Shifting Ideas

"Are you on lunch?" Paige stopped in front of Tsuki. "We're on lunch too." She vaguely gestured to herself and Emma who was coming up with Lucas. "We were going to the cafeteria. Do you want to come with us?"

"And I must say," Lucas added as he came up. "The cáfe here is delídelicious."

"You say that because your best friend runs it." Emma scoffed.

"That may be," Lucas admitted with a shrug. "But Marcos is pretty good."

"He really is." Paige nodded vigorously at Tsuki. "You will have to try it. Please?"
 
"Oh, um, I was actually coming to find you," Tsuki said with a smile. "I wanted to thank you so much for for your generous offer, I really do appreciate it, but I have some errands that I have to get done this afternoon. I thought I would just get a quick bite while I am out. Perhaps we could do it tomorrow?"

She kept her gaze on Paige and Emma, trying not to cut out Lucas or make him feel slighted, but it was hard to look at him. He didn't make her feel anxious to the extent George did, but they were too similar for her comfort. Lucas was probably a very nice man! She was probably judging him too harshly, but she couldn't escape the feeling that she was being... hunted. It didn't help when you are super short.
 
"Of course he has you running around doing gopher work." Emma jeered.

"Emma!" Paige whispered loudly.

“I’m just,”

“Talking about my brother?” Lucas’ warning question came with a pointed smile, his teeth just a bit sharper. Emma closed her mouth and Paige looked away. “Who is the youngest head publisher of Rose Hills and successfully published three top ten nationwide rated Rosé Anthologies.” His sharp smile softened when he looked at Tsuki.

“I wish I could help him like you do.” He said sincerely before dramatically sighing. “But alas, I am busy entertaining.” He winked at Emma and Paige that chuckled. “So we will leave you be, busy bee.” Lucas focused back on Tsuki.

“But you will join us tomorrow, right?” Paige ask
 
"Of course! That is, if at all possible," Tsuki corrected herself. "Being the brand new hire, I dare not be unavailible to the boss right now, but please know I do appreciate your efforts to include me, really." Tsuki gave them both a sincere smile as the elevator doors opened and she stepped in. "Have a good day, Sir!"
 
"Oh! Of course." Paige's smile dropped and Emma scoffed. "Well, hopefully, you can find time to join us next time." Paige waved at Tsuki.

"Well, if you are leaving señorita," Lucas stepped into the elevator. "Let me catch a ride with you!" He smiled at her. "I took the pleasure of having some sandwiches delivered for everyone. Emma, Paige," he turned to the girls outside the elevator. "Tell everyone that sandwiches will be available on the top floor."

"Sandwiches will be available on Enchanters level, got it!" Paige smiled brightly.

"Thank you, Lucas." Emma huffed out, but she lost tension in her shoulders. Then the elevator doors slid close.
 
Tsuki tried not to let her smile slip. After all that and she was still stuck with Lucas in the elevator. She stood off to the side primly, her hands folded in front of her, and her eyes fixed firmly on the closed doors. She certainly wasn't going to stare at him. Besides, he was tall and looking up that much gave her a kink in her neck. Why must she be so short??

Oh welll. No time for moping. Just keep it together until they reached the bottom floor then get out with a polite goodbye. That's all she had to do. Not so hard, right?
 
Lucas let out a sigh and quickly pressed the emergency stop button. The elevator jerked to a stop and the lights flickered.

"Sorry about this, señorita," Lucas slipped between her and the buttons. "But I do need to have a quick word with you. And before you ask, we are, unfortunately, in the most faulty and only soundproof elevator in the building. They tend to ignore this one."
 
Tsuki's eyes widened and she clutched her handbag, currently her only weapon. "Sir, I must caution you that this is supremely inappropriate," she stated, trying not to let her voice qwaver. "I ask that you start the elevator again."

What would she do if he attacked her? It would be rather illogical considering witnesses had seen them go into the elevator together, and she could certainly scream up a storm when they got out because he would have to leave eventually. That was pretty extreme, though. Maybe he really did want to just talk? In which case, they could talk somewhere not suspended several feet above the ground in a steel box! Maybe over coffee, if he really insisted.
 
Lucas' nose flared as he took a sniff. Then his eyes got wide and he held his hands out in surrender. "I'm not going to hurt you! I just," Lucas gave another sigh. "I want to thank you. My brother is, difficult. But he does need help. So if you need anything, please feel free to contact me or my secretary, Fifi." He held out a business card. "And I won't make you a spy. Despite what my brother thinks, I can do that on my own." He smirked.
 
Tsuki eyed his speculatively. He seemed to be telling the truth. She still didn't fully trust him, but she supposed he didn't need to lie about this. She reached out and accepted the card.

"You could have told me all this on a walk in a public place or insisted on buying me a coffee rather than than trapping me in an inescapable corner," she pointed out sternly.
 
"Uh..." Lucas gaped and blinked. He clapped his hands and put them to his mouth. "You're right." Lucas pushed the emergency stop button again, making the elevator jerk to continue on its descent. "Again, I'm sorry, señorita. My brother never asks for help, my sister is too honest, and I jump the gun. We all have our faults. So next time we need to talk I'll let you chose the place." He smiled at Tsuki.
 
Tsuki smiled politely. "I appreciate your concern, sir, but really, all I want to do is my job properly. Not spy on anyone, not be a spy for anyone, or be anyone's babysitter. I will be available to you during any business hours that your brother does not need me, and I will be happy to lend any aid that I might be able to."

There! Nice and polite, right? Sheesh, this place was like a teledrama or soap opera or something. All she wanted to do was work at a job she semi enjoyed and wasn't sexually harassed or hassled every couple of hours. Being able to pay the bills was definitely a priority, but was it really so bad to want to enjoy a job? She was starting to think so.
 
"Oh, señorita." Lucas laughed. "You're perfect." The elevator doors opened and Lucas strutted out. He stopped right outside and turned to her. He examined her face, as a smirk grew on his face. "I have a feeling we'll be seeing more of each other," Lucas gave Tsuki a wink before strolling off.


Meanwhile, Adam sat in his office still doing work. A jolt that echoed within his ears distracted him. But, he just rolled his eyes and continued his work.

"Who did he lock in there now?" Adam huffed, but he made no move to find out or answer his growling stomach.
 
Tsuki almost didn't get off the elevator in time as she tried to put distance between herself and Lucus. She certainly hoped they didn't see much more of each other. She walked slow to try to put more distance between them before turning and heading for her bike. Might as well get some errands done before going back to work. She'd said she was too busy to go to lunch, and she wasn't going to be a liar.

Ten minutes before her lunch break was over, she was in the elevator on her way back up to work, a bag tucked under her arm.
 
While the proposal and contract were Adam's main priorities, he had other things to worry about. Such as finalizing the layout for the new website and finalizing the printing of Robert's new book. There was also setting up the layout of the new anthology series. He had to get reading. Problem was, when he read, he forgot things. Like lunch and lunchtimes.

So when he needed another cup of coffee, he went to go get it, but there were people in the break room. All of them talking or laughing or eating. All of it ringing his ears and banging against his head. It was too loud, too full, too much. No one noticed him, so he turned around and went back into his office, his heart racing a bit. He could read without coffee to settle his mind, to make him read in order. When he sat down and started to read, but things were mixing up a bit. He read a paragraph and looked up. A whole ten minutes passed. Not good. He grabbed the infernal Bluetooth device and called Tsuki.

"Nakamura." There was no answer. "Nakamura!" Again no answer. Adam's racing heart began to pound as he growled. "Nakamura." No answer. Adam huffed as he stomped into the hallway. He saw Tsuki in the elevator. "NAKAMURA!" He barked and he noticed the rise of a tangy scent coming from the same room he was trying to avoid.
 
Tsuki jumped in shock and stared at Adam Gonzalez standing outside his office and glaring at her. Instinctively, she checked her watch. No, she wasn't late. She was actually early back from her lunch break, yet he was staring at her as if she had dared return an hour late. Maybe his clock was fast or her watch was slow. Either way, he was annoyed and she knew not why. Oh well, time to find out.

"Yes, Mr. Gonzalez? What do you need?" she asked, stepping forward smartly. She had resisted the urge to ask, "do you need something," just in time. Of course he wanted something or he wouldn't be standing there huffing and puffing like a wolf. The thing was, she had no idea what he needed. She hadn't been around him long enough to even guess what he could need. She stopped in the hallway a few paces back, her head tipped back as she looked up at him. He looked seriously stressed. How had he not collapsed from an ulcer yet? And he looked a good ten years older than his profile on the company website claimed he was. No wonder it was hard for him to keep an assistant, but he seemed like someone who needed one. Badly.
 
Adam could have seen her bag or looked at his watch. He should have realized that since everyone was on lunch, she was on lunch too. But people were looking at them. A bitter and tangy scent filled the air. His stomach spun and his hands were clenching frantically just to keep himself from running out.

"Coffee, now," Adam growled. Then he turned and headed back into his office, leaving the door open.
 
Tsuki's brows arched as she watched him storm back into his office. "Should I make it a decaf?" she muttered. She took her bag to her cubical and stood for a moment. Deep breath in, let it out slowly. One more in, and out. There. Nice and calm. The best skincare in the world couldn't defeat stress. No need to be stressed. He was under pressure and stressed, but that didn't mean she should let it get to her.

Feeling better, she walked into the break room. She took a second to get her bearings then smiled politely as she made her way over to the coffee station, retrieved a clean mug, and filled it with coffee. After a moment of thought, she picked a doughnut from the sparse collection and set it delicately on a napkin. She was only just able to hold a creamer cup and a packet of sugar under the doughnut and the coffee in the other hand. She almost literally held her breath as she walked to Adam's office, opened the door without dropping anything, and walked in.

"Your coffee, Mr. Gonzalez," she said pleasantly as she made her way to his desk. Now just to set things down.
 
"Should I make it a decaf?" Adam growled at Tsuki's muttering, but he didn't say anything out loud. He would take it however he got it.

He went to his seat and started reading again. He had to try to read the lines in order, but he found himself skipping ahead, then going back to where he started. The frustration built and he rubbed his face. He took a deep breath. It was then that he smelled the aroma of coffee and something sweet coming closer. And still underneath it all was that soft scent. He watched as Tsuki came in balancing a coffee with a thing of cream and a packet sugar, with a donut in the other.

"Your coffee, Mr. Gonzalez," Her voice sounded, pleasant. There was no trace of tangy fear or bitter anger. It just was. That calmness settled him. With a soft nod, he grabbed the coffee.

"Just this. Nothing else." He said as he eyed the donut. It was still lunch, so a snack wouldn't hurt, but he couldn't focus on eating and doing work. Plus, scarfing down a donut, he could hear Tia scolding him and feel his father's disgusted glare. Adam took a sip of the coffee, swallowing those feelings. "It's not decaf."
 
"Just this. Nothing else."

Tsuki couldn't tell if that was a statement that that was all he wanted, a rebuke for not bringing more, or something else entirely, but she was saved by his next comment. Sort of. Her cheeks went pink.

"Oh... you heard that?" she stuttered, momentarily taken aback and shocked. She hadn't thought he'd be able to hear her with how quietly she'd said it and their distance apart. "I apologize, I should not have been so cheeky." She hesitated. Wait... what if he hadn't heard her and she was just assuming? "Unless... that is... are you requesting decaf?" she asked, now flusteered and confused, but trying to maintain control and dignity.
 
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