I shot Kartine a glare and clenched the sidearm of the chair. “I don't want to talk about it.”

“Good. I wasn't going to ask you.”

I lowered a brow; my lips pulled into a slight grin as I looked Kartine once over. A spark of curiosity lit in her brown eyes. 

“You fucking liar,” I teased.

“I knooooowwww. Tell me everything. I'm desperate. Oh! I also heard gossip.” Kartine winked. “Hot gossip with you and the big boss man. Care to trade?”

“Don't make me laugh.” I averted my gaze and turned my monitor on and the loading bar popped up.

Kartine walked to my side and shrugged. “It's spicy. You might regret not hearing it.”

I massaged the nape of my neck and grunted, “Dammit. I knew people were going to talk.” I tossed my body against the desk and metaphorically turned to mush. “What did the little fuckers say?”

I peeked in Kartine’s direction and a devious smirk stretched across her face.

So much for having gossip to trade to get her to do my fieldwork. We probably had the same story.

Kartine clicked her pen, snapping me out of my thoughts. “You ran out of Grim’s office, all hot and bothered. Now people are saying you tried to seduce him to get out of trouble.”

What? Oh, hell no. NO. What was Grim going to do if he heard this? Would he think I spread it? Would he send me to hell just because of a stupid rumor between us? He was known to have a temper and a low tolerance for incompetent employees.

“All I did as run from his office and get a little winded.” I rubbed my forehead. I was so fucked.

“Sureeeeee.” Kartine wiggled her thick brows and clicked her pen again.

I rolled my eyes. This was bad. I needed to squash this stupid rumor and have Kartine spread what really happened.

“Oh, don't even start with me. You know I don't like mixing work with my sex life.”

“You mean love life.”

“No.” I said through clenched teeth.

Kartine laughed and patted my shoulder. “I'm just saying what everyone's whispering and by the way, how's that work/sex life balance treating you? Reeling in any good ones?”

“Define reeling?”

“Stop with your guys useless chatter and get back to work.” Larissa shouted from across the room.

Kartine and I both grumbled simultaneously.

I pivoted back to facing my screen and before Kartine slipped away, I snatched her wrist. “After work, care to get some drinks? I need to let off some steam.”

“You know, I'm always down.”