Page 84 of A Hard Sell

“I can’t believe he did that. I guess he did care about me…” He shrugged, cheeks warm. “In his own fucked up way.”

Thomas nodded slowly. “Maybe you cared about him a little, too.”

The words settled in Luka’s chest. “I guess I did.”

Luka found it hard to get back to work after that, his thoughts drifting to the conversation Ilona and Morgan would be having. About thirty minutes later, someone cleared their throat from the doorway.

It was Morgan, wearing his coat and carrying a cardboard box. “Hi.”

“Hey.”

There was a pause while they watched each other. Thomas pretended to keep working.

“Thank you for telling the truth, Morgan,” Luka said, gripping his armrests.

Morgan nodded.

“I mean, you were a dick for doing it in the first place, but thank you.”

Morgan snorted, the corner of his mouth twitching up. “Fuck you.”

“Back at you.” They almost smiled at each other.

“Well…” Morgan shifted the box. “Maybe I’ll see you at Exchange or something.”

“Sure, Morgan. Take care.”

“You too.” He turned to leave, then paused in the doorway. “He’s still never going for you, though,” he said, nodding his head at Thomas. “Just saying.” And with a smirk, he was gone.

“Christ…Morgan.” Luka buried his face in his hands. “What was I thinking?”

Thomas gave a low chuckle. “I hope the sex was good, at least.”

“Fuck,” Luka said, half laughing, half moaning. “It was. Still not worth it.” He shook his head. “I don’t even know how I feel right now. I thought Morgan getting fired would make me happy, but…”

“Hmm.” Thomas studied him. “Did I ever tell you about the time I got fired from a calendar factory?”

“You…what?”

“Yeah, all I did was take a day off.”

Luka blinked at him, then put his head in his hands and laughed until he cried.

Chapter Nineteen

Blossom

“Chasing after Thomas like a lovesick puppy, drooling all over him.”

“He is never going to go for you.”

“It’s pathetic. Everyone is laughing at you.”

The voice echoed through Luka’s head the rest of the week. He was busy telling himself to ignore it when Ilona called, summoning him to her office.

Luka hung up the phone and frowned at Thomas. “Do you know what she wants?”

Thomas shook his head, not looking away from his screen. “Nope.”

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