19. JAKE

When Patel leaves, I approach him.

"Fake boyfriend. Why does she need one?"

Leo turns in his chair and clasps his hands onto his lap. "Like I'm telling you anything."

"Both of you are so loud. I already know about the dates. It's?—"

"If you say pathetic, I won't stand for it," he warns me, any humor draining from his face. "You might be hot, but I won't let that influence me."

I cross my arms.

He shuts his eyes, muttering something about forearms.

"I'm not here to insult her," I tell him. "I'm only confused about why she needs a fake boyfriend."

"You're confused," says Leo, "because no one cares enough to worry whether you're happily settled down or not."

He thinks he's defending her. He is, but he's revealing information at the same time. Does this mean Tarun Singh isn't connected to what Leo and Patel have been doing with these dates? Maybe family pressure is all she's worried about at the wedding, but then?—

"Why isn't she stressed about the scoreboard?" I ask. "Why doesn't she care that I'm leading?"

"Because Reema has transcended capitalism. Because winning or losing no longer matters to her. Because she's realized being a workaholic isn't all that healthy."

I simply wait him out.

"Right." He sighs. "Actually… I don't know. I've been wondering the same thing. She was stressed earlier this year, but about two months ago, she?—"

He stops himself, as if finally realizing he's talking too much. No point because, with a flash of clarity, I can finish his sentence.

"She stopped obsessively checking the scoreboard," I say. "She's been even more stuck to her computer, but she's not been looking up every ten minutes to see where the numbers are at. She's also yawning more than usual. At least every half hour, I catch her stifling one." I frown. "Her face has lost weight, like she's not eating properly. Not that she ever eats much at her desk, but before she'd go hover by the vending machine and think about it, even though everyone knows if she's getting something, it's always those candy packets. And she's drinking way too much coffee, but not like she's enjoying it. By the end of the day, she's choking on it. I also haven't heard that irritating happy humming noise of hers in a while…"

I notice Leo's mouth has fallen open.

"I sit across from her," I justify, as if that explains everything.

"You'd… make a good fake boyfriend," he says faintly.

Me and Patel?!

"Don't be ridiculous," I tell him.

"Yeah, what am I saying?" he says, studying me closely. "She wouldn't pick you even if you were the last man on Earth."

A basic retort to him should be simple, but irritation scrapes at me. Really? That's what she thinks? Not if I was her only option? Surely, she could suck it up and be with me if there wasn't anybody else left. Especially if the fate of human-kind rested on our shoulders, and we had to do our best to repopulate the earth. I'd suffer through it. More than once or twice.

A slow smile spreads on Leo's face, but before I can shut it down, Mr.Davies calls my name. He's left his office and is heading towards us. Odd.

Mr.Davies is a stout man with dark skin, cropped grey curls, and a trim beard. Despite being heavier, he moves with a hop in his step as if always on the ready for unstable flooring. From afar, he looks hawkish, but close-up the deep smile lines around his mouth put people at ease. He's usually always humming to himself, but today his silence is noticeable.

"Jake, where is Reema?" he asks, coming to a stop in front of me. "I need to talk to both of you."

"Keri brought her cat. Patel is allergic."

"She's never mentioned that."

"Her sneezes aren't hidden. Keri should take the hint. This isn't the first time she's seen Patel run into the bathroom after the cat comes around."

"Right. I'll get HR to speak to Keri, but for now, when you see Reema, tell her I want to see both of you in my office as soon as possible. Consider it a priority."

When he leaves, Leo makes a low whistling noise. "That sounds serious."

It does.

Whatever is going on, Mr.Davies is not impressed.