Burnt Coffee Grounds

Chapter 10.

𝓥𝓲𝓬𝓽𝓸𝓻 𝓗𝓪𝓱𝓷

I chuckle at her response to me, she's so adorable. Excuse me. I did not just think that. I slam my phone down on my bathroom counter. I run my hands through my wet hair. Shit man.

What have you gotten yourself into? I quickly change into boxers and some shorts to go to sleep in before I walk out of my bathroom and walk over to my bed and sit down on it. I plug my phone up turning on my alarms on it before I close my bedroom curtains and lay in bed.

I lay on my back looking up at my ceiling, I don't even know her name. I mean I could get Eric to do a background check on her. But I wanna figure out who she is through her, not by invading her privacy. I roll in my bed and snatch my phone up before texting her a quick response.

After I drop my phone back onto the side table I grab a melatonin and take it with a swig of water before laying back down. I close my eyes and wait for a good twenty minutes before it kicks in, after it kicks in I'm toted off into a deep dark slumber that I know won't make me feel refreshed when I wake up.

~Three Weeks Later~

The elevator to the office dings as the doors open for me to walk out. The sight in front of me is quite surprising. My boss is standing in front of the receptionist desk with a coffee in his hand. As soon as I walk out of the elevator his eyes light up, as if he was waiting for me, "Good Morning Mr.Hahn! How are you doing this fine evening?"

His thick Italian accent lines his words which makes a certain someone pop into my head involuntarily. "I'm doing good Mr. Enzo! And you?" He nods his head shoving the cup of coffee, which was apparently for me, into my hands before leading me to his office.

"I'm doing wonders boy!" I nod my head at him, he has always been a very kind man. Well at least very kind to me. "Go ahead and have a seat, I have something I want to talk to you about."

I sit down in one of his leather chairs in front of his desk. "Well the CEO will be visiting this office next Monday." His words make my eyes pop out of my head. "I thought you were the CEO?"

He chuckles and shakes his head. "No, the actual CEO is much scarier than I am. But while they're here I want you to be available for them, so I'll be switching your position from acting scientist to the CEO's assistant." I nod my head.

I'm a little upset it was more of a request than a question because me and Eric have still been working on the Red Velvet case and we have made little to no progress. "Yes sir, thank you for this opportunity." He smiles at me. "You may get back to work, I will give you their arrival time and information sooner to the date."

I walk back down the hall and go down one more floor to my office. I open, close and then lock my offices door before plopping down in my chair. I put my head in my hands. I feel so bad.

My sleep has somehow gotten worse. Eric and I haven't made much progress on Red Velvet and I haven't heard from her in three weeks. I feel like absolute shit. Even working out isn't helping my mood. I take out my phone and suddenly press on her contact. Fuck it.

"Hello?"

"So did going a-wall help you forget about me?"

"Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry I've been so busy. And the guys just went back to Russia. And I'm having to pack all my wor-"

"Hey it's okay, calm down. Are you okay?"

I hear huffing on the other end like she's trying to catch her breath before she answers.

"Yes, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I've just been really buried in work and personal stuff right now."

"It's okay princess, can I do anything to help?

Another long pause.

"I- um. You're a fellow scientist right?"

I'm flabbergasted at her spot on guess.

"How'd you know?"

"The way you talk and your obsessive knowledge about elements gave it away."

"Well then, yes I am, you caught me."

"Will you tell me what you're working on right now like you're in a podcast or ted talk so I can listen to your voice while I pack?"

Her request surprised me and honestly was the last thing I was expecting to come out of her mouth. But her wish is my command.

"Recently I have been working on these traps for the sea, and international client wanted to get them tested just in case they were to get drug down into the sea and eaten by a-"

𝓔𝓵𝓲𝔃𝓪𝓫𝓮𝓽𝓱 𝓔𝓷𝔃𝓸

"-sea creature."

His voice soothes me and has me less franticly packing. I maybe lied to him just a little bit about why I didn't text him back. I just wanted to see if I could forget my feelings for him and just forget about him. I'm too scared where he might lead me to.

I've never been in a relationship before and honestly these romantic feelings have me questioning if he's going to lead me into one. But also at the same time I'm worried that what I'm feeling is one-sided.

The way he talks to me so confidently makes me think that he could be talking to multiple other girls like this too. Man I've orchestrated multiple crimes and murders, and I'm worried about how he could possibly not have the same feelings for me.

But also if we were to get into a relationship, would I tell him who I am, and what I'm apart of? Why is everything so complicated?

"Darling? Are you still listening to me?"

"I'm sorry what did you say?"

"I was talking about how the client and I ended up going for a biodegradable sheet that's complexity okay if it were to get stuck on an animal. Once the line of the sheet is broken it could cause a reaction inside that would make it devolve in minutes."

"That's genius!"
And he's smart... wow. Yep I'm totally head over heels.

"Oh! Thank you, I was thinking about presenting the case to my boss when they come into town next Monday!"

"You definitely should! If I were your boss, I would be totally impressed!"

***
Two chapters out tonight! This one's a little shorter than normal but there's two pov's! Anywho! See y'all next chapter!