Respecting his silence, his need for space seemed the better option than bothering him, but now he’s standing in her doorway next to Megan, all smiles.

“Good morning, Joy.”

Good morning, Joy? That’s all he has to say to her? Doesn’t he think that’s a bit brief?

Joy, ever the professional, waves at him. Her voice can’t be trusted to do any heavy lifting where he’s concerned in front of mixed company.

“I’m off to my office,” Megan says. “Joy, I’ll see you at ten for our meeting?”

Joy nods at her.

Megan departs, leaving them alone. Malcolm doesn’t seem any worse for wear. The hard, cold look has melted and he’s back to his usual reserved boss self. His suit is a thrilling black and white houndstooth paired with a black shirt and mustard yellow tie.

“How early did you get here?” he asks.

Oh, you’re talking to me now? “Seven.”

“Did you sleep okay?”

Of course, I didn’t. Pepper’s separation anxiety roared back to life, someone hasn’t responded to any of my messages, and suddenly my apartment feels too quiet. “Just fine.”

Malcolm nods. “We should take advantage of our mostly cleared calendars today.”

Yes, that’s exactly how I want to spend most of my workday: with you, in denial and pretending everything is fine between us. “Sure. What did you have in mind?”

Joy and Malcolm slide back into their work dynamic with ease—catching up, scheduling meetings, and fulfilling orders. They even have lunch with a couple of the girls from finance to discuss the new changes they’ll be implementing for payroll and have coffee with a prospective client.

Everything as seamless as ever, just as it’s meant to be. Being at work feels normal. Their instincts and trust in each other slot back into place as if it had never been tested—their undisputable bond in action.

And that’s where it ends.

Red Warren the office typically shuts down around six p.m., with the last of the employees filing out of the building by then. As soon as work is no longer between them, Malcolm shuts Joy out again.

He doesn’t even walk her to her car, disappearing while she grabbed her purse from her office and clocked out for the day.

“I can’t believe he’s acting like that,” Grace shouts through Joy’s car speakers.

“I know.”

“So he’s just going to avoid you during non-work hours? Pretend like you don’t exist?”

“Seems like it.”

“Oh, that’s fantastic. If that’s how he wants it, he must have forgotten who the true queen of petty is.”

Joy sighs.

I’m trying to figure out how much I’m willing to let go to move forward. We can’t stay like this. It’s not working.