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“I’m kinda busy today, but, uh... rain check?”

I’m not. Not really. I just want to get my schoolwork done, work on my PC, and crash.

“Sure,” KC waves, flashing me a dazzling smile. “See you Monday, Shilo.”

Paige’s eyes widen as I step into her office. “Were you talking to the Café guy?”

“His name is Kansas City.”

She snorts, wrinkling her nose. “Well, I’m glad you made a friend.”

I glance back, about to agree, but KC’s no longer on the bench. He’s over by the elevator, stepping inside while Ryann guides him in with a hand on his lower back.

Something ugly burns in my stomach at the sight.

It sizzles, churning as I catch the look they share before the doors close, and I can’t eat the food Paige offers me. It’ll probably come back up anyway.

I don’t know if KC’s my friend or not, but something tells me he’s more than that to Ryann.

And I don’t like it.

Shilo

Another week nearly passes, and by Thursday, I’m irritated. Peeved. Whatever the word is for more than annoyed but not quite pissed.

I’ve been getting Ryann’s coffee right every day, and he hasn’t said a damn thing. No “Thank you, Shilo,” or “You’re doing great.” Nothing. Just a stiff nod as he goes about business like he hasn’t seen my butthole—which I try really hard not to think about during work hours.

His lack of emotion bothers me.

So this morning, I ordered him an extra-sweet espresso with pumpkin spice, because I know how much he loves sweet things. Which is not at all.

KC laughed when I ordered it. He’s been pestering me to hang out in person, and I’m running out of excuses. We’ve been gaming together online, but since Friday, I can’t shake the weird resentment that flares up every time I see him. The way he acted with Ryann has been on my mind all week.

There’s no startup meeting today since everyone’s losing their heads over that secret project, so I drop Ryann’s coffee off at his desk and turn to leave. He’s so engrossed in work that he doesn’t even acknowledge me, not that I was expecting him to.

It’s not until an hour later that I hear him gag loudly, and a grin spreads across my face.

“Goddammit, Shilo.”

He storms out of his office, hazel eyes blazing as he slams the cup down in front of me. “This is not what I ordered, and you know it.”

“My bad, Boss.” I duck my head to hide my smirk, taking a sip of the coffee. It’s gross—I hate pumpkin—but I keep my eyes on the screen. “We’ll try again tomorrow.”

“No, you’ll try again now.”

I glance up at him briefly, noticing the dark circles under his eyes. He looks like he hasn’t slept. Maybe I’m playing with fire, but after a week of being ignored, I feel bold. Pulling up an email, I start typing away. “I’m very busy.”

“You’re—“ He cuts himself off, pinching the bridge of his nose as he exhales slowly. “I’m not in the mood for this. It’s the easiest coffee order on the planet. Medium grind, black, no sugar. Do I need to write it down for you?”

“No. What you need to do is say please.”

A muscle jumps in his jaw as he stares at me, emotions flickering across his face before he spins around and disappears into his office without another word.

I slump back in my seat, honestly disappointed. I don’t know what I was expecting, but I thought I’d get something out of him. Guess I’ll have to try harder.

The phone rings, and I spend the next few hours busy with work, adding things to Ryann’s schedule that are meant for Declan, canceling his car dealership appointment, and forwarding him spam emails. I get so into sabotaging his day that I don’t notice someone sneaking up on me until it’s too late.

“What are you doing?” KC’s voice makes me jump, and I yelp, fumbling with my keyboard.