Page 22 of The One I Need
Did Oliver send this? No. He couldn’t have. How would he know my exact, and very specific, order?
“Do you want me to call the service and see who sent it?” Jules asks.
I shake my head. “No, it’s okay.”
“Are you sure?”
“It’s fine,” I say, taking a sip of the caffeinated goodness. I should be more annoyed. I mean, I am annoyed. I hate being out of the loop. I hate secrets. I hate feeling like people know things that I don’t know.
Yet, as I sit back and enjoy the hot beverage, I can’t seem to find it in me to have Jules get to the bottom of it. My tired state must be making me lose my edge.
“If you’re sure, I’ll go get everything set up for the social team meeting in a half hour.”
I nod as she exits the room. I read the message over and over again, knowing in my heart of hearts it has to be Oliver. He’s the only one I know who could write a jokethatcorny and it actually makes me laugh.
What’s his deal? What’s his game? I told him we weren’t going to be a good fit. I thought I was clear.
Then again, how can I be mad at anyone who sends me the perfect cup of coffee on a Monday that included a meeting at the asscrack of dawn?
The sound of an email being delivered brings me back to the present, which in turn makes me look at my inbox. It’s overflowing.
Ugh. Fuck Mondays and everything that comes with it.
Except this coffee. It can stay.
* * *
TUESDAY
“Jules!”
I know I could use the intercom, but that would require taking my hands off the keyboard, which I clearly do not have time for today.
“Yeah, boss?”
“Late lunch order,” I say without looking at her. “And get whatever you want. I have a feeling it’s going to be a long day.”
“On it.”
Today has been nonstop, which Jules warned me about. This is the first fifteen minutes I haven’t been on, or in, a meeting today. So in between replying to emails, and doing my actual job, I figured this was as good a time as any to get my midday pick me up and a quick snack. I think I’m hungry. I’m honestly too busy to really know.
“Here we go!”
I look up to see Jules back, carrying my coffee order, and hers.
“How the hell did you get it that fast?” I ask, taking the iced drink from her. Yes. Hot coffee in the morning. Iced coffee in the afternoon. Those are the rules. “Because if that’s your super power then I needed to know about this a long time ago.”
She laughs. “Actually, I was waiting at the elevator to head downstairs, when the same delivery guy from yesterday was waiting for me with these drinks and a bag of sandwiches.”
I narrow my eyes. “Oh really.”
“Yeah,” she says, pretending to be shocked. Now I know something is up. “Weird, right?”
I snatch the bag from her hand and dump the items onto my desk. The first thing I notice is a flower similar to the one yesterday, only a shade darker. Then there’s the food—an assortment of grapes and cheeses and what looks to be a chicken salad sandwich. Which Jules knows is my normal late afternoon meal if I forgot to eat lunch. And of course, there’s a note.
Why did the chicken salad sandwich cross the road? To try to get a date with you.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” I say, throwing back my head.
