Ransom Lee actually liked her? Since when?
Kaya couldn't quite compute that. Why would he like her? All she ever did was fight with him and cause him trouble. He had barely known her more than a month.
"Ms. Parker?" Tobin rose from his seat at the desk. "Ms. Parker, are you alright?"
Kaya blinked, suddenly very aware that she had been zoning out. She lifted her head to smile. "Of course."
"Would you like to sit for a moment?"
"No, no. I'm fine." Kaya folded her hands behind her back and walked her way to Tobin's desk. Putting one foot in front of the other centered her, some days. "The CEO said that you had a task for me."
"Ah. Yes. That." Tobin riffled through a stack of papers on his desk. "Ah, here it is. This will need to be couriered to the building we visited yesterday. You can use Mr. Lee's card to pay for it. No rush, just do it when you have time."
"Could I take it myself?" Kaya sort of wanted another look at the inside of the building.
Tobin nodded. "I suppose you could. Let me know when you're going, I'll call ahead for you."
"Thank you." Kaya clutched the parcel to her chest. "I'll let you know. May I go now?"
"You're absolutely certain that you are all right?"
Kaya nodded. Of course she was alright. She just didn't expect what Ransom told her. She didn't know how to handle it. But she would be alright. She would come up with a way to handle it. If her mother had taught her anything, it was that every unique problem had an equally unique solution.
Tobin motioned to the exit. "Then you may go. I'll see you at lunch."
Kaya waved over her shoulder at him to keep up her pretense of "fine".
In actuality, the questions in her head wouldn't stop. Yet... they weren't as panicky as they had been when Zoren asked her out. Perhaps because Kaya and Ransom had never been just friends.
It didn't make sense to Kaya. She should be more comfortable with someone who was her friend. Why did it panic her when Zoren acted like that?
She pondered the question all the way back down to the kitchens.
"Big Sis!" Jacob greeted her upon her entrance.
Kaya looked up to see Jacob, Marcy, and Betty all huddled around one stove.
Marcy waved Kaya over. "Join us!"
"What are you doing?" Kaya ventured their direction, if only out of curiosity.
"Have you ever eaten fried zucchini before?" Jacob held out a fork toward Kaya. "We're making some for lunch. You haven't eaten yet, right? Eat with us."
Kaya hesitantly joined the small group. "Are you sure you want me here?"
"Of course!" Jacob slung an arm around Kaya's shoulders. "Right?"
Marcy nodded.
Betty laughed softly as she flipped a round piece of zucchini in the pan. "I told you, you're part of the family now. Jacob isn't going to let you get out of anything."
Kaya glanced around at the three who so easily took her in. What kind of workplace was this? Were people meant to be this close? To spend time together and get to know one another beyond their jobs? Even in high school, Kaya didn't have many friends.
This camaraderie in the Conditus kitchens... was this what friendship felt like?