Zack shrugged. “I think so, though I don’t plan on getting caught.”

“I never thought I’d see the day. What is it about him that affects you so much? And don’t act like he doesn’t. I’ve never seen you like this before.”

“I don’t know. His voice is really something special, like the human equivalent of how a cello sounds. It’s not as deep as mine, but when he gets really turned on . . . I can’t even describe it. It drives me wild. And he’s creative too. And detailed. And he makes this delicious sound when he’s just about to—”

“Okay, I get it,” Alexa interrupted, pretending to cover her ears. “No need to give me all the details. I’m picking up what you’re putting down.”

Zack flashed her a cheeky grin. “Sorry, but it’s true. You should listen in on one of our calls so you can hear what I mean.”

“Yeah, but then I’d be as bad as the others.”

Zack arched a brow.

“You haven’t noticed? I’ve seen four different people hover near your desk when they know you’re talking to him.”

“Seriously?” Zack grimaced. “Ew. How did I miss that?”

“Beats me. You seem to block everything out when you’re talking to John. I even waved at you once, and you looked right through me.”

“Weird,” Zack said. “So, why are people eavesdropping on my calls?”

“Colette told everyone that you landed a whale. I guess she’s trying to motivate them. It wouldn’t have been a big deal, except you’ve never had one before. I think they all assumed the same thing I did: that John’s into something weird, and you’re willing to give it to him. They all want to figure out what it is so they can poach your whale.”

Something ugly inside of Zack reared its head and snarled. “They can try, but John doesn’t want anyone else but me.”

“Whoa, buddy. Feeling a little possessive?”

“Of course not! I just don’t want any of those cutthroat jerks thinking they can steal him away.”

“Uh-huh. I believe you. Really. On a different note, what shall we do with the rest of our Friday night? I feel pathetic hanging outside of work like this when our shifts ended twenty minutes ago.”

“I dunno,” Zack said. “It’s kinda late, and I need to feed Ziggy.”

“Come on,” Alexa whined. “You deserve to blow off some steam, Mr. Big Fancy Client. Emphasis on big, I hope.” She gave him a saucy wink. “Besides, we almost never get day shifts at the same time, let alone on a Friday. We’re finally out before the bars are closed for the night! Go home, take care of your dog, invite your friends, and then we’ll all meet at that new gay club near where Lee lives.”