The Pentagon Paradox

Chapter Eleven

SCARLET

There's a knock on my door. God, I hope it's not this Matheo again; I could barely get him out a few hours ago.

I get up and open the door ever so slowly, hoping that if it is him, he'll disappear with his impatient ass. "I would appreciate it if you opened the door faster; I need my dose of caffeine." It's Grey, thank god.

"Sorry, I thought you were the insufferable tree trunk." I open the door fully, and Grey stands there leaning on the door. He gives me the hurry your ass up look.

I get my coat and shrug it on, grabbing my phone off my desk. I move the board away from the center of the room on my way out. "Did a tropical cyclone occur here?" he asks from where he's standing.

"No one even comes in here. Let me work in peace." He should know by now that I work on the floor; I like seeing everything in front of me, and a desk just doesn't fit.

"I do." he tries to step in but I put my foot in front of his, stopping him from trespassing. "No, you don't," I say, narrowing my eyes at him. He backs away.

We go down the elevator in silence, because that's just what Grey and I do. Sit in silence, walk in silence, and work in silence. There isn't much to talk about, and even if there is, there are so many people talking to us throughout the day that we'd rather just not speak, but we enjoy each other's company nevertheless.

We sit at our table; yes, it is our designated table; it has been for the last three years, and everyone knows that if they sit at it, there'll be hell to pay. From Grey, of course.

"How's working with the fantasy going?" He asks with a lopsided smirk. I can't smack him in the middle of the cafeteria, but god, I'd love to. "I'd ask you the same thing." He side-eyes me.

Adeline is quite... Adeline. There's no way to describe that woman; she's a milk-fueled detective who stops at nothing to get what she wants.

But Grey most definitely did her dirty in describing her; she's nothing short of breathtakingly beautiful. She's got long golden hair and eyes of prasiolite; she looks like a Roman painting. If I were Grey, I would be drooling at her sight, not calling her rainbow vomit.

Grey was about to respond when his eyes moved to something behind me. As I'm about to turn, that something pulls away the chair to my right and sits down. Matheo. He is everywhere, and if he doesn't start disappearing, I might commit some illegal acts.

"I don't remember buying a ticket for the Ninja-themed Ballerina Premier," I say, my voice dripping with sarcasm but delivering the point nonetheless.

"You are missing out on all the fun," he makes himself comfortable in the tiny chair. Grey frowns, then brushes it off like he figured out he doesn't want to know a second before his face does. "Debatable," I reply.

I hear the elevator door slide open, and I glance its way. Adeline comes out with heaps of papers and files in her hand. She's fumbling with what I've learned to be a scam thermos because it doesn't contain anything other than milk. Still manages to look stylish even when she's a mess.

"Scar. Don't, not again," Grey warns me, but I pay it no mind. This is the perfect payback, and I'll take it.

"Hey Adeline! Come sit with us." I call for her, leaning past Matheo and waving to her. Her eyes catch mine, and she smiles. I smile back, my payback making her way over to our table.

Adeline puts down her papers with a loud thud on the table and fixes her hair behind her ears. I catch Grey looking at her, then quickly diverting his eyes to anything but her, acting like he's watching a non-PG movie with his parents, and the kiss scene is coming up.