AllFreeNovel
Share Us
It’s at that point that Tadhg joins us. ‘What’s up?’
Quinn steps into the kitchen and positions himself so Tadhg can see all of us, then fills him in. ‘Gunnar went on a date with Jocelin this weekend.’
Tadhg’s eyebrow shoots up, and he looks at me. ‘True biz?’
I nod, able to keep up with the ASL only because everyone is signing slower for my benefit, which I appreciate, and that particular idiom is one Tadhg explained to me when I first started working here. ‘We’re going out again this Saturday, and maybe after work one night this week.’ My signing still needs more practice, but I’m able to get my point across. At least right now. I often revert to writing out long explanations of things, or Tom or Quinn will help facilitate communication. But the more I try, the better it gets. Baby steps.
‘That’s nice.’ Tadhg pours himself a coffee. ‘I wonder why he didn’t let us know.’ His facial expression doesn’t look upset or angry, but I can’t help feeling like I’m being grilled by a disapproving parent. Next thing, he’ll be asking me what my intentions are. Why can’t I get away from people who feel the need to parent me?
Quinn nudges him, and Tadhg looks up. ‘Maybe because he’s a big boy and can do whatever he wants with whomever he wants.’ Quinn’s grin is soft, but his eyebrows are raised, encouraging Tadhg to see his point. Thank you, Quinn!
Tadhg sips his coffee and looks at me. ‘So, the date went well?’
I nod. ‘Amazingly well.’
He stares at me for several very long seconds and then nods. ‘Good. I’m glad. Now we should all get to work.’ He turns and walks out of the kitchen, and Tom chuckles. “Twenty bucks says he’s on his way to video chat with Jocelin.”
Quinn shakes his head. “Not taking that bet.” He pulls a mug from the cupboard and makes himself a coffee.
I swallow my mouthful and set my mug on the counter. “Is he upset about my date with Jocelin? I really didn’t think it would be a big deal. Joce said they were friends, but I didn’t know they were that close.”
Quinn slaps me on the shoulder. “Don’t worry. Tadhg is very protective of his friends, but if Jocelin is happy, then Tadhg will be happy.”
Tom snorts. “Yeah, just don’t piss Jocelin off, or you’ll have to deal with an upset Tadhg. Trust me, you don’t want that.”
I groan and rub my eyes. “Yeah, I’m seeing that.” He’s very protective of Quinn and Tom, and I can only assume he’s the same with his other friends. The amount of information they share is almost too much, and I’m learning that it’s typical in Deaf culture, though I’m still getting used to it. “But Jocelin’s completely worth it.”
13
Jocelin
Astridexhalesalongsigh. “Thank god things went well. That could have been awkward if Tadhg had been a jerk about it.”
I gather up the contracts and shuffle them into a neat stack. “I wasn’t really worried. He just wants his friends to be happy. I’m not sure what I’d have done if he’d had a problem with it, though. It wouldn’t have stopped me from seeing Gunnar, but it does make everything that much easier.”
Astrid loops her arm through mine as we walk toward the elevators. “And he’s okay with bringing someone who works for him into the friend group?”
Her question makes me pause. I hadn’t considered that, and I’m not sure Tadhg did either. It’s not something we specifically covered in our chat. “Maybe that’s the reason for the whole grilling. It’s definitely one reason Gunnar and I are taking things slowly. There’s a lot of fallout that can happen if this doesn’t work.”
We stop in front of the elevators, and Astrid squeezes my arm. “Well, I think it’s great. You have my blessing, for what that’s worth. And even if things don’t work out, you’ll always have my friendship, no matter what.” Even though I knew that’s what she’d say, hearing the words eases much of the worry I had about trying for something real with Gunnar. “But I have a good feeling about you two. I think you’ll be fine.”
I press the call button and try not to get too ahead of things. It’s still very early days, and Gunnar and I could find out we aren’t as compatible as we think. “I probably should get back downstairs. I’m in the middle of a large project, and there’s so much to do.”
“Alright. Don’t work too hard. Be sure to take breaks and get up and move.” She knows me too well. “Drink lots of water, too.”
I give her a quick hug, and when the elevator doors open, I walk inside, my mind already on the Alistair project. Unfortunately, I’m not able to dive in when I get back to my desk.
“Jocelin.” Victoria’s tone is more accusation than greeting.
I am not in the mood for this. “Ms. Knobb.”
“Upstairs again? This is why the new imprint should go to Victor. You spend far too much time away from your desk. Shouldn’t you be working on the contract for Alistair?”
I sigh and rub my temple, trying to stave off a headache. “I was dropping off the contract for Gary Atkinson’s latest manuscript. And I’m almost finished with Alistair’s contract. It should be ready for review in a day or two. I’m double-checking everything before I submit it to him.” I try to walk around her to my chair, but she purposely blocks my path.
She crosses her arms and taps her taloned fingers against her bicep. “Make sure you’re focused on the correct things, Jocelin. This contract is important to this company, and if you screw it up, it will have severe consequences. You shouldn’t allow one client to get in the way of the rest of your job.”
White hot anger burns my chest, and I am sorely tempted to tell her exactly what I think of her advice. I am utterly out of patience with her and her nephew. Instead, I take a moment to breathe, ratcheting back the anger because blasting her would only backfire on me. So, I swallow down the words I want to say and shove past her, dropping into my chair, my eyes fixed on my laptop screen in obvious dismissal. “I have never missed a deadline. Nor do I spend an excessive amount of time on Hibernian Press. I spend just therightamount of time on them, and Alistair agrees. They are my biggest client, so they get the majority of my focus. Now, if you will excuse me, I need to concentrate on this contract forAlistair.”
