Mr. Badass ✔

13 A New admirer

Gemma's POV.

Over the next few days, I stop going to the coffee shop to buy coffee. Instead, it's delivered to me by the shop's staff, the hot young guy with the eyebrow piercing.

From the moment he appears at the entrance of the hall to the short but very visible path leading to my workstation, Jacob holds the coffee cup and stares at me unblinkingly, his gaze as precise and intense as a heat-seeking missile.

He places the coffee down without saying anything and then turns to leave.

However, some colleagues half-jokingly ask, "Gemma, that guy seems to like you?"

I insert the straw into the cup, pretending not to care, and reply, "Really? I didn't notice."

My colleague's response is firm, "Why else would he always be the one delivering your coffee?"

"Actually, we don't really know each other well," I say, feigning modesty as I touch my hair. "Recently, he's been saying he wants to take me out for dinner and has even given me flowers. It's a bit embarrassing."

Others perk up their ears. "Dinner and flowers? He definitely wants to pursue you!"

I press my lips together theatrically, "Impossible. Look at our age difference!"

They try to persuade me, "These days, dating younger men are popular, and you're good-looking. You two actually make a great match."

I wave them off dramatically, "Ugh, he says the same thing, but I just can't accept the idea of dating a younger man... Forget it, I'll just focus on work."

By the end of the day, even the company janitor knows that Jacob is pursuing me.

I grab my bag to head home and see the rumored male lead in the alley. He's wearing a hoodie, his hands in his pockets, with a few unruly strands of hair peeking out from under the hood.

He was idly kicking a small stone on the ground, but when he sees me, he quickly walks over, extending one hand out of his pocket, palm up, right in front of me.

I grip my bag strap, look around, and whisper, "Did anyone see you?"

"No," Jacob replies impatiently, "Give me the money."

I open my bag and pull out some cash. "Continue next week, got it? But can you at least show some emotion when you come to see me? Would it kill you to smile?"

Jacob isn't listening at all. He takes the money with his index and middle fingers, folds it twice, and stuffs it into his pants pocket. "Shut up, old woman."

"Who are you calling old woman?" I swing my bag at him.

But he's faster at turning away, and I only manage to hit the air.

As expected, the rumor reaches Luke's ears as well.

Following Charlotte's advice, I've been trying to avoid seeing Luke these days, mainly to help the rumor spread while also avoiding the risk of my poor acting giving me away.

And we really haven't seen each other much—he's been on a business trip, too.

Even though I followed the plan, I'm still uneasy because if I don't reach out to Luke, he doesn't contact me either.

"Do you think this might backfire?" I worry, "What if he actually believes the rumors, thinks I'm cheating, and dumps me in a fit of anger? What should I do?"

"Gemma Dawson, Show some self-respect, okay? Are all the men in the world dead? If he leaves you, just find another one," Charlotte sighs.

"I like him!" I raise my eyebrows.