Page 33 of Keep Your Friends Close and Your… Work Enemy Closer?

He popped a marshmallow into his mouth. "Not a chance."

"You'll have exactly one minute to see how many marshmallows you can suck up with the straw then blow out into the bowl," Mona said. "Whoever has the most when time's up is the winner. Ready?"

Ignoring Jared beside me, I nodded, getting into position, lightly holding the straw between my lips.

"And... go!"

Leaning forward, I sucked my first marshmallow up with my straw, then promptly blew it out into the bowl, doing it again, and again, and again. The noise around me quieted down and the office fell away, even Jared bumping into my side hardly making a dent in my focus.

I had entered the zone. Time stood still. It was me and these marshmallows. Suck. Blow. Suck. Blow.

One after the other after the other. I was the master of these marshmallows, master of this straw, my lips, my breathing, and my mouth all in sync with each other. I already knew I was the champion of this game, and even more so when I sensed Jared struggling beside me. His suck and blow game sucked.

His aim was awful, an occasional marshmallow tumbling down the side of his bowl and into my area. Still in the zone, I sucked up his marshmallow before he could get to it, Jared's elbow jabbing me in the rib.

A phone alarm sounded behind me. "Time's up," Mona said.

I leaned back, triumphant, as I stuck my tongue out at Jared. "You suck," I taunted.

"Yousuck," he said back.

Our bowls were taken away and marshmallows were swiftly counted. "Thirty for Jared," Mona called out. "And... drum roll please..."

Multiple makeshift drum rolls sounded around us.

"Forty-three for Cordelia. Cordelia wins! And now it's a tie!"

A tie was great and all. But having seen the hot sauce bottles, I already knew what was next, and I dreaded it.

"Next challenge is all about the heat," Mona announced. "We're going to have a little hot sauce tasting, and whoever drinks the glass of milk first is the loser. Not just of the challenge but the whole bet."

"Bring it on," Jared boasted.

Great. I already knew this wasn't going to go well. I was okay with a little spice, but not too much.

Marcella poured a small amount of the first sauce onto two spoons, handing them to us. I quickly downed it and the next one, which weren't too bad, barely causing a stir. We both handled them with ease as the crowd cheered us on.

But with the third one, the heat intensified, especially once I had swallowed, the fire lingering in my mouth. Beads of sweat formed on my forehead as I reached for the next spoon.

I glanced at Jared who seemed unfazed. He tossed back the spoonful, his eyes intent on my face. "Starting to feel the heat, Dee?" he asked, his voice annoyingly calm.

Gritting my teeth for the umpteenth time today, I swallowed another spoonful, my tongue ablaze. I was fucking doomed.

Miraculously, I managed the next one, my vision blurring slightly as the room seemed to spin from the intensity of the heat. Taking a deep breath, I tried to cool the burn with air, but all it seemed to do was make it worse.

The fire in my mouth reached an unbearable peak, and I gave in, reaching for the glass of milk, gulping it down, the cool liquid bringing a welcome relief.

"And Jared wins the challenge and the bet!" Mona shouted to everyone's excited cheers.

I didn't take it personally. Jared was well-liked, and who didn't love a little excitement in the office?

All my co-workers, including the traitorous Mona, offered me pats on the back and their condolences as they cleaned up and slowly drifted away, leaving Jared and me alone at our desks, the office returning to its usual quiet.

A little pouty about losing and having to go to this gala with Jared on Friday, I turned my back on him and checked my email once more, hoping for a miracle, hoping for a response from Venus or her team.

But there was nothing.

My computer pinged. "You okay, Dee? You're looking a bit green around the edges."

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