The floor we get off on has fewer bright lights, thank goodness. The floor is also some kind of hand-scraped hardwood or something, which doesn’t reflect the light the way the marble does on the main floor.
Kirian takes me past a row of glassed-in offices where people are bent over their computers, often more than one, with most having four or more screens set up. An array of other technology, from laptops to tablets to one guy who has four phones visible, dot the surfaces of the sprawling desks.
Kirian leads me to a big office that is all glass, like the rest. I’m relieved it’s not closed in, even though I’m not sure why. It’s not like he’s going to do anything strange in here, or like I would. Like we would together. I mean, we’re strangers. We might be cursed, but we’ve already agreed to go our separate ways. Me seeing him almost totally naked the other night was a fluke—a break-in fluke.
It’s not like I have his body—every muscle, crack, and delightful crevice—and every bit of his nicely bronzed skin, tousled hair, or the dimples near his perfect bottom memorized or anything. It’s not like I’ll ever use that information in the future or have it stored in my brain. It’s not like I was amused at his high-pitched screams about the wasp or kind of impressed with his determination to talk people into rubbing his necklace in the French Quarter last night. Also, it’s not like I’ll recall the exact spice of his cologne later when this is all over, and we’ve gone our separate ways, ignoring the weird necklace and its creepy cursed voodoo.
Yeah, not at all.
Not one bit.
“So, I have everything set up.” Kirian points to the five monitors on the desk. He has a number of laptops set out there and no less than eight different smartphones on the desk. I have no idea why. Who would do this sort of stuff from a phone?
I don’t mention the overkill. Instead, I force a smile. “Thanks.”
“Do you have what you need?”
“If I have a laptop that turns on, then yes, I have what I need.”
“Okay.” Kirian stands by the door awkwardly.
I’m only a few feet inside, and I can already smell the scent of him. Let’s just say it’s the opposite of stench. It’s dark and nice and spicy-smelling. It also smells like maybe there’s some incense blended in here, like the kind of scents they normally use for that. Not that expensive cologne has incense ground into it, but I feel like it could have if they did.
Kirian hesitates while I clasp my hands awkwardly. I haven’t dressed up for the occasion. I’m wearing black ripped skinny jeans, the black ankle boots that I wore yesterday, and a blue T-shirt with a rock band logo on the front. Kirian’s eyes still linger on me before tearing away to the bank of windows that tower over the desk in the room. There are no personal items in here, so I don’t think this is anyone’s office.
We’re suddenly awkward, and I don’t feel like me. I feel hyper-aware of Kirian, who isn’t technically even in the room. I mean, he kind of is, but he’s standing nearer to the outside.
This is why people and relationships suck, though this isn’t a relationship. I use that word just in general, like how a person has a relationship with their neighbor. Things get weird, awkward, and strange. This is what real life looks like, which is why it’s so much easier to just have a presence online. And also so much lonelier.
But whatever.
“Okay, yeah. Thanks. I should only be a few hours.”
“That’s it? You can fix it all that fast?”
“Most of it is good. I’ll just fix the few spots that need adjustment. And, uh, you should seriously do what I said. Have some good hackers test it out. There are people who are way better at this than I’ll ever be. You should find them and let them have a go at it. Conduct some market research or whatever you want to call it.”
“Quality control, actually.” His perfect lips wobble.
He hasn’t shaved since yesterday. I don’t know why I find myself transfixed by the dark stubble on his rugged jawline. Although, it’s probably because it makes him look even more rugged. And manly. And lickable.
I have no idea what’s with me this morning. I’ve never had the urge to taste a person before, in any sense of the word.
Here, there are two people. One is clearly afraid of commitment—Kirian. I might not know many people, and I might choose to stick around the house for the most part, but I can still recognize it when I see it, and I get where he’s coming from. Maybe he wasn’t like that before the whole curse thing, but if he doesn’t want to settle down, and he’s cursed to find his soulmate, then the best thing to do is avoid people, avoid getting attached to them, and avoid anything more than casual. After all, not falling in love pretty much rules out ever having a soulmate.