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Twenty Seven

By the time it was Wednesday, Rogue and I have not spoken to each other, and neither had he bothered to text me.

It was what not I had expected. I thought he would continue to bother me and demand to know why I left his house without saying anything to him, but he had left me alone, and I found that I didn't like it. He should have followed me straight back home, should've bombarded me with phone calls and text messages, but his silence was more torturous than his persistence.

I breezed into Robert's office to bring him a proposal that he asked for, looking miserable without trying hard to compose myself.

Robert looked up from his computer and lowered his glasses to his nose. "Having a bad day?" he asked. I couldn't even muster up the energy to plaster on a fake smile. I just passed him the proposal and sighed. "Here, this might cheer you up." He opened his drawer and slid me a bar of chocolate with a wink.

With a small, husky chuckle, I picked it up and thanked him, pocketing it.

"Are you also having boy trouble?" He gave me a look of sympathy, and I cocked my head in confusion, waiting for him to add on, which he did. "It seemed to be a weekly thing in the office. Last week was Brenda, and three days ago, it was Georgia."

"Ah," was all I could say, then shook my head. "And no, it's not boy trouble. I'm just not having a good day." I found the strength to smile. Lying was fine. Lying was good. It would have been embarrassing to admit that I was the third woman at the office to mope over a man.

Robert looked like he didn't believe me. "How about I cheer you up again?"

"More chocolate?"

He laughed, shaking his head. "No, not really." He pressed on his phone, and his assistant's voice came through.

"Yes, Mr. Sinclair?"

"Call Eli into my office now." After his order, he looked back up at me. "Don't worry, I think you will like this."

Not three minutes later, my attention was turned to the knock on the door, and Robert permitted him to enter. Eli waltzed inside the office with a smile plastered on his face. He nodded at me first, then glanced at Robert.

"You called, sir?"

"Yes, Eli. Beth will be escorting you to meet Mr. Black later. You can fill her in on what's going on after you leave here."

"Me?" I asked puzzled. Eli and I shared a look before he nodded and gave me a tight smile that I was sure didn't come from his heart. Everyone in the office knew Eli worked alone and hated being partnered up and have someone shine alongside him.

I had never really spoken to him for more than ten words, but I heard working with him was tough. He was haughty, and he always seemed to think everyone else was wrong except him. When he makes mistakes, he finds a way to blame the other person. In short, Eli was not someone I wanted to spend an hour with, but Robert wanted me to work with him. Could my day get any worse?

"Of course. I'm counting on you two to do a great job."

Eli and I excused ourselves out of the office. I saw him heading in another direction instead of stopping to tell me exactly where we would be going and what we would be doing. Realizing that it was one of his behavior, I gritted my teeth and followed him to his cubicle, where he was already seated.

"Where are we going," I asked him, and I didn't make sure I was asking nicely.

Eli didn't answer me. I watched him scribbled something on a paper and passed it to me without looking at me. I took it because I was curious about what was inside, and not because he was an annoying dick right now. I wondered if the men in my life would ever be less dicks, except for my dad and brother.