Chapter 21
1063 Words
After that meeting, they returned to the office. Lucy still couldn’t shake the frown from her face, though it had softened into a thoughtful pout. Drake kept stealing glances at her, his jaw tight, a subtle tension in his shoulders. One thing Lucy disliked was that he was always teasing her, but at least it was better than seeing him scowl like a perpetually spoiled child.
As soon as they arrived, a man approached them, breaking the brief silence.
“Hi, Lucy!” Daryl’s voice was cheerful, and his grin was wide enough to light up the entire office. His dark eyes sparkled, brimming with something that bordered on mischief or admiration.
Lucy returned a polite smile. “Hi, Daryl.”
Drake’s frown deepened. He didn’t like being in the shadows while someone else freely flattered her.
“Do you have plans later? If you don’t mind, I’d like to invite you out,” Daryl said, still smiling.
“Oh, I don’t have anything, Daryl. But what’s this invite for?” Lucy asked, curious.
He shrugged, casual yet confident. “I just want to get to know you better. Honestly, I like you.”
Lucy blinked, momentarily taken aback. They barely knew each other, and here he was, confessing so directly. She raised an eyebrow, inspecting him. Tall, dark-skinned, and elegant, he was definitely handsome and her type, but still overshadowed by the man sitting beside her.
“Hmm, sure. As long as you feed me,” she said playfully.
Daryl’s face lit up, ready to respond. But before he could, Drake stepped forward, voice sharp and unyielding.
“You’re not going with him. I have something for you to handle later, and if you don’t do it immediately, you’re fired.”
He passed by without another word, leaving Lucy gaping and Daryl blinking in disbelief.
“What did he say?” Lucy muttered, still trying to process the sudden intrusion.
“He said he has something for you to do. Too bad. Maybe next time. What do you think?” Daryl asked, a frown forming as his earlier enthusiasm faltered.
Lucy nodded slowly, though confusion lingered. “Ah, okay. I’ll go ahead then, Daryl. See you when I see you.”
Without another word, she followed Drake into his office, curiosity prickling at the back of her mind. Drake flopped onto the couch dramatically, stretching out across it as if exhaustion alone justified his rebellion.
“I thought I had nothing to do after work. Why tell Daryl that? Such a waste, all that free food,” she complained, crossing her arms.
Drake gave her a sharp look. “Now you do. I have something for you to handle. Didn’t I say when it’s work time, you focus? I don’t want you occupied with anything else.”
Lucy tilted her head, lips curling into a teasing smirk.
“I think I know why. Jealous, huh? See, I told you—you secretly desire me too. You’re my lab boss, yet so subtle,” she teased.
“The heck? Why would I? For your information, I’m not into you, and I’m not jealous. You must’ve eaten too much earlier; it’s affecting your mind, making you imagine nonsense,” he replied, shaking his head, though his eyes betrayed a flicker of discomfort.
“Ha, denying it now. Why so defensive? It’s okay to be jealous, Drakey,” she said, stepping closer.
“I said I’m not jealous,” he insisted, though his voice had a sharper edge now.
“You are. Actions speak louder than words,” she countered, leaning against the couch with a sly grin.
“Tsk, whatever. Get out before I fire you,” he barked, but she didn’t budge.
“Admit you’re jealous first. Promise, it’s fine with me,” she pressed, her eyes sparkling with playful mischief.
“Shut up and leave, or else.”
“Or else what? You’ll strangle me?”
“Or else you’ll never step foot in my office again,” he threatened, his tone low and serious.
Lucy rolled her eyes, laughing. “Ah, in denial now, huh? Fine, I’ll go. I know you’re jealous.” She gave him one last teasing glance before turning to leave. Drake grabbed a nearby pillow and tossed it at her, but she dodged expertly, laughing all the way out the door.
Drake’s frown deepened, his gaze following her retreating form. He was irritated, not truly jealous, he told himself, but the scene with Daryl and Lucy had unsettled him. He hated seeing flirtation so openly displayed, especially in his office during work hours. His mind shouldn’t care, yet it did.
He walked to his desk, poured himself a drink, and stared at the amber liquid. It burned his throat, but that was the least of it. What burned worse was the fluttering in his chest, the tension he couldn’t ignore.
Why am I feeling like this? he thought, irritation flaring. This isn’t me.
He leaned back, closing his eyes for a moment. Lucy’s laughter echoed faintly in his mind, teasing, confident, impossible to ignore. The ease with which she charmed everyone, even him, was maddening. And Daryl? That man wasn’t threatening, yet Drake felt a sting of something unfamiliar.
Minutes later, he found himself staring at the office door where Lucy had exited. Her energy lingered like a spark in the room, playful, teasing, impossible to cage. And for the first time, Drake realized how much he hated feeling unsettled.
He poured another drink, his hand shaking slightly despite his best effort to appear calm. He hated his own reaction. He hated how he could feel vulnerable around her, how he couldn’t dismiss her so easily, how he even wanted her attention in ways he refused to name.
A part of him wanted to scream at her for making him feel this way. Another part wanted to laugh at himself for even thinking that.
The office remained quiet, yet everything felt charged. The shadows cast by the desk lamp stretched long across the floor, and for a moment, Drake couldn’t tell if the tension was from work, Lucy, or the strange emotions he had no words for.
He sipped his drink again, his eyes returning to the door. Something told him this was only the beginning.
And deep down, he knew he wasn’t going to stop watching.
- Writer
