Page 47 of Keep Your Friends Close and Your… Work Enemy Closer?

I spotted a glass sculpture on an end table, and I stared at it, suddenly realizing that I'd seen it before... in the window of an art gallery I passed frequently by my apartment. Instinct told me it was worth an absolute fortune.

Jared's grandma had to be loaded. Or maybe it was his mom.

Glancing around, I saw more pieces of art and other signs of immense wealth, not in your face, but subtle, only recognizable if someone knew what they were looking for or had been part of that world.

And the balance between hominess and grandeur was flawless, another sign that significant money had been spent with a top-of-the-line interior decorator to achieve that effect.

"Well, I'm sure it'll all work out," Nana said, making me realize I'd missed part of the conversation.

Jared set down his empty cup on the table beside him. "Oh, I know it will," he answered, his usual cockiness coming back. "With Dee and I working together, we're unstoppable."

"I, um, yeah," I agreed lamely because, really, what could I say to that? Seeing his grandma's sweet face stopped any snarky or negative thing I was tempted to say. And maybe that wasn't such a bad thing.

"So who wants to watch an unsolved mystery about a human head found in the Grand Canyon?" Jared's grandma asked out of the blue.

"Nana!" Jared scolded lightly. "Some people are creeped out by that kind of stuff."

With bright eyes, she turned to me. "Are you creeped out, dear? Because if you are, you can always just cuddle up with my cute grandson on the couch here." She patted the space between them.

"Nana!" Jared said again. "Could you behave please?"

The smile on my face grew, so much so that I had trouble remembering the last time I'd been this amused.

"I'd love to watch it," I said. "I'm not squeamish at all."

She beamed at me. "Well, good. Let's get started, and Jared can make us popcorn."

A few clicks of the remote later, and I became thoroughly engrossed in the story of an unsolved crime. I'd been telling the truth about not getting squeamish, but I already knew that not figuring out who'd been responsible was going to drive me up the wall.

Jared soon brought us our popcorn, grinning at me before sitting down again. The whole vibe made me feel completely at ease, settling down deep in my chest, soothing something inside me.

And despite the grisly story on screen, a warm drowsiness washed over me, the effects of a full stomach, hot cocoa, and the most comfortable chair I'd ever had the pleasure to sit in. I pushed my body back into it, popping up the footrest, my eyes alternating between the television and the windows, the rain still splattering against them hypnotic, lulling me into the ultimate relaxed state.

For a split second, I closed my eyes, only to rest them for a bit of course.

Next thing I knew, I woke up to near darkness and silence, the TV shut off, the only sound that of the raindrops' gentle patter against the windows, and... wait, what the heck, the soft sound of someone's deep, slow breathing close by.

Turning my head toward the couch, I could make out a huge shape lying there, taking up all the space, a feeling tightening in my chest when I realized it could only be Jared. Maybe I was reading too much into it, but something about it was sweet.

As if sensing I was now awake, he shifted and stretched, clearing his throat and slowly sitting up. My heart started to beat faster at this strangely intimate situation I'd found myself in with my co-worker.

"Hey," he said, his tone a deep timbre.

"Hey. Sorry about that. I guess I fell asleep."

"No worries. I must have fallen asleep too. Despite the racket of your snoring."

All sweetness melted away. "What? I don't snore. Not in the least."

He chuckled. "Nope. Not at all."

I shoved the footrest of my chair down. "I should probably go."

"You're welcome to stay... if you want."

There was a long pause while I considered it... how well I'd slept, how exhausted I was, the effort required to get home.

"You can just crash in my bed," Jared added. "I promise I haven't done anything nefarious in there for a while. It's been at least a week."

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