Lost and Found (Growing Pains #1)(79)

“Is he into you?” Marcus asked with a twinkle in his eye. His gaze conspiratorially glanced past her head down the hallway.

“Yes. Where the hell is the elevator? He’s asked me for drinks a couple times but I tell him I have a boyfriend.”

“Do you?”

“Kinda. I guess. I don’t know. But for him I do!”

“Really.” Marcus’s body eased back against the elevator door in a lounge, taking in the whole situation. “And why are you unsure if you have a boyfriend, my love? I myself am often unsure, but that’s because I don’t know if my boys are taking things the wrong way.”

100%

“Because—I don’t know. It doesn’t matter. Just—“

The door finally opened with a nail biting slide, taking its merry time. Krista, still pushing at Marcus to get him moving, and Marcus, forgetting what surface he leaned against in excitement to hear her gossip, didn’t adequately prepare for the loss of a solid object. They both rolled along the shiny, metallic surface, falling in a cascade of limbs into the empty air.

Fortunately, someone was there to block their fall.

Unfortunately, he smelled like ocean and musk and delight and sin, all bottled in an aromatic elixir.

Sean stood firm, only taking a small step back as Marcus’s body barreled into him, sliding down his front to the floor, Krista riding him like a sled the whole way.

“What is going on?” Sean asked in utter confusion, his eyes focusing on the mess of papers littering across the floor.

“Krista is trying to turn me straight!” Marcus replied in a laughing wheeze from the floor, unable to properly breathe with a frantic Krista scrambling on top of him. “She even groped me!”

Krista righted herself, hair caught in the drool at the side of her mouth, and faced those piercing green eyes. The papers were in a wadded ball of distortion at her chest.

“It’s just—um…” Krista cleared her throat at Sean’s quirked brow and yanked her top straight, a possible reason for this mess eluding her. Exhaling everything in her lungs, she went with it. “Yes, I was trying to turn Marcus straight. I did, in fact, grope him. He’s got a nice bod.” She turned to Marcus, trying to shift the focus to him, pages crackling as she unconsciously creased another few. “Did it work, Marcus?”

Marcus preened, “Well thank you, honey. It’s nice to be appreciated.” He took up his lounge against the back of the elevator, one long leg crossing over the other. “But no. You don’t know how to use my equip—“

“That’s enough,” Sean raised his hand to stop Marcus. “This conversation is a H.R. nightmare. What is really going on?”

“Wrestling?” Krista asked hopefully.

The doors opened again.

“Fix your top, sweetie,” Marcus said, smoothing his shirt. “Everyone will think we’ve had a three-way. Actually, I’d be willing to try…”

Sean raised his hand again with a pained expression on his face, not in the mood for tomfoolery.

Theresa entered the elevator. Mrs. Morning After had been the reason Krista realized Sean really was a pig. The first instance anyway. It was also the first time Krista had met Jacob. The circle of life was complete.

Theresa surveyed the elevator with a sweep of her eyes, recognizing Sean instantly. Her face fell, then turned red. Then an angry, livid purple.

“Hi, Sean,” she said with a hand on her hip.

Marcus smirked and moved to the corner of the elevator to allow the former lovebirds more room. Krista quickly moved in his direction. Things had just gotten really awkward.

For a wonder, Sean didn’t even look embarrassed. There wasn’t a hint of remorse. He smiled and said, “Hello, Theresa. I haven’t seen you in a while. How’ve you been keeping?”

Some of the purple lessoned, making her face look a blotchy puce.

“Oh, well …” She scanned the rest of the elevator. When she saw Krista she glowered. Renewing the hostile in her voice, she said, “Moved on already, huh?”

Krista looked around in confusion. “I beg your pardon?”

“Hi, Theresa,” Marcus said in a lazy tone. “How’d your mixer go?”

Theresa turned to Marcus as the elevator started moving. “Oh hi!” She was suddenly a ray of sunshine. “I didn’t see you there. It went great! I met this fab guy that has already taken me out to dinner. He’s a gentleman.”

Krista surmised that was a dig at Sean. Based on the fact that Sean was looking toward the front of the elevator pleasantly, waiting for the right floor, it didn’t have much effect.

“Wonderful. Sorry I couldn’t make it, doll,” Marcus said, checking which floor was chiming. “I had a million things to do Friday night.”

“Oh, no problem.” Theresa waved the thought away. “At least you responded. Some people didn’t even bother to do that.”

Another dig at Sean.

The doors opened.

“C’mon gang,” Sean said, stepping out.

They were on his floor. Theresa stepped out as well.

“Okay, bye, Marcus,” Theresa said sweetly. “Bye, Sean.” Not so sweet.

“It was great seeing you, Theresa.” Sean continued to use the same pleasant tone. Theresa got stars in her eyes before she about faced and walked away, trying to throw as much hip into it as she possibly could.