Chapter 10

The blush on Reese's cheeks is adorable.

"No one," she says.

I stare at the other woman with black hair, black clothes, and black lipstick, summoning her name and title from our earlier introduction. Maria, head of mobility. She stares at me with a saucy smile, not even a hint of color on her cheeks.

I won't get anything out of her, so I turn to my only ally in the room. "K-2P, who were the ladies discussing?"

"Maria was trying to get Reese to admit you look better in person than in your CV picture, and they were also trying to determine if you have smoldering eyes."

I chuckle. "Is that all?"

"No, this morning they were discussing how handsome you looked in your picture, but also speculating that to compensate, you probably have a small?—"

With the reflexes of a ninja, Reese launches herself at the droid and flips a switch on his dome, silencing him.

"A small brain," she huffs, clearly rattled.

The droid rebels and wheels backward, emitting a series of angry beeps. With his clawed hands, he flips the switch back on. "You turned off my vocal effector, that's rude."

"Repeating parts of private conversations you overheard is even ruder."

"No one had sworn me to secrecy."

"Don't play dumb now; you don't need to be told when something is private, K-2P."

I clear my throat to stop the human-machine argument. Reese's eyes snag on me again. A defiant flame burns in their amber depths. If that isn't the definition of smoldering, I don't know what is.

I drop the eye-lock and turn to the head of mobility. "Maria, would you mind giving Reese and me a moment alone?"

The brainy goth hops off the desk and, gazing at the floor—to hide an amused smirk, I suspect, more than because she's mortified—scurries past me out the door. She stops only to beckon K-2P to follow. "Come on."

The robot glides after her. "Yeah, I prefer to go where I'm respected and appreciated."

Once they're out, I shut the door behind me and take the seat opposite Reese. I don't talk right away. I let her roast a little. She's been acting all haughty and proper with me so far, but I'm happy to discover her naughtier side extends past office private dances.

Intriguedis the right word.

"Just so we're clear," I say after a while. "I don't have a small… brain."

Reese looks like she's trying to suppress a groan of mortification.

"In fact," I continue. "No one's ever complained about my… brain."

Now she actually groans. "Can we just not?"

I flash her a smirk. "What, discuss my brain?"

Her already-red cheeks veer toward purple now. "It's not appropriate."

"Oh. You can discuss my brain with a colleague, but if I discuss it with you, it's suddenly inappropriate?"

"Listen, I'm aware our introduction earlier has been unconventional. That I basically said hello, meet my boobs." She mimics grabbing the lapels of a jacket and pulling them open. I have to do my best not to let the memory of the very gesture get to my, well, brain."But you've been sort of flirting with me all day, and that makes me uncomfortable."

I give her a serious look. I'm not a jerk; I don't want anyone to be uncomfortable around me. "If that's the case, I apologize. I thought you were flirting back."

She levels me with a hard stare. "I wasn't, and I'd like to keep our interactions from now on strictly professional."

I study her for a second, not sure if she's serious or in denial. "You haven't felt a spark between us?"

She takes a moment too long to reply. "No."

I raise my hands. "My apologies, then. I promise I won't tease you anymore. But if you change your mind, please proposition me any time." I add a wink.

"You're doing it again." She scowls. "Winks are not work-appropriate interactions."

"Sorry, sorry, I'm just not used to—" I stop before I come across like a total moron.

Too late. Reese rolls her eyes. "To women not falling at your feet enraptured with gratitude that you shed your light on them? Sorry, for me, looks or money count for zero." She taps a finger on her temple. "For me, it's all about the brain."

I guffaw at that. "All about the brain, huh?"

She throws her arms in the air, exasperated. "Not that brain. Actual gray matter."

"All right, Campbell." I extend my hand across the desk. "Friends?"

"I'd rather we stuck to colleagues."

I tilt my head. "Friendly colleagues?"

She lets out a huffy puff of air and shakes my hand. "Friendly colleagues it is."

Friendly is good. Definitely an improvement on the mixed signals I've gotten so far.

"I'll get out of your hair." I stand up. "Please don't be too crushed I'm leaving."

She gives me a fake-sweet smile. "I won't." She pointedly goes back to staring at her screen, which is opened on her desktop and not a work file if I'm right.

I make to leave but stop on the threshold. "Oh, and hey, Campbell?"

She glares at me.

"If you're ever in a jam, feel free to pick my brain whenever you like."

Reese glares at me, narrowing her eyes. "Seriously?"

I raise my hands. "Sorry, couldn't resist a last one. I'll be a good boy from now on, I promise." I knock on the frame of her door. "See you tomorrow, Campbell."