I sat in silence for what felt like a million years, my brain spinning in circles. “I don’t know,” was all I could come up with in the moment because I truly didn’t know. “I need sleep.”

“Fine. But this conversation isn’t over,” she said before pushing up from the couch and disappearing into her room.

When I heard her door shut, I got up and did the same.

WHEN I WOKE UP THE next morning, I was greeted by various pictures of Joseph taped up all over the apartment. Each one had something written on it in black Sharpie.

How can you resist this face? You could fake kiss it anytime you wanted, read the one on my door.

Down the hallway was a printed picture of a BIC lighter with a red X across it that read, NO LIGHTERS. That one actually made me laugh.

There were three more pictures of her boss—each one shirtless, mind you—with various things that I could do to the body parts if I agreed. It almost made me grab my vibrator, but I kept walking toward the kitchen instead.

Another picture of Joseph with his mom was on the fridge, asking why I wanted to break the old woman’s heart. I rolled my eyes at that one. But when I opened the cupboard to grab my favorite box of cereal, Joseph’s face covered the entire thing, and it had been renamed to Joseph-O’s.

Kayla was never going to let me say no to this.

WHAT DID SHE SAY?

JOSEPH

I was on pins and needles, waiting for Kayla to get into the office. I’d tossed and turned all night, delirious and hopeful that she’d get Sutton to agree to this crazy shenanigan. Then, I’d cringe, remembering my poor balls, and wonder what I was thinking. I’d turned into a basket case.

When she finally walked out of the elevator, I was standing there like a stalker, waiting with my arms folded.

“Jeez, obsess much?” she teased before handing me a cup of coffee from my favorite place.

That wasn’t a good sign. Kayla didn’t go around, getting me coffee without being asked, which meant that she was buttering me up for bad news.

“She said no,” I said as I sipped, careful not to spill it all over my jacket.

“Not exactly.” She leveled me with a look before nodding toward my office, where we could talk more privately.

“Well, what did she say?” I asked the second the doors closed behind us.

“She didn’t say yes,” Kayla started and made a sound to stop me from launching into a speech she knew I’d give. “But she didn’t say no either. She’s still considering it, even if she acts like she isn’t.”