Friend-Zoned (Friend-Zoned 1)

I chuckle and remind her, “Well, it’s been over a year since you had my donuts so you were due. ”

“No wonder I lost weight when you left,” she says with a smile. “No one was making me delicious baked goods to maintain my booty. ”

Smiling, I tell her to get ready for work. Forty five minutes later, we’re ready and good to go.

We take the donuts and head to my car.

After battling with my car to let me in, I unlock the passenger door and Nat climbs in placing the donuts on the floor.

I put the key in and turn. Of course, nothing happens. Because what kind of car would actually turn on willingly? My baby has attitude.

Pumping the gas with one foot, I lift my other foot onto Nat’s lap and kick the passenger door while turning the ignition. Nat laughs at me. I scowl at her while continuing my morning car routine. I yell out over the thumps of my kicking, “I don’t know why this works but it just does!”

After a few more seconds of beating the crap out of my car, the engine kicks over and we both whoop in delight.

When I brake at the exit of the parking lot, my temperamental sweetheart stalls. Nat bursts out laughing. I pull my hands up to my face pretending to sob. I peek up at her through my hands and we both burst into hysterical laughter.

“Time to get a new car me thinks,” she wheezes through her laughter. I know she’s right.

Crudsickles.

And then I go about beating the crap out of my car. Again.

***

Nat and Lola open up at Safira while I make my way across the street to give the guys my breakfast delights.

I walk into the ‘chill out’ room and there’s nobody there. I try Nik’s office but it’s also empty. There are three doors at the opposite end of the hallway and I’m not sure why, but I hold onto my container full of donuts and tiptoe down to the other end of the hall like I’m a spy.

Cue mission impossible theme.

I walk passed the first two doors and find that the third door is actually an elevator. This must be how Ceecee gets up here.

I think out loud, “That is so cool!”

“What are you doing?”

I gasp, turn quickly and Ghost and I are nose to chest.

I scream at the top of my lungs for a good five seconds right in his face. When I’m done I clutch my heaving chest and shriek, “What is with you guys and scaring the crap out of me?!”

Ghost, still looking down at me and frowns, “Skittish little thing, aren’t ya?” He lifts his head back at the door behind him. “In there. ”

I follow him into what looks to be a conference room. It has a long, large table in the middle with six seats on either side. There is a white board on the wall and a projector hooked up to the ceiling. Max, Nik, and Trick are sitting at the table looking at me smiling hard.

I’m immediately embarrassed for screeching like a banshee. I feel my face flush.

Max speaks up, “I thought I recognized that squeal. ”

I bite my lip, scrunch my brows, and look at them through squinted eyes. I quietly apologize, “I’m sorry. I hope I wasn’t interrupting anything. ”

Ghost sits down and states, “You were. ”

Nik throws a pen at Ghost, shoots him a dirty look, and says, “She was not, bonehead. ”

I walk over to Ghost, place the container in front of him, and open the lid just a little so the smell of sugar and cinnamon waft up to him. I speak in an overly bored tone, “Oh, that’s okay. I can take my cinnamon glazed donuts back to the Safira if you don’t want them. ”

His eyes widen before he glares up at me and mutters, “You don’t fight fair. ”