Page 9 of Thorns That Bloom
Whose name I don’t even know.
A man who didn’t even look back at me.
I get into the elevator and press the button. The silenceand stillness make my mind even louder. I frown at my reflection.This is just weird. You…are weird. But I have no choice now but to go there. I promised I would sort this out for Madison.
Technically, I’m not stepping over any line. I’m doing nothing but my job.
Maybe this is just some strange biological thing—some wires getting crossed inside my brain. I’ve heard of people being actually, physically allergic to someone else’s pheromones. Sneezing, swelling, all that. This could be like that, only…the other way around. Or maybe I’m just horny and my rut has come far too early. In which case, I need to set my mind straight, because this isn’t right.
I sigh, shaking my head.Get it together.
When the elevator finally opens with a ding, I run my hand through my puffy hair and walk out confidently. A young woman, probably some sort of secretary, appears in front of me and pauses sharply, waiting to get in.
With a polite smile, I step aside for her while she smiles back and lowers her head. A faint scent of mandarins trails behind her as she does.
I head toward the Engineering, which should be straight ahead. As I sober up to reason a little, I realize that I’ve been here far too few times to really know who to talk about this to.
My dad's voice rings in my ears:You never think before you act, Theo. I’ve always protested against his slander, knowing how stuck in my head I can get. I guess that today, he’s right.
The atmosphere is markedly different compared to downstairs. The carpets are perfectly clean, the walls don’t have scuffs or grazes on them, and instead of metal and dust, the airsmells of some basic, inoffensive scent like ‘office bliss’ or ‘fresh clouds’ or something like that.
I wander for a while, following the sound of clicking keyboards and the low hum of talking. My legs freeze, and my heart gallops when I catch that scent again. Blackcurrant and sage. Weak and gentle, but undeniable.
Like some bloodhound, I shoot my head to the side, sniffing the air. Looking around, I spot a smaller room away from the main office area, with its door propped wide open.
Hesitantly, I follow the scent that makes me feel all mushy and absent-minded until my boots reach the door frame. I finally pause, clutching the tablet in my hand. The quiet clicking of the keyboard coming from inside ceases almost immediately.
By the time I notice the man sitting behind a monitor in the dim light, his eyes have already found me.
My heart hiccups. With a surge of nervousness rushing through my body, I shoot my hand up with a wave and smile. “Hey, I… I’m from the manufacturing floor. Theo. I’ve got some errors that I need to discuss with someone from Engineering so that we can continue with our work,” I say, maybe a little too quickly and excitedly.
Even when I step into the room, his dark eyes are too far away to see properly what color they are, no matter the way they widen. He glances down and then up at me again before breaking our gaze.
He starts to speak, but his words get caught in his throat at first, I think. “I don’t deal with that stuff,” he finally says, sinking behind the monitor instantly.
It’s a bit of a blow to my little dreamy reality, but I keep mysmile.
I shift on my feet and swallow hard. What am I even doing here? Trying to find out his name? Trying to get closer? Why? For what nonsensical reason?
He’s probably taken. I mean, he’s pregnant, for god’s sake. And I’m here making a fool of myself.
“Oh,” I say, realizing I haven’t responded in a timely manner. He keeps clicking on his computer, face hidden by the monitor, but the movements are slower now. “That’s alright. My…my bad. I also— By the way, I wanted to apologize. I bumped into you in the cafeteria earlier, didn’t I?” Stupidly, I keep going, like I don’t already sound like a mumbling weirdo.
The chair creaks as he moves to glance at me again. His gaze is intense, even all this way, but fleeting.
“It’s fine.”
And just like that, he’s out of my sight, concealed once more.
I feel the electric excitement that shoots through my fingertips moments before it fades. His pheromones fill the room, but something about the scent has changed. It still smells like sage and blackcurrant, but there's a note of bitterness that's growing stronger and more overwhelming by the second. Even the air isheavier, somehow.
Am I making him uncomfortable?
Just as I consider apologizing, I hear steps behind me. I turn sharply to a familiar face that I can’t quite put a name to, poking into the doorway with a curious expression.
“Everything alright here?” the man asks. I’m pretty sure he’s one of the senior engineers.
The mysterious omega doesn’t respond. Letting out aquiet sigh, I finally take the hint and step out of the office, facing him. “Hey. Sorry, I was… Madison needs you to have a look at this and amend—”
