed to work

e pinge

's husband just showed

wo

me. He brings her flow

oj

ying to work here. Sn

orr

you talk to Aaron, BTW?

ill w

that my stomach had dr

ing I hadn't let

ys had felt like waitin

t expe

Aaron hadn't said anyth

ding nonsense. Neither

er with how busy bot

what you mean. Is he

ie:

heart transplant? I hea

should keep the jokes

We w

wo are too busy staring at

oj

blush rushed

s that supp

know what

ght him up in a pyre li

probably wor

a:

lways go to his office an

re he

What t

in my chair as I stare

rr

ng about? Did you eat t

es you trippy.

flect all

t genuinely concerned abo

*eye ro

end had never direct

saw. She still dropped

nce in

sion," she had

so hard that a little b

o

ulous I thought he

ll those soapy shows sh

of reality. Hell, and I

watching soap operas wit

There wasn't simmering

not glare at him in a wa

couldn't do tha

rk to do, so I'll let you

e pastry counte

'll stop-for now. *h

rt emoji*

acing it facedown on th

zing b

et this s

late brownie popped in

Li

r any food-wasn't goin

elieve that I

d out loud, putting my

ed with all kinds of deli

brownies.

gnoring my visualizati

of Around the Corner.

he welcome sensory atta

ncluded three sorts of c

chine ste

nt rose from my

kicked out all those

the thin cardigan I had

being tuned up to

ith me here," I mutter

some kind of difference

, you need to stay quiet

ka

ffice, as if it had bee

sn't tha

me deep voice came aga

ur pers

head to know who was

d my

ham. You summoned thi

'll pay for thi

h-because, of course,

led my face into a neut

dd? I like to think

ly. Way too quickly. "I

a couple of words. An

ion with

g I found lying around i

But I don't have time to pick apart my quirks rig

need a

ood under the threshol

his arms, one of his

rner?" he queried, st

nored his question an

my desk. Then, I had to

omewhere t

hair, fully facing him

can help

e, on my laptop screen

o

ce, probably looking a

arlier-glaring-only wit

hat didn't even exis

t hand on my desk an

to his round and k

at is he,

se his body was to my

aned back in my chair. "

ld have preferred.

ise sounding as close

a

ry slowly, watching ho

creen. It displayed a dr

for InTech'

oing. But I didn't k

ause he was trying to b

s

, I'm talk

med again, that damn no

masc

ng, I remi

hat had just magically

spoke, "Is that

laptop on my desk. Ri

row

reet." One bulky arm f

g at my

the backrest of my ch

ric of the plain b

g out loud from my scr

Nine a.m. An introducti

tegi

all the way up

... until eleven a.m.

ven a.m. Pre-lunch act

cing how his arm filled

les snuggled into the th

e for ima

. until two p.m. Quit

reak at three p.m." That

he air and

self that I wasn't her

ed beneath his

I thought. Why didn'

nce, looking up at h

nd then something seemed

wed his hand

," he said. Then, he pi

ou have never planned on

ped it in my cactu

with workshops," I mut

tion with a second pen.

ients." Then a third one

ou are

ply, grabbing my favori

ther in the same bright

ng up. "It's not ideal, bu

e pencil. "Th

hand. "It cheers me up."

nd your taste

stead, his hands went f

ropped down somewhere-to my right. "I know my w

em on a corner of my de

r InTech." He followed t

lying upside down some

was my working space. He

work fast; there's not m

eth

whoa

ner out of his hold. "

please leave my stuff

to acco

d again, going around

iching me between the

mine, his eyes roam

watching his profile a

warmth I felt rad

focus; your desk is al

r-of-fact tone. "S

open. "I could focus

re

list Jeff drafted?" His

op, openin

y body growing ... warm

topped touchin

med to scan the document

to feel overwhelme

su

ed, "that's not a lot o

ely easy to get sorted.

that won

my lap, I felt dread

the world I was going to

ut thanks for letting m

d bringing it closer. "No

ack t

wn just as I gl

r a brief moment that

ry uncomfor

e, he moved to my othe

s, which I might have loo

d on his

t I hoped was the last

that's what you are tryi

I mut

ser to my desk as I w

to focus on those infuri

of vision as he leaned

. I needed to stop

early struggling to beh

gone. ASAP. At a normal

s ... right freaking her

n use." Aaron's fingers

he document I guessed he

er, they had me put toge

d be somewhere

licking as I grew more

f, with him. With

F document finally blin

ing maybe being as nice

o go about this. "It's la

y pointed me in the righ

d at the door

watching gracefully ta

ittle bit of everythin

nd group dynamics, and ev

nd. We can go

at wor

is on my own

an h

but you don't have to

in with your red cape l

nks. You might look a lit

in di

I actually needed the

Aaron was the one w

full length. "A nerdy

at supposed to b

snapped

even though he might ha

the man behind Superman

e one who wore a suit, ha

guy working in an office

ud. Not eve

y face for a co

ake it as a compliment,

s bent up just the

k Kent lo

ached for my mouse, cl

in America? That would

. Plus, no one cares ab

nt

out my statement for an

ll care

roceeded to walk behind

desk that belonged to on

bviously left hours ago.

rolled it in

nt of my chest as he p

y fall on it, making it sq

ou doing?"

tion already." He pinne

it look lik

d your help,

ink I'm having a

d. Then scoffed a

d I hated how my name s

eed the help. So, I'm

oth know you

uld never ask Aaron f

ght about me. Personally,

ware of what he thought o

e months ago even if he d

ing from him. As much a

Just like he was.

placed his hands on th

otion, the change in the

my eyes not to uncon

d closed for a second.

betrayed by my own two

d at th

so stubbor

I hadn't asked for his

en he decided

t was probably why I o

didn't speak up during t

en some? Because I didn

bborn to eve

k just slightly; he was

iss

d saying anything. I d

the words had been

gh his otherwise seriou

wanted me

had. Not even Héctor,

at by now? Yes, I was mo

these situations, there

not saying anything ma

cked a side. And more o

sn't always as harmles

ike those Gerald had mad

I knew that. I had experie

e a

ng the memories away.

had asked you to interve

hands when he really didn

idation. "Or if I told

hen?"Aaron studied me in silence,

nder his scrutiny, ma

at I ha

, okay?" I averted my e

ting Aaron, out of all pe

ot a single thing. "I'm s

why." Or that it wou

ning his body toward me

th as I seemed to hold mi

s brewing i

yone to fight your batt

I respect the

to my chest. Something

wasn't comf

like that. Not to anyon

e

l him that it didn't mat

op it, but he held up

never pegged you for s

when faced with a challe

turning away and facing

g to

clamped

I was not scared of thi

just exhausted. It was ha

as this discoura

, Catalina?" His finger

e. "Whining

whining,

t look-al

work," he

him, taking in how h

Perhaps some

we here," I

swore the ghost of a sm

t of a

looked up, as if he we

the help. That's it." He

the whole day to convi

the Aaron I knew. "W

ead

elt more comfortable wi

tuff, like that

scowl, as I was painful

out of my of

u are," he murmured, t

"You kno

to my computer screen,

etween us. Just for the s

th, too, because he wa

az

idiots who would tole

g, I g

me if you are so set on i

rm ball of emotion

lt a lot li

, something unreadable

cratch. Open a

I tried to foc

for a couple of minutes

movement. Quickly after

Right b

ard him say

found something wrappe

t three or fou

ked him, my eyes ju

nswered without looki

You are hun

ove to the snack of

t closely. Homemade. It

ed fruits, and nuts w

gh. "If you ask me if i

I mu

feeling that weird pres

my mouth, bit into it,

in de

he man to my right mut

y and sugary amazingn

was a moan-

ake as he was focused

profile, an odd and unfam

do with my appreciatio

mething else, something

minutes earlier, but now

a s

grat

ing Clark Kent look-al

me homemade snacks, a

v

fugitive words

d I saw him relax for an

e scoffed, "You still

pla

d slipped out. "You do

super speed lik

he looked unimpressed

e the opposit

lled my ey

his screen. "Blank temp

not too mu

ing to be a