The 18th Floor

Chapter Fifty Nine

The next few days go by in a blur of trying to get my own work done and trying to train Elias between the four of us. Despite the speed of this week, I feel the strain creeping up on me and woke to a pounding headache.

I feel like Elias is constantly playing a game of musical chairs between us, absorbing all the information like a sponge and he seems like he really has his shit together.

"Abbi showed you how we start projects?", I ask and he nods. "Ok, good, I'm going to show you how we track them and create the analytics that the big, big bosses care about", and he laughs lightly.

I've never had to train anyone before, but it seems like I'm doing ok. I get Elias to load everything up on his own laptop and walk him through it rather than show him, hoping he'll understand it better and he does.

Our hands often clash, as I point to the screen same time he does or they hover nearby, initially shocked by the softness of his hands despite the ink coating them. Conscious of Lucien in the room with us, every now and again I feel him looking over and can't help but remember the time when it was him leaning into me when I first started.

"Cyrene?", I hear Elias call back to me, as I realise, I was staring at Lucien who is now staring back between us.

"Sorry, yes?"

He looks between me and Lucien and then repeats himself, "like this?"

"Yep, that's fine."

I sneeze. They both say bless you at the same time.

"So", Elias begins clearing his throat, "will everyone be getting their own office when we move to the floor above?", he asks but more so to Lucien than to me.

"That's the plan", Lucien nods.

"How did you two get in the same office?", Elias asks, my stomach clenching at the question and what he means by that. Lucien's face of equal confusion. "Sorry, just curiosity", he laughs.

I sneeze again.

"Bless you. Cyrene helps on more of my projects and the workflow, made sense for her to be here." Lucien says assessing over Elias after another joint bless you. He's worn a darker grey suit today, making his light features appear even lighter in contrast to Lucien's hard cut jaw and deep black suit.

"Nice. Thank you for showing me all that, I think I need to go speak with Reid now", Elias says as he stands and leaves the room.

As soon as the door closes, Lucien speaks. "Do you think he's a good fit?"

"Do YOU? I thought you liked him?", I ask back.

"I do", he says, his jaw clenched.

"But?"

He breathes out and gets out of his chair to make his way over to my desk to lean against it next to me.

"But I don't like the way he's close to you", he admits.

I laugh, "jealous much?", and Lucien rolls his eyes.

"Can I not be when my girlfriend is the prettiest person to grace the earth", he whispers and I feel like cheeks redden.

"You could hire another girl. Make it fun."

"Oh?", he smirks.

"Or, you can continue to get jealous and love me even more", and in the same breath I finish the

sentence, I grab Lucien's tie and pull him down for our lips to meet.

"Maybe I should get more ties", he says in between the kisses.

"Or maybe", I say giving him one final kiss before we get carried away in the office, "you could get some tattoos."

"Fuck off", he laughs as he stands back up.

"It would suit you."

"I know it would."

"Cocky much?"

"As always", he says with a wink. I sneeze again.

"Bless you, are you ok?" he asks touching my forehead. I swat away his hand.

"Let's do it", I say steering the conversation away.

"What?"

"Let's get matching tattoos."

"Are you being serious love?", Lucien says, face full of concern.

"Why not?", I question back.

"I just didn't peg you for a tattoo person. What would we even get?"

"I didn't think that far ahead", I admit and Lucien shakes his head and laughs.

"Get back to work."

"Yes boss, what do I get as a reward?"

"You'll see at home," he says and I feel my insides get embarrassingly full of butterflies for him.

As the end of the day hits me and Lucien usually find ourselves staying later and later each day to get the work done but we luckily manage to leave at 5:20pm today, my head feeling too heavy on my shoulders. As we wait for the lift to come up, we hear Elias leave his office.

"You know you can leave at 5, you don't need to stay late it's still your first week", Lucien says to him as he approaches.

"Haha I know, I just wanted to get adjusted with a few more things before. Lost track of the time", Elias says as he joins us by the lifts.

"How are you settling in?", Lucien asks.

"Good so far yeah, you all seem great and I feel like there's a lot I can help with. Ready to just get stuck in", he says as we enter the lifts and I see him push for the -2 button before Lucien.

"You drive in?", I ask, nodding to the button he pushed to get to the parking.

"I have a motorcycle", he says and I can't but look at the tattoos on his hand again and he notices. "I know, typical stereotype", he laughs as he holds his inky black hands.

I sneeze again.

"For fuck's sake", I mutter in between the sneezes.

"Are you okay? You seem like you're coming down with something", Elias asks.

"I'm fine", I mutter.

"She's not fine, she's burning up", Lucien says as his hand rests on my forehead again, Elias closely watching the interaction. "Let's get you to a doctor."

"No, home. I'm fine", I protest and meet Lucien's sceptical eyes.

The lift doors ping open as we say bye to Elias and watch him don his leathers for his bike, a midnight black helmet with a print of white bones resting on the seat.

"Careful, you're drooling", Lucien leans down and whispers.

"Oh, shut up Lucien", I say and he chuckles.

We get to the car, with exhaustion heavy on my shoulders.

"Do you need a hand?", I turn to look at Lucien and open my mouth to speak. "Cyrene, don't. I can see the cold brewing on you, all those germs crawling out. I don't want you to be exhausted."

"I said I'm fine Lucien. I'm just tired", I say as I move my body which feels ten times heavy from my chair to the car.

He gives me a look to say he doesn't believe me but doesn't push it anymore as he takes my chair to the back.