Chapter 10

Maya woke up to the unmistakable sound of two knuckle raps on her desk. Groggy and disoriented, she rubbed her eyes and looked up to find Steven towering over her, his face set in an unreadable expression. A quick glance at her screen told her it was 9 PM.

"Crap! I totally overslept!" Her brain scrambled to make sense of the situation. She managed a sheepish smile as she clambered to her feet, casting a nervous glance around the dimly lit office. Only a couple of lights were still on, casting eerie shadows across the deserted floor.

"I'm sorry, I must have dozed off," she mumbled, stifling a yawn.

Steven scratched his head, his voice uncharacteristically gentle. "Don't worry about it. It's not like you fell asleep during office hours."

"What do you mean?" Maya asked, confusion knitting her brow.

"It was a half-working day. You probably forgot. So, technically, you were just taking a break," he explained, a hint of a smirk playing at his lips.

"Shit," she muttered, then quickly covered her mouth. "Sorry, sir. I didn't realize."

Steven waved off her apology. "No need to be so formal. This isn't office hours anymore."

"I just don't know the outside-the-office you, so I'm being cautious," she said, her voice softening.

"Maya, don't pretend like you know the inside-the-office me either," he muttered under his breath, his smirk turning into a full-blown grin, a painful grin.

"What did you say? Sorry, I didn't catch that," she stammered.

"You don't need to," he cut her off, his tone dismissive.

"By the way, why are you here so late?" Maya asked, curiosity piqued.

"I had some papers to go through. Since it's the weekend tomorrow, I figured I'd get a head start," he explained.

"When did you get here?" she asked, eyes widening slightly.

"You sure ask a lot of questions," Steven remarked, raising an eyebrow.

"Why not just tell me?"

"A while ago," he said nonchalantly.

"Then why didn't you wake me up earlier?" she pouted, a small frown forming on her lips.

"I didn't see you, okay? I just happened to pass by now and saw you sleeping. No more questions. Let's go," he ordered, already moving toward the door.

Steven was lying. He had seen her as soon as he walked in. He had even worked quietly at the desk next to hers, not wanting to disturb her. Watching her sleep had felt oddly comforting.

Maya grabbed her bag and the coat draped over her desk. "Steven, your coat. Thanks for this."

"Where did you…" Steven's voice trailed off as he recognized the coat. It was Levi's.

"Oh, this isn't yours? It was under my head, so I assumed…" Maya's voice faded, embarrassment creeping in.

"Oh, yeah, sorry. Thanks," Steven said quickly, feeling like a coward. He didn't want her to know it was Levi's coat.

"Let's go. I'll give you a ride," he offered.

"No, it's okay. I can catch a bus," she replied.

"You didn't reject Levi's offer. Why are you rejecting mine?" Steven's brows furrowed, hurt evident in his voice.

"Don't get the wrong idea. I just didn't want to argue. Let's go," she insisted, pushing him forward. As she did, her hands landed on his chest, and their eyes met. A nervous flutter settled in her stomach.

"No, it's fine. Since you said no, I won't offer again. I didn't want to get the wrong idea, and I don't want to. I'm leaving," he said, brushing off her hands and walking away.

Maya stood there for a few minutes, her mind a whirlwind of thoughts. Why does he change his mood so quickly? What did he mean by not wanting to get the wrong idea? And now he's just leaving me here?

Frustrated and confused, she gathered her things and left the office, the questions swirling in her mind all the way home.

. . .

"Levi? You home?" Steven's voice was tight, as he phoned Levi.

"Yeah, what's up? Wanna come over?" Levi sounded genuinely surprised.

"Yeah, I'll be there in five."

"Sure, see you then."

The doorbell rang and Shonn sprang to open it. "Steven! Long time no see," Shonn said, his face lighting up with a big grin.

"Hey, you've grown! Where's Levi?"

"In his room, as usual."

"You two getting along okay?"

"Whatever," Shonn rolled his eyes dramatically.

Steven ruffled Shonn's hair, trying to lighten the mood. "He's been in a good mood lately."

"Tch. By the way, you should stay for dinner. It's been ages," Shonn suggested, a hopeful look in his eyes.

"Sorry, buddy. I need to talk to Levi and then I gotta head out. But I promise, lunch or dinner soon," Steven said.

"Oh, okay then. Go on up. See you soon," Shonn said.

Steven found Levi sprawled on his bed, one hand on his forehead, eyes shut. He knocked gently on the door.

"Come in."

"You sick?" Steven asked, pulling up a chair beside the bed.

"Nah, just tired. What's up?" Levi opened his eyes slowly.

"This," Steven said, handing Levi his coat.

"You saw Ms. Larson?" Levi's eyes widened at the sight of his coat.

"Yeah. You left it with her?"

"She fell asleep at her desk."

"So you put it under her head," Steven's voice held a mix of jealousy and frustration.

"What's with the serious face?" Levi asked, sensing something was off.

"Did you forget it was a half-working day today?" Steven asked, trying to stay calm.

"Damn! Totally slipped my mind. Don't tell me she stayed there for hours," Levi sat up, looking worried.

"Unfortunately, yes. She would've been there all night if I hadn't gone back for some paperwork."

"I need to apologize to her," Levi said, guilt creeping into his voice.

"Don't. She doesn't know you were there. She'd just be embarrassed," Steven said firmly.

"Oh, so you didn't tell her?" Levi sounded relieved.

"No. I figured it'd be awkward for her to know the CEO saw her dozing off," Steven said, looking away. Sorry Levi, I lied. I didn't want her to know.

"You're right. She's an interesting person," Levi said, a soft smile playing on his lips.

"What makes you say that?" Steven asked, a twinge of jealousy in his tone.

"She's different. She stands out compared to the others. Honestly, I'm surprised I even put my coat on her…" Levi trailed off, lost in thought.

"Maybe. I'll head out then. Goodnight," Steven said, standing up.

Levi, don't tell me you're falling for her, Steven thought as he left, his heart heavy with unspoken emotions.

The evening air was cooler than usual, and Steven felt a strange tightness in his chest as he walked to his car. The city lights flickered around him, but his mind was somewhere else entirely. The thought of Levi's soft smile, the way he talked about Ms. Larson, it all gnawed at him.

Why does this bother me so much? He asked himself, trying to shake off the unease.

Back in his apartment, Steven found it hard to focus. The silence felt louder, and his thoughts kept drifting back to the office, to Levi, and to Ms. Larson. He poured himself a drink, hoping to drown out the nagging feelings. But it was no use.

I need to get a grip, he thought, staring at his reflection in the glass. This isn't like me.

The next day, Maya walked into the office, still thinking about the previous night's strange encounter. She couldn't shake off the feeling of confusion Steven left her behind. As she settled at her desk, Steven walked in, his eyes scanning the room before landing on Maya.

"Morning," he said curtly, barely acknowledging her.

"Morning," Maya replied, keeping her tone neutral.

Steven walked to his room, trying to focus on his work, but his mind kept drifting back to Maya. He couldn't understand why he couldn't stop showing his jealousy. During a meeting, he caught himself zoning out, thinking about Levi's words. Interesting human being. Different.

Stop it, Steven, he scolded himself. Focus.

But it was harder than he'd anticipated. Every corner of the office seemed to whisper her name. Steven knew he needed to sort this out, but how?

It was already lunch break. Maya decided to step out for some fresh air. As she walked out, she bumped into Levi, who was just returning from a meeting.

"Hey! Fancy seeing you here," Levi greeted her with a bright smile.

"Hey, Mr. Thompson! Taking a break?" Maya asked, her spirits lifting.

"Yeah, meetings can be exhausting."

"Sure, they are." Maya nodded in response.

Steven watched them together, his jaw tightening. He couldn't deny the spasm of jealousy he felt seeing Levi and Maya together.

An hour later,

"Ms. Larson, can I see you in my office?" Steven called out, his tone brisk.

Maya's heart skipped a beat. She nodded and followed him.

Steven closed the door behind her, turning to face her.

"Yes, Mr. Stone?" Maya asked, her voice steady.

"I... just wanted to make sure everything's okay with you. After yesterday," Steven said, his demeanor softening.

"Yes, everything's fine. Thank you," Maya replied, puzzled by his sudden concern.

Steven ran a hand through his hair, sighing.

"Look, I'm sorry if I've been a bit... erratic. There's a lot going on," he admitted, his eyes locking onto hers.

Maya felt a flicker of empathy.

"It's okay, Mr. Stone. I understand. We all have our moments," she said, offering him a small smile.

"Thanks, Ms. Larson. I appreciate it," he said, his voice sincere.

Just then, Levi knocked on the door, peeking in.

"Hey, am I interrupting something?" he asked, his tone light.

"No, come in," Steven said, his mood shifting back to his usual guarded self.

Levi entered, handing Steven some documents.

"Here are the reports I left for you to check. Kevin has done his part," he said, glancing at Maya.

"Thanks. When do you need to get them done?" Steven asked.

"By Tuesday, I think."

"Alright." Steven nodded.

"That'll be all then." Levi dismissed himself feeling the awkwardness in the room. He gave Maya a quick smile before leaving, closing the door behind him. Maya turned to Steven, feeling the tension in the room.

"Is there anything else, Mr. Stone?" she asked, trying to ease the atmosphere.

"No, that's all. You can go," Steven said, his voice tight.