midnight rain [f. colapinto]

t h i r t y - s e v e n

The Human Resources office was absolutely frigid. Alice, the uptight middle aged head of the department, kept the office so sterile it was practically a shell. There was nothing about it that provided a sense of comfort, especially considering the topics of meetings held there.

Evita had no idea why she was called to meet with Alice. She had planned to get lunch with Genevieve before showing up for qualifying, but had to cancel when she received the email invite.

Evita sat in her uncomfortable chair, her back rigid, her hands fidgeting as she tried to maintain some semblance of calm. But the moment Franco Colapinto entered the rumor, her irritation flared. He flashed her a grin and took the seat next to her, uncharacteristically quiet.

"Do you know what's going on?" asked Evita.

Perhaps someone on the team had become aware of Evita's distaste for the rookie driver and Alice decided it needed to be fixed. Evita and Franco's relationship didn't need to be fixed. Evita didn't like him, and that was that.

Franco shook his head. "No idea," he said.

Alice walked into the office, taking a seat at her desk, aside from the two Argentinians. She shuffled through some papers, her face unreadable. Evita already knew this was going to be a disaster.

"Thank you both for coming," began Alice, her voice clipped. "You may have heard about the situation with the staff housing renovations."

Evita frowned. She knew the apartment building allotted for most Williams workers was under construction, but she wasn't sure what that had to do with her and Franco, especially considering she wasn't affected by the development.

"Yes," Evita responded tightly. "I've hear there have been some issues."

"Unfortunately yes," said Alice. "Due to unforeseen delays, the building will not be available for the next four weeks, possibly longer.

"We've secured accommodations for most of the staff, but due to limited availability and the unfortunate timing of the renovations, we've had to make some unconventional arrangements. Franco, you'll be staying with Evita during the fall break."

Evita's heart dropped. This could not be happening right now. She tried to keep her expression neutral as her mind raced. She could feel Franco's gaze shift to her, but she couldn't look at him. If she couldn't look at him, how could she be expected to live with him?

"Is that really necessary?" she asked as calmly as she could muster. It took everything in her not to let her frustration slip through.

Alice nodded. "I'm afraid so. There simply aren't any other options available at this time. Eva, your apartment is close to the Grove, and it has the space since Logan has moved out. Franco can stay in the guest room."

Evita flinched when she heard Logan's name, but she nodded stiffly. Her throat was tight, and she was worried she might start crying. She reached into her bag and pulled out her hand sanitizer, hoping the gel on her palms would help her calm down.

"I see," she said softly.

Franco laughed quietly. "Come on, Evita. It'll be fun," he said, his voice dropping to the insufferably flirtatious tone reserved only for her. "You've always wanted more time with me, haven't you?"

"I'm sure we'll manage," Evita told Alice through gritted teeth and clenched fists, still refusing to meet Franco's gaze.

Alice, oblivious to the tension, smiled with relief. "We really appreciate your flexibility. It's only temporary, and we'll make sure everything is covered, additional expenses, disruptions, anything at all."

"I don't mind," added Franco. "It'll be like a little fall getaway. Just you, me, and a whole month of quality time."

Evita finally looked at him, sending him a glare. "Yeah. I can hardly wait," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

Alice, still seemingly unaware of the negative emotions in the room, stood up and began gathering her papers. "Thank you both again for your understanding. If there's anything either of you need, don't hesitate to reach out." However, there was something in her voice that implied that she would rather Evita and Franco do anything but reach out to her.

Evita stood up as well, ready to bolt from the room and hide at her desk while she waited for the day to be done. But Frnaco stayed put for a moment longer, watching her with an infuriatingly amused expression. "Guess I'll be seeing a lot more of you, Evita."

"Great," she muttered.

"If you need help setting up the guest room, I'm more than happy to lend a hand. Or we could share the space, you know?"

Evita spun around to face him. "Not in a million years."

"You'll change your mind. Trust me," laughed Franco.

"Not likely," she huffed.

A whole month. She had to tolerate Franco's obnoxious presence in her home for an entire month. How was she going to make it without losing her mind?