Lost and Found (Growing Pains #1)(63)

“Huh.” His explanation was a little weird, but she kind of got what he meant. “Er. Yeah, I see. I think. Well, I mean, not really, but I can get data on it.”

They talked for a while longer, drank the rest of the bottle, and then got chased to their individual rooms when Abbey came home with some guy. Krista made sure to put in her earplugs when she went to bed. That woman was the loudest in sex history. It was a wonder that she wasn’t embarrassed by it! For that matter, how could the men stand it? She would make  p**n  stars roll their eyes!

In her office the next morning she sipped her coffee and looked over the transcribed ideas. She had been avoiding the break room like the plague ever since she walked in and all conversation stopped. It was three women obviously gossiping, and when they didn’t pick up their conversation during her coffee gathering, Krista figured she was the topic du jour.

The other weird thing was that Jacob had left an old coffee pot in her office with a note that said,

We don’t need it anymore. You might use it so you can avoid the Golden Girls. –Jake

She’d sent him an email thanking him profusely, and now only went to the break room to see Tommy, or to get creamer and sugar. Thankfully, the ruse with the boyfriend worked—Jacob hadn’t been bothering her at all. He’d asked her to drinks one other time, but after she’d said she had to check with the other half, he dropped his interest.

Now, in her office, as she sipped her tasty, safe coffee, she tried to pay attention to who was walking around outside the office. She wanted to know who was spying on her…which lasted about as long as it took to hit a snag with Marcus’s rationale, and then she blacked out into the world of numbers and research until she heard a distinct sound. It took her a minute before she stopped and listened, finally realizing that the sound was a knock.

Marcus was standing in the doorway in blue jeans and a navy, form-fitting shirt, laughing at her.

“Geek Girl, you are completely lost in your geek world.”

She sighed and turned her music down, “Was I singing?”

“Yes. Nice voice, actually.” He sat in one of her visitor chairs.

“What’s up?”

“Curiosity brings me.”

“Oh? Well, my favorite flower is the red tulip.”

“Is it? Mine is the sunflower.”

“Hmm, yes. I’m glad we had this chat.”

“Can’t get rid of me that easy, Geek Girl. Did you work out my ideas from yesterday?”

“With help, yes.”

“Who is this magical translator you have?”

“It’s a secret.”

“Why?”

“Because it sounds better than just saying ‘my roommate.’”

“Yes it does. Well, I have some more ideas if you want them.”

“Honestly, no, I don’t. I will write them down, but I need a break from your art ridiculousness for a while. I’m still working on your last set of rabble.”

“Do you think they are doable? That’s what you said, right? You were working out a way to do them?” The hope in Marcus’s voice rang through his words.

“Oh no—don’t go putting words in my mouth. No way. I said I could get information on them. Some of the information is less than strategic, but I am getting everything I can from everywhere I can. It will be up to Sean whether they are doable or not.”

“Ah yes, the young stud. Ball breaker, that one. Like a dog on a bone.”

That was odd—she hadn’t heard a peep. She wondered if they just put her up into a floor with empty offices to die.

But then, she had incredible focus and a great work ethic. Marcus on the other hand…

“I am still on step two,” Krista continued, “which is you. And if you don’t stop giving me gibberish to unravel then hunt down, I’ll never get to step three.”

“How many steps do you have?”

“Six, I think, but I didn’t read past three. That is about when the aneurism kicked in.”

Marcus laughed, his white teeth flashing in his dark, striking face. The guy was good-looking. Almost a Sean. Taller, though, with a thinner frame, and ten times more style. His style was subtle. Refined. He was not over-the-top trendy, but he always fit in, and always looked good. Either he got the ladies or the guys—she still wasn’t sure of his sexual orientation. He wasn’t the subject of constant gossip, or much gossip at all, actually, which was another vote for g*y. The ladies wouldn’t watch his every move if they didn’t have a shot in hell of getting him, or even getting laid.

“Good. I’m glad I’m not the only one,” Marcus said, getting up. “Alright, beautiful, I’ll leave you to your numbers. Don’t be a stranger. The Dark Hub isn’t only there for work!”

“You know, if you fixed that light bulb, it wouldn’t always be so dark.”

“Who said the bulb was broken?” With that, he sauntered off in his lazy lope through the mostly vacant offices.

Krista vaguely wondered why the company had all this space if they weren’t using it. Certainly they could fit her a million different places. Sean, too, when they finally got around to moving him. Maybe they wanted to fill this floor, and they needed this big, elusive account to do it?

Whatever. Not her problem. The rest of these ideas, however, were.