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“Maybe not,” he said, straightening to his full height. “But it’s a lot more fun when it is.”
“Then maybe I should just take those cookies off your hands because I don’t think cookies and exercise go together very well.”
When Janessa took a step toward his desk and the container of cookies, Jay said, “Touch them and die.”
She narrowed her gaze at him, as if trying to decide if it was worth trying to snag them. Jay crossed his arms. “If you ask nicely, I might share.”
“You’re my big brother,” Janessa said, as if he’d forgotten. “You should justgiveme a cookie or four.”
“Nope. Since when have we not fought over stuff?”
“Well, I keep hoping that you’ll grow up and stop fighting with me.”
Jay gave a huff of laughter and waved his hand at the door. “Go do your job.”
With a shake of her head and a disappointed look on her face—which Jay knew for a fact was fake—she left his office. Mindful of his open door, Jay returned to his seat and tried to focus on his work.
It wasn’t hard to do. He’d learned how to fake being fine, even when he was falling apart inside.Everything’s fine.Flash a smile.How’reyoudoing?
Lie and deflect.
And really, when compared with many people in the world, he was fine. He had a wonderful life. A nice apartment. A stable, well-paying job. A family that loved him.
Everything wasgreat!
Well, except for the email he’d been dealing with when Misha had showed up with her mom’s cookies. Even though he knew he shouldn’t, Jay decided that another cookie might help him craft a polite reply to the persistent salesman who didn’t seem to want to take no for an answer regarding switching back to them from their current supplier for their medical products. Maybe if they’d lower their prices further, he might consider the request.
Jay grabbed another cookie and ate half of it in one bite. The treat and the email helped pull his focus back to where it needed to be, so he was able to work steadily until lunchtime. At noon, he got up and went to the breakroom, where he pulled out the salad he’d prepared earlier that morning.
“Salad again?” Janessa said as she sat down with her lunch. “It’s sickening how healthy you are sometimes.”
“I like salad.” Jay began to combine the ingredients, ending with the salad dressing. “And it’s not like it’s two pieces of lettuce and no dressing.”
Misha joined them, followed by Aria and Gareth. Sometimes he left the clinic for lunch, but lately he’d been trying to eat healthier. Now that basketball season was over and he wasn’t getting as much exercise, he needed to be more mindful of what he ate.
“My mom won’t make me a salad for lunch,” Misha said. “She insists that I need a solid lunch, so I have the energy to make it through my long and physically demanding days.”
“What does she think you do here?” Janessa asked with a laugh.
“I’m not sure,” Misha said. “But I don’t think it would matter if I told her I sat at a desk all day. She’d still insist that I needed a solid meal.”
Aria gestured to the container in front of her. “So, what did you bring?”
Misha pulled off the lid and peered inside. “This is leftover stir-fry and rice from the other night. Loved it then, and will probably love it now.”
“I think your mom should pack lunches for all of us,” Janessa said. “I’ve got a sandwich and some chips.”
“Me, too,” Aria added, then leaned against Gareth. “What do you have, love?”
“Well, I had some leftover pizza in my freezer, so I brought that.”
Jaylen shook his head. “You’re all gonna want a nap after you eat.”
“Your salad won’t make you want a nap?” Janessa asked as she opened her bag of chips.
“Nope. It’s full of protein and complex carbs.”
“One thing you’ll learn about Jay, Misha, is that he’s obsessed with healthy living,” Janessa said. “Obsessed!”
