Unexpected Office Crush

Chapter 3: Jealous Eyes

Jesca leaned against Kareem's office door, her arms crossed, the sleek lines of her tailored blazer cutting a sharp silhouette against the glass. The late-night meeting had just ended, but her mind wasn't on the pitch deck or the looming investor call. It was Dinna Mac, the quiet programmer, whose soft glances at Kareem had ignited a fire in Jesca she hadn't expected. "She has a thing for you, you know," Jesca said, her voice low, sharp, slicing through the quiet like a warning. Kareem didn't look up from his laptop, his fingers still hovering over the keyboard. Dinnas, our best developer, he said, his tone clipped, deflecting. Let's keep it professional, Jesca. She scoffed, stepping closer, her heels clicking like a metronome on the hardwood floor. I've seen the way she looks at you. And the way you look back. Don't pretend you haven't noticed. Her words were a challenge, daring him to deny the spark she had witnessed that morning. His jaw tensed, fingers pausing. We have bigger problems, like staying afloat. Can we focus on that? His voice was firm, but Jesca's words burrowed under his skin, stirring a flicker of awareness he'd tried to suppress. Dinnas' shy smile, the way her hazel eyes caught the light, lingered in his mind, uninvited. Jescas' lips pressed into a thin line, her composure cracking just enough to reveal the jealousy beneath. Shed had spent years by Kareem's side, building NexaTech from a dormroom dream into a contender. Back at Stanford, she had watched him charm professors and classmates alike, his intensity drawing her in. One late night, over cheap coffee and spreadsheets, she felt something shift the moment when their hands brushed, and she thought he'd felt it too. But he'd never crossed that line, and now Dinna threatened to unravel everything she'd held back. Meanwhile, Dinna had overheard their conversation while grabbing her charger from a nearby desk. Her cheeks burned with humiliation, her heart sinking like a stone. Was she that obvious? The thought twisted in her gut, a knot of shame and fear. She had spent months hiding her feelings, convincing herself they were a foolish fantasy born of late nights and fleeting glances. Now, Jescas's words confirmed her worst fear: she was exposed, vulnerable, a target. The next morning, Dinna buried herself in her work, skipping the daily stand-up meetings and working through lunch. Each line of code was a shield, a way to escape the humiliation of being seen. But her absence didn't go unnoticed. In the break room, a colleague, Max, made a snide comment about her disappearing act, hinting she wasn't pulling her weight. The words stung, especially when Dinna suspected Jesca had planted the seed of tightening control. Late that afternoon, Kareem found her at her desk, her screen filled with lines of Python. "Dinna," he said gently, his voice pulling her from her focus," Did I do something to upset you? She shook her head too quickly, her voice barely above a whisper. No, just tired. Her fingers gripped the edge of her desk, her hazel eyes avoiding his. He studied her, his dark eyes searching, seeing more than she wanted. If I did, tell me. I don't want you to feel uncomfortable here. His concern was genuine, but it only deepened her fears was a glitch in his perfectly controlled world. Jesca passed by, her smirk barely concealed, a silent challenge in her eyes. Dinnas' heart raced, caught between the warmth of Kareem's attention and the cold edge of Jescas' gaze. The office was no longer just a workplace; it was a stage, and every glance, every word, felt like a line in a play she hadn't rehearsed for. She wanted to disappear, to retreat to her quiet apartment and her secret stories, but something in Kareem's eyes held her there: a promise, a risk, a spark she couldn't ignore.