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Her voice faded out, and Lucy realized that she apparently had many thoughts about her period.
Oliver sat back on his heels and smoothed his palms against his pants. “Sorry. I... I didn’t know it was like that.”
“Of course you didn’t! Because we never talk about it!” She flailed her arms for emphasis. “Literally half the planet goes through this on a regular basis, and it’s more hush-hush than what goes on in the Pentagon. And I have to say, it’s equally unfair that you assumed that’s what was going on with me this morning. Woman acting strange; must be hormones. Maybe I’m just having a bad day!”
He looked at her like he couldn’t win.
Maybe he couldn’t. And maybe, for once, that was fine.
Someone knocked on the door and pushed it open without waiting for a response. It was the last person on the planet Lucy wanted to see.
“Good morning,” Chase McMillan said with the iciness he reserved only for Lucy.
On a good day, she found him as pleasant as a papercut.
He stood in her doorway, and a question flitted across his face as to why she wasn’t dressed in something the same caliber as his suit and tie. Why her hair didn’t have half the product in it that the sculpted brown wave atop his head did. His confusion gave way to a smug grin as he, like everyone else that morning, interpreted her appearance to mean something was wrong, and in his case, he clearly thought it meant he had pulled ahead in their race for the promotion.
Lucy’s instinct was to dive under her desk and hide, but she would not let him get the best of her, not with what was at stake. She stood from her chair and felt a swell of courage.
“Can I help you, Chase?”
His grin widened. “I was just dropping by to wish you good luck with Lily Chu today.”
“No, you weren’t,” Lucy said, rounding her desk with her hands on her hips. “You were coming by to intimidate me.”
The words slipped out before she even realized they’d been waiting on her tongue. Oliver snorted a laugh, and Chase paled.
“Excuse me?”
Lucy scanned her brain for what to say next because she had no idea where that had come from, and she found she didn’t have to search far. The rest of the truth was right there waiting.
“You didn’t come by to sincerely wish me luck. You came by under the pretense of wishing me luck but really meant to plant a seed of doubt because you think you can get to me. We both know Lily Chu is key to my getting the promotion we both want, and you’re trying to throw me off my game. But guess what? You can’t.” She poked him in the chest for emphasis.
They each took a step back, shocked.
She could not believe she had poked Chase McMillan in the chest.
Chase stared at her, keeping his face smooth and calm, but she saw the confusion in his eyes. The struggle. She’d called him out, and they both knew it. The next move was his.
He went straight for a reminder of why he held sworn-enemy status. The smug grin returned. “Well, I hope you fired your dry cleaner for destroying your clothes and leaving you with only that to wear on such an important day. I’m sure that’s the only explanation for your... appearance.” His eyes traveled from her head to her toes as he drew out the last word.
The urge to smack him made Lucy’s hand twitch.
Oliver intervened before she could. “Aren’t there asses you should be kissing somewhere, Chase?”
Chase shot Oliver a glare and stepped backward out of the door. “Best of luck with Lily, Lucy, and have a great birthday!” he said loudly enough for everyone to hear. It was all for show, and it made Lucy’s skin crawl.
“God, he drives me insane,” she said once he was gone.
“That was pretty great what you said to him though. Calling him out like that,” Oliver said.
A rush of warmth rose up in Lucy’s chest. She smiled. “It was pretty great, wasn’t it?”
“Yep. Especially since you had frosting on your face while you said it.” He used his thumb to swipe her cheek.
Embarrassment consumed her like a flame. She slapped her hands over her mouth and wanted to die.
Oliver laughed. “Relax. It was only completely noticeable. I’m sure he saw it.”
