Drink Me

61. CAN I BORROW A FEELING?

CAN I BORROW A FEELING?

Time had passed painfully slowly at work. When Riley checked the time on his computer, he found it hadn't been six months since he'd sat at his desk but only five hours; another three to go.

He leaned back against his ergonomic chair, staring at the waterfall of numbers on his screen, but all he saw was Alice's peaceful face as she'd fallen asleep in his arms.

The events of the night before had been replaying in his mind on loop as he went through every single detail of that night of passion with Alice.

They say that reality rarely compares to the fantasy but in this case, the reality was even better. It was everything Riley had ever dreamed of and more, and now he knew there was no coming back. The sex had been exceptional and intoxicating, but what had Riley really lose his mind was the fact that Alice, well, Emily had decided to trust him and open her heart, or at least her mind to him. That had been enough to occupy his thoughts for the rest of the night. As he'd stroked her hair to make her fall asleep, as he'd watched her rest peacefully next to him. Riley thought of her smile when she'd left the house before dawn, her eyes promising and encouraging, and he now regretted not asking for more, for a promise maybe.

A new line of red numbers eventually stole him from his erratic daydreaming, announcing an error in his line of code.

Riley leaned forward, studying the sequence as he mindlessly nibbled on his BIC. Then he modified the line and pressed enter, waiting for a response, his thumb rhythmically pressing the top of his pen that chirped with a clicking sound.

After a few seconds, new lines of code started to appear on the screen as a result of his input. The clicking on the pen accelerated with the anticipation of the final outcome until Riley's thumb half missed the top and the BIC jumped out of his hand, ricocheted on the desk and eventually rolled under his desk.

Riley cursed as he instinctively pulled back to avoid the projectile object flying his way and he followed it with his eyes until it came to a final halt near the furthest corner. He reached under the desk stretching his arm to retrieve it and when he riemerged, a yellow envelope was lying on his keyboard.

Riley instinctively lglanced around, but nobody was near his station, all his colleagues immersed in their computer screens. With tentative hands, he opened the folder to reveal a single printed paper signed Agent J. S. Riley scanned the document as a grin formed on his lips.

Ballsy.

He went through the file once more to memorise all the details, then secured it under his keyboard, returning his attention to the screen where a new page of code now stared back, all error messages finally gone.

When the clock struck five, Riley gathered his belongings and stopped by the copy room where he crossed shredded the document before leaving to meet Aidan at the gym.

***

"How was your day?" Aidan asked in an attempt at small talks as the two men placed their coats and bags into the lockers.

"It was great," Riley lied.

I've spent the entire day dreaming about the sex I've had with your fiance, didn't sound like an appropriate comeback.

"Glad to hear it," Aidan nodded, removing his shirt and hanging it neatly next to his jacket. "Any breakthrough?" he asked then, nonchalantly.

The two stopped talking when a man entered the changing room and nodded in polite acknowledgement as he walked past them.