Page 49 of Muddy Messy Love

“Huh.” Her ruby mouth tilts into a smirk as her sunflower scent tangles me in her web. “So there is someone. I knew it.”

With a sigh, I abandon my search efforts and face her. “You’re crazy.”

“Perhaps. But I’m also right.” She plops a hand on her hip and cocks a brow, forcing my eyes to roll, but behind her, Tej enters Mini-Bees, and an invisible weight lifts off my shoulders. He’s here—employed—alive and early. Thank fuck.

He approaches with a spring in his step, a tan satchel slung across his torso, his black Nirvana tee ragged at the collar. “Hey, Aves. Hannah. What’s shakin’?”

“Are you feeling better?” I ask.

“Much. Must have been a twenty-four-hour bug thing.”

Hannah folds her arms. “That just happened to give you a long weekend.Convenient.” She taps her foot against the speckled vinyl floor and narrows her eyes, but humour lingers.

Tej elbows her. “Shush, mamma bear. We aren’t all immune to germs like you are.” He turns to me. “Hey, listen, I had a really great time the other night.”

Hannah’s wide eyes jump to mine, and I shake her off with a scowl before offering Tej an awkward smile. “Me too.”

Tej hangs his satchel on the hook next to mine before tucking his hands in his pockets. “We’re playing the Calantas this Saturday. If you want to come watch again, you’d be welcome.”

Under Hannah’s scrutiny, my cheeks flush. She’s got this all wrong. And despite Cole’s apology—our lunch, the lingering smiles, and newfound rapport—his warning rings in my ears. “Actually, I already have plans. Thanks, though, for offering.”

“No drama,” he says. “Maybe another time.” There’s no disappointment in his voice, and my shoulders loosen. Throwing Hannah a quick wink, he ambles to the costume corner, pretending to be shot by a pint-sized cowboy on the way.

Meeting Hannah’s smirk, I shake my head. “Don’t even. I’m not into Tej, okay? We’re just friends.”

Through a narrowed gaze, she appraises me. “Hmm, I believe you. But there is someone. I can tell.” With a satisfied harrumph, she turns on her heel.

“Hannah, wait.” Spinning back, she raises a brow. “Do you have the company policy manual here?”

She tilts her head. “Yeah, I think so. Why?”

“Can I please see it?”

Her nose scrunches. “If you really want to. You know no one ever reads it though, right?” That’s not how Cole portrayed it yesterday, but I shrug. “Company rules are comedy in this place,” she says.

“How do you mean?”

“Put it this way”—lowering her voice, she strolls back to me—“have you ever seenTheBold and the Beautiful?”

“I have.” Liam Spencer forever, thank you very much.

“Well, there’s more scandal here than at Forrester International, and no policy would ever stop it. Lawyers have quite the appetite, if you know what I mean. Just don’t tell the boss.”

I do know what she means. They’re fucking like Jen’s late rabbits.Fraternising. The very thing I was drilled for yesterday.Huh. My nostrils flare. Why is there one set of rules for me and a different one for everyone else?

Why do you think?

Cole’s words from yesterday douse one fire but spark another. One far too indecent for work.

“I’ll dig it up sometime today,” Hannah says, making an oof sound as Ella barrels into her legs. She picks her up and strokes her pigtails, curling them around her finger.

“Thanks,” I say, but my mind is already lost in the land of aventurine eyes.

“Look, cookie,” Hannah says. “Tej is about to sing. Should we go and sit?” Ella squeals and claps her pudgy hands. “C’mon, Aves.” Hannah nudges my shoulder. “Plenty of time to daydream about Boob Boy later.”

I choke on a gasp. “Boob Boy?”

Her gaze flashes to my cleavage, and her smirk grows. “Uh-huh. Apparently so.”

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