Page 31 of His Sound
“She’s settling in so well,” Shayla continues. “Paul really took her under his wing, and the rest of the staff have nothing but good things to say. They tell me she’s a little awkward, but very sweet and easy to work with, and her designs so far have been better than I ever could have hoped for. Really, she’s got serious talent. How do you know her, again?”
“She’s roommates with Stéphanie, Ace’s girlfriend,” I answer distantly, still watching this ‘Paul’ guy as he slides his hand off Molly’s chair and goes back to his own computer. “I’m going to go say hi.”
Shayla shrugs. “Just don’t distract her too long, okay? Sheismy employee now.”
I stroll over to Molly’s desk. I guess she didn’t get dibs on a real one; hers is made of two cardboard boxes with ‘BATHROOM’ written on their sides in thick black marker.
“Please tell me your desk isn’t the bathroom, too. I know you guys are renovating, but that’s just taking things too far.”
Molly looks up from her laptop and grins so wide her cheeks turn into little arrow signs. She seems to catch herself and quickly tones her reaction down. It’s like watching a thermometer drop several degrees when all you want is for the weather to get hotter.
“You didn’t say hello to me when I came in,” I tell her, when she doesn’t show any signs of making a reply. I put my hands on my hips and pretend to be disappointed.
“I—I didn’t think you noticed me.”
“I didn’t,” I admit, “but Iwouldhave if you’d said hi.”
She lifts her hand up from behind her laptop screen and gives me a dorky little wave. “Hi, JP.”
Fucking adorable, this one. I may have told the guys we’re just friends, and her text to mewaspretty clear, but standing in front of her right now, all I can think about is the way she laid her hand on my chest the last time I saw her.
I give her a dorky wave of my own. “Hello, Molly. Shayla says you’re doing me proud. You like it here?”
She nods a few times. “I love it. Thanks again for getting me the job.”
“Ididn’t get you the job.Yougot you the job. Shayla seems really impressed, and it takes a lot to impress Shayla.”
“You can say that again.”
We both turn to face my man-bun wearing nemesis, Paul.
I may have only known about the guy’s existence for the past two minutes, but I’m already sure he’s my nemesis. Any guy with hair longer than their shoulders is automatically on my shit list, just as a matter of principal.
Paul pushes his too-big-for-his-face glasses up his nose. “Sometimes I think she forgets I exist until I do something wrong. Then she remembers pretty damn quickly. She’s like a human Medusa with that death glare of hers.”
Molly gives a little chuckle, but I don’t laugh. Nobody gets to make fun of Shayla unless they’re doing it because they love her, and I don’t get the feeling this guy is her biggest fan.
“I’m Paul,” he continues. “Nice to finally meet someone in the legendary Sherbrooke Station.”
He makes stupid jazz hands to go along with his sentence. I just dip my chin down in a nod. Paul turns back to Molly.
“I’m due for a break now. I was going to go across the street and grab a coffee. Do you want anything? Or maybe I could wait until you’re done here, and you could come with me?”
Molly fluffs up her hair a little. “Oh thanks, but I’m good. I’ve got at least another two hours left, so I don’t want to keep you waiting.”
“Next time, then.” Paul gets up from his desk—his real desk that isn’t made of boxes. He nods to me as he leaves. “Later, man.”
I watch him as he pushes open the glass door and heads across the street to a little cafe.
Ben ouais, I assure myself.My bun is bigger than his.
I turn back to Molly. “What’s with that guy and”—I make the same razzle dazzle gesture as Paul—“jazz hands?”
She lets out a snort. “I’ve never thought about it, but you’re right. He does that a lot.”
I walk around the desk and settle myself into Paul’s empty chair. “So you’re really liking it here? You can be honest with me now that Paul’s gone.”
“I love it,” she assures me. “I really do. I feel kind of like an imposter; everyone is so...you know,cool, and I’m way younger than most of them, but there’s thisenergyin the room all the time, like we all have the same vibe. We all care about the same things. Usually it’s just me and my computer...”
