Chapter 20
Elliot
After my meeting with Tessa and Noah, I pass Mira's cubicle like the stray cat she once compared me to. If she suspects I'm becoming more attracted to her, she hasn't let on.
I stop at the entrance to her workspace. A white sheet of paper with bold lettering catches my eye on the gray fabric wall. Strips have been cut into the bottom, and one is missing.
Join our mentorship team today! If you have any questions, feel free to call me. We'd love to have you with us.
The rest of the text is vague and mentions only an opportunity to take part in an adult mentorship program for Wondervale employees. I think I heard Diane mention it this morning while going over my schedule, but after she used the word "volunteer," I only half listened. I have little free time in a day, and discussing a meeting of employees who want to volunteer is not one of my priorities.
Each tab lists a meeting address and a phone number that is very familiar to me. I don't know why, but the fact that anyone can get Mira's number bothers me.
I could check the security footage to find out who took the missing tab, but that would be going too far, even for me.
Who could have taken her number? I don't see many young Creators around here who might want to spend time with her. I've spotted a blond guy on Team Beta checking out Mira's ass once or twice. When he realized I'd caught him in the act, he actually gave me a conspiratorial smile, which thoroughly irritated me. When it was his turn to present, I tore him to shreds.
I glance around quickly and rip off the remaining numbers. After stuffing them into my pocket, I berate myself for doing something so ridiculous.
Fuck, I'm acting like a lunatic.
Who cares if someone texts her?
I care.
But... why?
I rub my face with both hands and let out a low groan. At that moment, Mira's head pops up over the wall. As soon as her eyes land on me, her smile fades.
"Oh. It's you."
"Were you expecting someone else?"
Don't tell me she was waiting for Chad. Or Brad? I can't remember his name, but either would suit that blond idiot perfectly.
Careful. You sound jealous.
"What?" she blurts, looking confused. "No. I was just checking to see whether anyone had questions about..."
Mira's eyes widen when she notices the state of the flyer in front of me.
"Oh, great! I didn't think so many people would be interested!"
Her face brightens like a ray of sunshine. She glows so vividly that everything else pales by comparison. I feel helpless, caught in her magnetic field, so close to the star that I could burst into flames.
That would be a good way to die, considering the lie that next leaves my mouth.
"There was only one tab left when I got here."
I know I should feel guilty for lying to her, yet I can't bring myself to care.
"Does that mean you took the last one?" she exclaims, her eyes sparkling.
Shit. Why is she so quick?
"Yes," I mutter.
"Great! Be there at eight. Eight o'clock sharp!" Mira says in a teasing tone, as if my insistence on punctuality amuses her.
"Aren't you supposed to be working then?"
"What if I told you it was part of an idea I'm working on?"
I take the flyer down from the wall to reread the title.
"I doubt it. I don't see how I could approve of something involving cupcakes and charades. I don't know whom you're trying to mentor here, but we aren't interested in recruiting children."
At that, her smile disappears.
"Forget it. And there's no need to keep my number."
She snatches the announcement from my hands and sits back down at her desk without sparing me another glance.
I've never seen Mira this angry. What is so special about this meeting that it makes her explode like that?
Who cares? Now you have a reason not to show up.
Yes... but what is she hiding?
As I leave the warehouse, I stop at the nearest trash can and throw away every tab except one.
I meet Mira's gaze as I cross the threshold of the small meeting room. The space she chose is at the back of the park, in the residential building for employees. I've never lingered in this area except for a quick inspection for my checklist.
Her smile fades as I unbutton my jacket and sit down as though I belong here. With Mira tracking my every movement, heat creeps up my neck. Her eyes don't leave my hand when I take one of the cupcakes arranged on a tray. She doesn't look pleased.
Even though I don't have much of a sweet tooth, I act as though it's the best cupcake I've ever tasted.
Come on, show me what you're hiding beneath those fake smiles and innocent pins. Speaking of which, today's brooch depicts an utterly ridiculous ghost wearing a sombrero beside the words "Ami-Ghost1." Where does she find these things, and why the hell does she always wear one?
"What are you doing here?"
I survey the empty room as if the answer is obvious. The absence of prospective participants gives me a sense of accomplishment.
"I'm here for a meeting. Go on."
Mira leans over the table,an attempt at intimidation doomed to fail.
"You don't get to tell me what to do. Outside work hours, you're not my boss."
"If you're on company property, you're still considered my employee."
"Everything here belongs to the company."
"Perceptive as always."
Her eyes narrow while her cheeks turn an interesting shade of crimson I've never seen before. I'd like to learn more about this other version of her. It's quite the contrast to the cheerful, carefree side she usually displays.
A younger brunette enters the room holding a bottle of soda, followed by a blond man. They both have the characteristic features of people with Down syndrome.
Shit. It shouldn't have been so difficult to figure out whom her mentorship program was for.
For the first time in God knows how long, I feel a tremendous surge of regret. No wonder Mira was so angry about my comment. Given what she's trying to establish here, her anger was entirely justified.
Fuck. Sometimes you really are an asshole.
Mira shoots me a smug little smile.
"Now is your chance to leave before it's too late, Mr. Vale."
"I think I'd like to stay."
I meant what I said about challenges. The harder she pushes me away, the harder I'll push back.
The unfamiliar woman elbows Mira.
"Be nice. He's cute."
Her almond-shaped brown eyes light up, highlighting the softness of her features.
And just like that, she is officially my favorite person.
"But I am nice!" Mira retorts, glaring at her.
I raise a skeptical eyebrow.
"Why are you really here?" she asks me.
She glances around the rest of the room. There are only four of us.
I could make a remark about the lack of participants, except I'm the one responsible for it.
"I came to learn more about this mentorship program."
"I thought recruiting children didn't interest you," she says mockingly.
"I was wrong."
"You... well, um, okay," she stammers, stunned. "I didn't think you were capable of admitting your mistakes."
"Don't worry. It's rare."
That earns me the tiniest smile.
"So, are you going to start this meeting, or do you plan to spend the whole evening admiring me?"
When the petite brunette giggles, Mira's eyes flick from her to me.
"You know what, Elliot? I have the perfect match for you."
Match? I never agreed to be paired with anyone. I'm only here to observe from a distance, not become some kind of mentor. I don't think I've ever mentored anyone in my life. It involves too much talking and not enough work, and I always end up redoing people's work anyway.
"Lena, Elliot will be your partner."
"Yes!" the young woman cries, giggling again.
Well, shit. Maybe I should be worried.
"My sister has told me a lot about you," Lena says as we sit on a bench near the building.
Mira has left with the other guy, giving us a chance to plan our first mentor-mentee outing.
"Who's your sister?"
Lena stares at me as if I'm the stupidest man on Earth.
"Mira."
"I didn't know she had a sister."
"Surprise!" she exclaims with a wide smile.
"Well, it's too late to revoke her sister card, don't you think?"
"Why?" she asks, not understanding.
"Because if she loved you, your sister would never have paired you with someone like me."
"Oh, don't exaggerate. I'm sure you're not that terrible."
"And you figured that out from the two seconds you've spent in my presence?"
"No. I figured it out because not many men would come to a meeting like this. Victor never wanted to participate."
"Victor?"
"Mira's ex."
"Sounds like he was an asshole."
"No swearing," she scolds, giving me a light elbow.
I immediately lift my hands in surrender.
"I never liked him," Lena continues, playing with the hair tie around her wrist.
"Why?"
"Because he looked at me strangely. And sometimes I heard him say things on the phone when I wasn't supposed to be listening."
She looks away. Her expression makes me wonder what she could have heard...
"What things?"
"Nothing," she replies, shaking her head vehemently.
"Why are you protecting him?"
"I'm not protecting him. It's in the past, and I don't want Mira to be sad again," she adds, looking stricken.
Well... Lena seems to care deeply about her sister. Even though my brothers love me, they probably wouldn't worry about me like that.
Lena nudges me with her shoulder.
"So, why did you come tonight?"
"I was curious."
"About my sister?"
Her smile grows.
"No, about the meeting. I wondered whether she was organizing a coup."
"Don't worry," she reassures me with a giggle. "I'll keep your secret."
"What secret?"
"You wanted to see my sister," she singsongs.
I steal her cupcake.
"I'm taking this as compensation."
I'd forgotten what it was like to enjoy sweet cakes, but whatever Mira put in these cupcakes leaves me wanting more.
"Hey! Compensation for what?" Lena cries, trying to take it back.
"For everything you'll put me through before we're done."
"It's only the first day. You still have months to go."
"In that case, you'd better bring plenty of cupcakes to our meetings."
I've decided to participate in this program for real and be Lena's mentor. Not because Mira ordered me to, but because I happen to like her younger sister.
Maybe Lena can help you understand who Mira really is.
And what if Mira truly is a good person and you're too bitter to accept it?
The idea bothers me. Because if Mira really is a good person, it would call into question my entire way of approaching relationships with others.
No, trusting someone based on nothing more than a few interactions would be downright foolish.