Chapter 08

S aturday night, I have the most vivid sex dream of my life. Turns out my talk with Alexander didn't decrease my ridiculous attraction to him but exacerbated it instead.

There was something about that man apologizing and trying so hard to earn my forgiveness that just did it for me.

After waking, I toss and turn in bed for about an hour before deciding to take Idris out. With my eyes closed, I relive the intense fuckery my subconscious came up with during my sleep. I can still hear his low, enraptured voice saying, "Such a messy girl… Look at how wet you are for me, Andrea." Understandably, I bring myself to orgasm in less than three minutes.

I really have to stop thinking about him when I masturbate, but the relief is too good, even if it's short-lived. And it knocks me right into sleep every single time.

When I wake up again, I can hear Tami in the kitchen. After twenty minutes of doom scrolling on my phone, I kick my covers off and get up. Following the breakfast she cooked, we head out to the farmers' market a few blocks away, which is there every Sunday. The fresh air and sun have an excellent effect on me, and the distraction is much needed.

I might have made peace with my frustrating boss, but I still want to fuck his brains out. And that's not a very healthy mindset.

Once we return home, with our shopping bags full of fresh veggies, fruits, and a rotisserie chicken, Tami settles in the living room to video call some relatives, and I go to my room to work on my project.

My body isn't cooperating, and my mind is constantly drifting. It's particularly hard to focus, with too many thoughts occupying my brain. I had the best sex of my life with my boss. In a dream, yes, but still .

Who even does that?!

After three hours of fastidious and unsatisfying work, I need a new series of tests to move forward. I head out with everything I need and find Tami watching an episode of Friends .

The show is slowly growing on me, but Ross always gets on my nerves. Because of that, I can never watch a whole episode. Living with Tamika, who watches it on a loop, I'm learning that Chandler makes up for Ross's annoying and whiny personality, though.

"Could you give me a hand on my project?" I sign when she looks my way. She nods, pressing pause on the remote. "Great! I need to do your nails before we start, though."

"Yay! Girl time," she signs before rushing to the bathroom.

I only meant nail polish, but she insists on a full manicure. We watch two episodes as we do our hands, and I rather like it. Tami can't read all the closed captions, but she basically knows the episodes by heart and always looks up to see the important bits. Once we're done exterminating cuticles and filing our nails, we choose which nail polish we want. I need vivid colors for my app, so Tami decides on a carrot orange while I opt for the lapis lazuli. Her nails are a nice length and look great, which makes me feel bad about my short ones. I need to stop biting them, but I hate the clicky sound of long nails on a keyboard.

"So, I got the idea for this app from Rafael—my brother—who complained about how hard dating is for people who are deaf or hard of hearing," I explain to her as the second coat dries, making sure I don't damage them as I sign. "The goal is that when you go on a date, you have the app on two phones, and you settle them like this," I continue, sitting on the floor on the other side of the table to face Tami. I brought two phones with me earlier, and I set them down vertically, one facing me, one facing her, on a small support I built for this.

"The camera on mine will analyze the movements of your hands and translate what you're signing into written sentences on my screen as you go. Your phone will listen to what I say, analyze my lips to make sure it isn't taking someone else's words, and then put it into written sentences."

Tami's eyebrows shoot up, impressed. "You did this on your own?"

"I did the programming, yes, but my family helped. I needed a database for the software to analyze ongoing movements and compare them. My mom, dad, abuela, Rafael, and even Kate spent hours in front of a camera, signing hundreds of words five times each, so I could compile them into the data analysis algorithm. Then, it uses an AI system to build the most likely sentence. There's also a whole part I'm still polishing where you can pick a voice uniquely created to fit you, and it speaks what you sign. But I don't need to test that right now."

"Why the nail polish? "

"The server I'm using for the algorithm isn't powerful enough to analyze the complete hand. For now, it mostly tracks the tips of the fingers, and the bright colors help."

Once I'm sure everything's ready, I give her an encouraging nod. "You can go ahead and sign whatever you want," I say without signing this time. She smiles when my words appear on the screen facing her. Enthusiastically, she signs something in return.

American Sign Language isn't like the spoken language, as one might imagine. The hardest part of my project was working out the artificial intelligence in charge of rearranging the sentences. It has to differentiate the words and their roles in the sentence.

ASL structures sentences based on their functions, which are often divided into categories like time, subject, verb, and object. The app then has to put them back in the proper order and add in the small words that are not typically signed, like articles and some conjunctions. Facial expressions also come into play, as they can alter the meaning of a sentence and add nuance.

Tamika literally signs, "T-A-M-I-K-A I am. Happy meet you," which is what the screen writes at first. However, ASL being quite complicated, she could also have signed, "I who? T-A-M-I-K-A. I happy meet you."

The whole thing was a nightmare to work through, but I'm almost done perfecting it. Once she's done signing, the app rearranges the words to translate them into, I'm Tamika. I'm happy to meet you.

A wide smile stretches my lips, and she jumps from the couch to see the results. An incredulous expression appears on her face. "That's awesome!" she signs.

We exchange like this for about an hour, as I write every adjustment I need to make on a notepad. When my brain is about to explode, I suggest a break and review my notes.

"You should show this to Lex or Kev. They'll lose their minds," Tamika signs with enthusiasm.

"It's not quite ready yet. I need more data to compare and form sentences."

"It's impressive, Andy. What do you need to make it work?"

"I've been downloading hours and hours of TV programs with a sign language interpreter in the bottom corner. I need to transcribe the spoken speech into text and then use that to turn the interpreter's gestures into usable data."

"Aren't there other existing databases you can use?"

"A good start would be to have access to the national ASL data, but when I asked for it they refused," I sourly recall.

"What if I knew someone who could hack into it?"

"You do?"

"Last year, my Facebook account was hacked, so I went to the nerds to see if one of them could help me out. Oliver volunteered, and he not only got my account back, but also found the asshole responsible for the hack and filled his computer with viruses."

I let out an incredulous laugh. Oli has some mad moves. I'm touched that he rescued a damsel in distress, but it doesn't surprise me. Oliver is the real MVP.

The rest of the day is spent considering Tamika's suggestion. She's right—my app is precisely the type of work Kelex would love to be a part of.

But for that to be possible, I need to ask for Oli's help. If he can get me that data, then maybe I'll show my app to Alexander. The man who so rudely invades my dreams.

Fun times ahead.

S leeping often helps with the decision-making process. And that's precisely what happens. When I wake up on Monday, I know exactly what I need to do.

Like Tami said, Kelex has the means to carry this project to the finish line with better servers and manpower. That's why the first thing I do when I arrive at work is head to Oli's desk.

"Hello, son of Paul," I greet him.

He turns around, already grinning. "I'm sorry to break it to you, but while my surname is Paulson, my dad's name is actually Jared."

I let out a false, shocked gasp. "Is everything a lie?!"

He chuckles. "It gets worse. My mom's also named Paulson, but she's the son of no one. She's a daughter."

Another gasp, with my hand on my chest this time. "When will it stop?!"

He laughs frankly this time, and I break character to grin with him.

"What can I do for you on this fine morning?" he asks.

With a low voice, I explain, "I need you to… hack into something."

Surprise has his eyebrows raising and his eyes widening. "Say what now?"

"Well, Tamika told me you have a very particular set of skills, skills you have acquired over a very long career. Skills that I really, really need right now. "

The movie quote seems to work on him, and his smile returns as he shakes his head with amusement. "Okay, I guess the secret is out. What do you need from me?"

Making sure the others can't hear, I explain everything to him. It's not a big hack, but I lack the knowledge to do it. I'm too scared of my mom to do anything remotely illegal like this. "I'd do it myself, but I have a Tamagotchi to take care of," I pretend with humor once he's up to speed.

"I have an actual living cat that needs to be fed twice a day."

"Oh, right! I actually saw it on your Facebook profile."

"You stalked my Facebook?"

Shit. I did, yes. To see if he had a girlfriend. He doesn't.

"What's the cat's name?" I ask, not-so-subtly changing the subject.

" Her name is Princess Twilight Sparkle," he answers. I offer him a dubious look, thinking he's messing with me again. "She's my little sister's, who's off to college. I still have two years with Princess Twilight Sparkle."

"I see …"

Silence settles between us, but he's quick to fill it again. "What do I get in exchange for the favor?"

"Well, I don't know. Do you have something in mind?"

He thinks about it for a moment. "I like to eat, and I'm free Friday."

"Then I'll invite you for dinner on Friday evening. I still don't know the good spots in Seattle, so you'll have to help me pick a place."

"I thought I'd invite you, actually," he corrects me.

"But I'm the one thanking you, not the other way around."

"I don't want our first date to be about repaying a debt."

His confidence surprises me, making my cheeks flush as my heartbeat hastens. The white knight in shining armor, the funny, smart, gentle Oli, wants a date with me. Here I am, having wet dreams about our boss, and he's planning our first date.

For once, I'll listen to good sense. Oliver is perfect for me in many ways, and there's no reason things wouldn't work out. We'll go on a date, things will be great, he'll be perfect, and for the first time in my life, I'll end up falling in love with someone.

"Alright, Friday, then," I boldly state. "We'll find another way for me to repay you."

As I turn back to my desk, I see the guys quickly resuming their tasks, proving they were following my exchange with Oliver rather than working. Hmm, maybe we should have been a little more discreet about this .

Only Brian isn't pretending not to care, opening his mouth to say something. "Shut up, Brian," I say with a teasing smile, silencing him before he can speak.

T hanks to Oli's help, I make momentous progress on my app in the following days. By Thursday, I feel confident enough to show it to him during our lunch break. He's more than impressed by what I created, and just like Tami, he insists that I must show it to our boss.

"We tried and failed to do what you did a few years back," Oli explains. "Lex will lose his mind when he sees how well you've done alone. You can be sure he'll never treat you like a newbie again."

The idea of showing my arrogant boss what I'm capable of is tempting. I'm not one to brag or show off, but giving the pretentious genius proof that I'm as good as him, if not maybe better for this project in particular, would definitely feel great.

We've agreed to some kind of truce, and wanting to put him back in his place is wrong, but I can't help it. Weeks later, I'm still not over the fact that he thought I was a fraud on my first day here. Even though he apologized, I'm still pretty confident he's an asshole.

I've been avoiding him like the plague because every time I see him, I'm reminded of those fantasies I conjure whenever I take Idris out. This silent treatment is bad for our boss-employee relationship, but strategically, it makes sense. I can't help but think about his dreamed dick inside me, his voice whispering sensuous things to me, his warm mouth pleasing me… I daydream about it sometimes, absentmindedly staring at him when he's downstairs with us. He caught me doing it once, and the shame that invaded me turned my face crimson. Being constantly reminded that I find my boss attractive is frankly unfair.

"I'll give myself one more evening to work on it," I tell Oli. "Then it should be good enough."

"Trust me, he'll be impressed. You might even get a compliment out of him. Last time three of us were working on it, and we worked for about four months, full time, to not even reach a quarter of what you've accomplished."

Alright, then… My app may be enough as it is. Tomorrow, Alexander Coleman will learn a lesson.

I work late into the evening to polish the app, which isn't optimal. I have my first date with Oli tomorrow, and I'll look like shit for it. But I'm proud of the improvements I made, even though I'm slowly reaching the limits of my means. Hopefully, showing it to Alexander will change that.

The first thing I do when I arrive at work the next day is send a message to our boss using the internal messaging app. My fingers tremble the whole time I type it, my heart drumming against my ribs.

Andrea Walker: Good morning. If you have a moment today, I'd love to show you something I've been working on.

He answers a few minutes later with his usual dryness.

Alexander Coleman: I'll see if I can find the time.

I spend my morning anxiously waiting for a message offering me to come up. The longer it takes to arrive, the more stressed I am about it.

When I'm not thinking about Alexander, I'm obsessing over tonight. I'm excited about my date with Oli, I think? But also a little worried. I haven't had a first date in ages. I hate first dates. The weirdness of them, the awkward tension… Tamika is excited about it, though, glad to see I'm taking the leap. I suspect she may have a little crush on Oli, which is why she's so adamant that I don't miss my shot with him.

And because I had the brilliant idea to tell Kate, my best friend is also invested in this. From what I told her about Oli, she's convinced he's perfect for me. It's already set in her mind: Oli and I will marry, and she'll become our children's godmother.

As much as I want to think of her as a reliable source where relationships are concerned, I can't. Katherine Knox has famously terrible taste in men despite being such a clever and accomplished woman. She's as stunning as a Victoria's Secret model—face and body—and could have anyone she wants, but she keeps choosing self-absorbed idiots who think they're God's gift to humanity.

I eat lunch with Tami and Dakota. Of course, my roommate brings up my date with Oli, so it becomes the topic of discussion.

"Don't have sex with him on the first night. Dry hump him to give him just a taste," Dakota casually suggests, making me choke on my Coke.

I'm most definitely not doing that .

As the afternoon progresses, I accept that Alexander won't find time for me today, and I decide it's okay. It'll give me the weekend to work on it, which will make the app even better when he's ready to see it.

The closer it gets to five-thirty, the more my eyes drift to the corner of my screen to check the time. I'm filled with both apprehension and excitement. I'm not entirely sure I want this date, but I know for certain I need it. For so many reasons, it's the right thing to do.

Literally five minutes before it's time to go, I get a notification from Alexander.

Alexander Coleman: I have a moment now.

Now?! Seriously? Minutes before the weekend? Son of a—

"Everything good?" Oli asks, standing next to me.

With a dramatic sigh, I slump back into my chair, gesturing at the screen. "I swear, I hate this man."

Oli looks at the message and then winces. "Oh…"

"I'll politely tell him to go fuck himself."

"No, you should go see him. It's important."

Showing Lex the app is important, but so is Oliver. "I'll give him the fastest presentation ever and then rush home to get ready," I suggest.

"Don't botch it for me, Andy. If you run late, it's okay. We can have our date another time."

Somehow, Oli being so sweet and understanding doesn't help. On the contrary, it makes me feel like even more of an asshole. "I promise I'll make up for it."

"Yeah, yeah… Go get 'em, tiger," he replies with a wink.

I have all my things with me when I reach our boss's door, in case I can still get home in time. As I raise my hand to knock, I'm reminded that I'm about to spend some time with Alexander. Alone. In his office. I haven't actually interacted with him in a week, and I will be alone with him while everyone else has either left or is in the process of doing so.

What could go wrong with that?

After mustering the entirety of my courage, I give the door three firm knocks.

"Come in, Andrea."

Hearing him say my name brings back the dreaded memory of my vivid sex dream. My skin tingles, the tiny hairs on my arms rising. Look at how wet you are for me, Andrea…

Oh, how I want to punch myself.