At least that’s how it felt. That’s why I did my best to work from home most days.
Considering my job, I was able to do that. I kind of liked this office so far, though. Maybe I would work onsite more often. I’d have to see how things worked. For instance, if Benji continued on his path of freaking me out, maybe I’d telecommute. I guess it all depended on my software quality engineer.
For all I knew, they did have it out for every developer out there and enjoyed telling us what was wrong.
What I didn’t like was the fact that the man sounded fucking sexist when he said it. I would like to see and form my own opinions.
“Looks great,” I said and turned to Benji. “Thanks. Seriously. I’ll be back tomorrow to start for real, but I’m thankful that you showed me around today.”
“I’m glad you’re going to be here. Even though it’s only six months, maybe you’ll like it. We always like new blood. It gets kind of annoying after a while when everyone just leaves because they’re afraid of the Shark.”
“Excuse me?” I asked, confused and a little weary.
“Yes, Benji. Excuse me?” a very familiar voice said from behind us. I turned and could have cursed under my breath.
Paris. Of course, it was Paris.
The one person in the area that I knew, who legit acted as if she hated me, though I had no idea why.
Paris, the best friend of the woman who was marrying my brother.
Oh, yes, that Paris.
“Hey, didn’t see you there,” Benji said, his hand on his tie, running his fingers down the length as if he hadn’t just been bad-mouthing someone.
And I knew it had to have been about Paris. It had to be given the way the two were acting.
“No, you wouldn’t with your back to me. If you’re going to talk crap about me and call me names like you love to do, I would make sure that the door isn’t open, and you’re not saying it for everybody to hear.” Paris crossed her arms over her chest and glared at me. “You. You’re the new software engineer? Of course, you are. Because why not have more of the boys’ club here?”
My brows went up to my hairline, and I held up my hands. “Hey, what the hell?”
“Don’t what the hell me. If I ever hear you saying the word Shark around here, I will make sure you don’t last another day. I mean, it’s not like you will anyway. Right? No one else has.”
“Wait. You guys know each other?” Benji asked, his gaze darting between us.
“We’re friends,” I said.
“Uh, no, we aren’t.”
I looked at Paris and raised a single brow this time. “We’ve broken bread together. We hang out because your friend is marrying my brother. I would assume we’re friends.”
“And you would assume wrong. We are forced into each other’s proximity because of people we care about. That doesn’t make us friends.”
“Okay, then,” I said softly. “That’s going to make the upcoming wedding and everything else fucking hard, isn’t it?”
“Don’t curse. This is work.”
“You’re right. I’m sorry about that. Also, I wasn’t the one who called you that name.” I turned to Benji. “And Benji isn’t going to be saying it again, will you?”
Benji held up both hands. “No, I promise. I’ll be good.”
“Whatever,” Paris said. “I guess you’re starting tomorrow? Good. Just know you better work hard because I don’t take lackluster work from anyone. I’m good at my job. If you have a problem with that, let me know now so I can deal with it because I’m going to be the one telling you when you do things wrong. If you have a problem hearing that from me, get over it now.”
Benji slid out of the door past Paris, leaving the two of us alone in the office.
I shook my head, wondering what the fuck was going on.
“Can you close the door for a second?”
“Uh, no. Why the hell would I do that?”
“Language,” I said, teasing at first. When her eyes narrowed, I lifted my chin, steadying my gaze. “Let’s talk, okay? I’m as surprised as you. I didn’t know you worked here. Honestly. Let’s get everything out in the open. However, considering that Benji—and God knows who else—probably has his ears pressed against his door trying to listen in, let’s get some privacy.”
Paris narrowed her eyes, then took a few steps into my office, closing the door behind her.
“Fine. I’ll give you two minutes.” She did a show of looking at her watch, and I barely resisted the urge to chuckle.
“Okay, since I’m on a timer, what’s wrong?”
Paris just glared at me. “I don’t know, maybe this hostile work environment.”
“You’re the one sniping at me when we didn’t even get to fully introduce ourselves. I don’t even fucking know your last name.”
Color tinged her cheeks, but she didn’t back down.
“Trissel. Paris Trissel. And I know you’re one of the Brady brothers. Though not the fun bunch, are you?”
“Ha-ha. I’ve never once heard a Brady Bunch joke in my life. Gasp. You were the first person to ever make one. Ever.”
“Prior.”
“No. Let’s get this out. I don’t know why you don’t like me. Maybe you don’t like anyone. That’s your prerogative. We’re going to be working together for the next six months, and yes, you’re going to be checking my work. Thank God. I’m going to make some mistakes. Hopefully, not ones that break the whole damn system, but I’m going to make mistakes. I’m going to need help getting the bugs out. And that’s your job.”
“And you don’t mind the fact that I’m going to be the one scrutinizing your work?”
“Paris. You’re good at what you do.”
“And how do you know that?”
“Because Hazel and the other girls constantly say that you’re brilliant and tell me about what you do. I just didn’t think you worked here. I never asked.”
She blinked at me. “The girls said that?”
“Of course. You are all smart, talented women.” I purposely didn’t say beautiful because we were at work, but Paris was fucking hot.
Long, dark hair and a slender body with curves in all the right places. I had taken note before, of course, and I was kicking myself that I had noticed in the way I had.
Today, she even wore glasses, big square ones that were in fashion these days, and that only made her look hotter.
In fact, she had worn these glasses before, and I’d had a fantasy of her bent over my desk as I…okay, enough of that.
We were working together now, and I had Allison, my girlfriend. So not the images I should have in my mind.
“I need your help here, Paris.”
“So you say. But you were in here with Benji when he was talking how he usually does.” She blew her bangs from her face, kind of fogging up her glasses a bit as she did, and I held back a smile.
She was so damn cute. I shouldn’t be thinking that at all. Only, it was the friend part of my brain that did so. And I had to keep that thought from my mind because it would be rude as fuck to say something like that about a coworker. I needed to change the way I thought about Paris.