My head is a mess and all my thoughts are of Vincent and that woman. I keep replaying what he said over and over: “It’s not like that.” Like what? What did he mean by “like that”? Did that woman think we were dating? Or having a fling? Why would she assume that? Why would Vincent assume that was what she meant?

There’s a queasy feeling in my stomach and my heart hurts. I feel nervous and guilty and just plain sick. 

I’ve been worried that my crush will be bad for Vincent—about his image and the company and our jobs—but… Has this happened before?

Melissa Ward, COO, mentioned HR, and the “face of the company”. 

For the few days I’ve known him I’ve assumed that Vincent is kind and friendly and maybe—maybe—there’s a spark of chemistry between us. 

But what I haven’t assumed, haven’t even considered before now, is that Vincent could be the kind of CEO that sleeps around with his employees. The thought never even crossed my mind before now. But, if he has been flirting and I’m just too dense to pick up on it… 

I don’t know how I’d feel if I was just one in the line of Vincent’s other flings. 

My romantic hopes and dreams of Vincent start to turn gray. For the first time since I’ve met him, my brain sounds quiet and everything feels foggy. I’m in a disparaging daze and barely aware of my surroundings as I step into the janitor’s office.

“Micah! There you are. We were just talking about you.” Sam’s voice makes me jolt and I squeeze the strap of my bag like somehow that will help. All my muscles are rigid as I freeze, letting the door fall closed behind me. A heavy clack echos as it shuts.

I blink up at Sam. She’s sitting in her office chair while Asim is lounging back into the couch cushions. His backpack is next to him, but he moves it when he sees me, like he expects me to sit on the couch beside him. 

I don’t move. I just stare at him, still petrified.

He looks just like when I saw him this morning, wearing casual clothes instead of his uniform. I wonder if his shift just ended. It’s weird that I can make him out a bit clearer now, instead of through all the blood and sweat and panic. 

My heart thuds loudly. 

That’s right. Asim knows about me. That I’m… 

Reality sinks in too fast as I register what Sam was saying. Talking about me? 

My mouth is suddenly dry. 

Asim must see me staring at him because he subtly shakes his head, like he's telling me he kept his promise. I hope that's what he's telling me anyway. 

Oblivious to our secret communication, Sam swivels in her chair, sitting upright out of her shrimp posture. She chimes in again to cheerfully ask, “How are you feeling? How's Mr. Sharpe?”

Her mentioning Vincent is like a punch to my gut. Right now, I really don’t want to think about him. All I can do is try to be nonchalant as I say, “He’s fine. I just saw him on my way in.” I glance at the clock and see it’s past 6. “Ah! Sorry, I didn’t realize I was a bit late. I arrived earlier but I shouldn’t have talked for so long.” I ruffle my hair sheepishly, hoping a few minutes won’t make much of a difference. I can always offer to take a shorter lunch. 

Sam waves a hand at me, dismissing my comment. “Don’t be silly! After the night you had I’m surprised you came in at all!”

I blush a little, muttering, “Well, I didn’t want to call out on my first week of working here.”

“I admire that.” Sam beams at me, glancing to Asim. She’s animated as she says, “Asim and I were just talking about your welcome party. Asim, tell him your idea!”

My blush deepens and I blink at Asim for some kind of backup I’m not sure he can provide. “My what? Welcome party?” I don’t know if I should be excited about this or dreading the attention. 

He clears his throat, gruffly stating, “Well, obviously the staff wants to welcome you onboard. Every month the building shuts down for a budget meeting, so the night and day teams all have the same day off. We get together just for a fun night out to keep up morale and connections. We do karaoke, arcades, bowling, you name it. It’s not mandatory or anything. But I thought, since we’ll all be together anyway,  it would be nice if we turned our little outing into a fun “get to know Micah” sort of thing.”

I grimace, uttering, “That sounds like a lot of pressure. I don’t need anything like that to be focused on me. I’m just happy to be included.”

Sam waves at me again, practically pouting as she says, “It’s not supposed to pressure you or anything, but it’s important to know who you’ll be working with! Sometimes the day team helps out after hours or assignments need to be handed off. It’ll be good for you to meet everyone.” Her eyes sparkle. She’s more excited than me. 

Asim clears his throat as he casually adds, “Besides, it would beat a formal dinner or cake in the staff room.” He stares at me and in that one look I got what he was doing. 

He was saving me. Again. If I were to be placed in a situation where I’d have to eat food, people might figure out I’m a vampire. This way, I won’t have to worry about that. Damn. He’s really nice for such an intimidating guy. 

I give him a genuine, heartfelt smile as I quickly agree, “Okay. Yeah, it sounds fun. Maybe someplace a little quieter. I’m not great with crowds.” I laugh nervously, but there’s a pull in my stomach that makes me uneasy. 

Sam chimes in, saying excitedly, “Do you like board games? There’s a board game cafe downtown that stays open pretty late!”

Asim snaps his fingers, pointing at Sam. “That is an excellent idea.” He looks at me and I see him smile for the first time. “It’s really chill and we can reserve a private room. Everyone just needs to get a drink and then we can play the games for free. There’s a ton to choose from.”

I nod. I’m kinda getting into the idea. Maybe a little excited, though I’m nowhere on Sam’s level. “Yeah okay. Let’s do it.”

“Great!” Sam exclaims. She looks like she’s about to say something else when her phone goes off. She looks down at it huffing. “Sorry, I have to take this. Micah, why don’t you get ready for your shift and clock in. I have some things to show you, so just wait for me here. I’ll be right back! Talk to you later Asim!” 

She waves at Asim as she heads to the door and I step out of her way. It’s only then that I realize I’ve been awkwardly standing there this whole time. 

Asim lifts his hand in acknowledgement. Still lounging on the couch. The moment she leaves the office and let’s the door close, he sits up a little straighter. He’s watching the door, and I can hear a faint “Yello!” from Sam as she answers. Sounds like she’s a few paces away down the hall. 

Asim gets off the couch and makes me jump with how quick he is. He walks over to me and gently grabs my arm, pulling me towards the lockers. I’m a bit startled, but he isn’t rough. He just looks nervous as he keeps glancing over his shoulder, like he’s expecting Sam to return any minute. 

He lets go of my arm, folding both of his across his chest as he leans in and whispers, “Hey, so… Are you really okay?” He’s looking over me and keeps examining my face. I guess he’s surprised it’s not exploding or with blood streaming from my eyes anymore. I can imagine I probably really freaked him out if he’s never seen a vampire exposed to sunlight before. 

“Yeah, I’m fine thanks to you. Listen, you really saved me this morning. I don’t know how I can make it up to you but… Oh!” I remember the cookies. I dig into my bag, grabbing the container as I say, “I made them for everyone but especially for you. I hope you like them! But if not, don’t worry! And I also have your hat!” More rummaging reveals his black baseball cap, which I hand over to him. 

He takes it, looking at the container of cookies as he mutters, “I love cookies, thanks.” He smiles a little, taking it from me as he undoes the lid himself. “Sure I can’t take the whole thing?” he asks, teasing. 

“I can always bring more in some time.” I laugh a little and this time it’s easier, less nervous. His eyes are warm as he meets my gaze and nods. “Alright then.” He takes a cookie and crams it into his mouth whole. 

It surprises me, completely different from Vincent’s careful, sensual bites. 

It makes me chuckle, and then I feel a bit lighter about everything. 

“Can I have another?” he asks.

“Sure. I’m sorry I didn’t bring an extra container or something for you to take a few. I’ll remember for next time.”

“These are insanely good. What did you put in them?” His voice is muffled as he’s still chewing the entire cookie, crumbs at the corners of his mouth. 

“Ah, it’s my mom’s recipe.” I smirk, glad the cookies are a hit. I’ll have to tell Mom, she’ll be thrilled. 

There’s a sinking feeling when I realize she’ll want to know more details about Vincent. Now that she knows he’s the CEO, I’m sure she’ll have more questions. A lot more invasive questions. Ones I really don’t know if I’m up for answering.  

When I blink back to the container I see it’s already half empty. It prompts me into motion and I say, probably too loudly, “Hey! Don’t eat all of them! Save some for Sam!”

Asim holds the container to his chest, like he’s protecting it. “Sam didn’t rescue you this morning!” He’s grinning and we both laugh. I honestly forgot that conversing with people could be so painless. I feel like my guard is down and… that scares me. 

My smile fades and I swallow hard. 

I can’t forget. I’m a vampire and he’s human and I can’t forget. 

Asim seems to take note of my sudden quiet demeanor. He clears his throat and hands me back the cookies. “Sorry,” he mutters. Then he pulls out a folded piece of paper from his pants pocket—like he’s been waiting to give it to me. “Listen, here’s my number. If you need anything or if you’re in trouble again, just let me know. Okay?”

I look at his number. The paper rattles a little in my hand and I realize I’m trembling. 

Quickly, I take out my phone and put in his contact before shoving the paper into my bag. “Thank you. I’ll try not to bother you—”

“It’s no bother, really.” He shoves his hands into his pockets, staring at me before he mutters, “Thank you, too. For trusting me. I imagine that’s not easy.”

My brows furrow. He’s right. “It’s not,” I say, and I hate that. The only reason Asim even knows I’m a vampire is because he recognized me and I was desperate. Even Sam I’m not sure I could tell right now—definitely not Vincent. 

I linger on the idea of Vincent—how he came to my rescue, too. It’s weird. They’re both nice attractive guys… but for some reason, my heart fell for Vincent. Asim might be easier to talk to, but maybe it’s only because I know there’s no risk if he rejects me. It won’t hurt as much. 

I wish I knew why I’m so head-over-heels for the damn CEO, but I kind of know why. It’s not just that he rescued me or that he’s kind or insanely hot—though he’s infuriatingly all of those things. There’s just something about him that feels magnetic. Like I’m drawn to him. 

Maybe he’s secretly a vampire, too, and has used forbidden vampire powers on me. I know that’s not possible—vampires can’t even do that kind of thing—but if he was a vampire, maybe it would be a little easier to be honest with him. A lot easier.

My heart’s pounding just thinking about Vincent. It’s aggravating and annoying… Maybe it’s not even worth it. 

“Hey, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to overstep,” Asim says, bringing me back to reality. 

“Oh! No. Sorry, I was lost in thought.” I’m sheepish again, blushing a little for being so absent minded. 

A wave of bravery comes over me. “Asim, can I ask you a question?”

“Sure. Shoot.”  

I fidget with my bag strap before I ask, “You know Mr. Sharpe? Has he—I don’t know—been… involved with an employee before?” It sounds even worse than I imagined coming out of my mouth. 

“Involved?”

“You know…” I fidget more before I blurt out the word, “Romantically.”

Asim’s eyebrows raise and he gives me a look that holds all his contained surprise. “Whoa, where’d that come from?”

“Ah, that probably came off bluntly! It’s just I sort of ran into him talking to Ms. Ward—”

“Oh god.” All his surprise fades and he grimaces. “Soul Crusher.”

I’m eager as I whisper shout, “Yes! What is that about?!”

He chuckles a little, glancing toward the door again before he leans in. “I don’t like to gossip, but… What exactly did you hear? How much do you know?”