I'm standing a few yards away from the reception desk at Fairview Pharmaceuticals feeling like a dumbass. The drive over here gave me some time to think. And I think I might have overreacted. I mean, Hunter and I have only gone out a few times, is he really obligated at this point to share his relationship history? I sure as heck don't want to share mine, at least not yet.

Ok, so he was engaged to my new boss. That's fine. Right? It doesn't need to be awkward. As long as I don't think about them being together, then it's fine.

I just can't believe that they were together!

Although I can see how they might have been a good pair, they both seem very rigid. It's like they were two icicles that fell in love.

That sounds a little mean, Hunter is actually quite warm when he starts to open up. Camille on the other hand, cold as an iceberg. A particular iceberg. The one that sunk the Titanic and killed Jack and left Rose all alone. Oh my God. She's going to sink me and Hunter.

Our love boat has yet to even set sail and she's going to sink it, with her painted pointy fake nails.

I have gone crazy. I need to leave. He'll tell me when he's ready.

I spin on my heel and take a step forward, immediately crashing into a cart full of vials, one of the tubes falls out of the rack, rolls slowly off the cart and shatters on the ground. Oh my God!

"Please don't be anthrax, please don't be anthrax," I whisper to myself.

"You watch too much TV," a familiar voice says. "Most research labs don't have the clearance to carry vials of infectious disease, and if they did they wouldn't be leisurely rolling it through the office."

I lift my gaze from the broken vial on the floor to the man pushing the cart.

"Jack!" I exclaim. "What're you doing here?" He's wearing a blue lab coat, with J. Carlisle etched on the breast pocket. Does he work here? I thought he was a doctor, like a medical doctor.

"I could ask you the same thing." Jack grabs a roll of thick blue paper towels and a spray bottle from underneath the cart and starts cleaning up the spilled liquid and broken glass. Should I help? I lower myself down and reach for a piece of glass. "Whoa! Lilah, stop!"

My hand freezes over the glass and my eyes dart to Jack's face, his expression aghast. "What? What did I do?"

Jack lifts both his hands in the air. "Gloves! It's not anthrax but you still need to wear protection." He shakes his head. "Also, what is it with you and broken glass?" The fundraiser.

"These things just sort of happen to me." My cheeks burn up. "Sorry," I murmur.

Jack tosses the soiled paper towel and shards of glass into a small bin below the cart labeled 'hazardous material'.

My eyes expand with fear and Jack rolls his eyes. "Will you relax? It's not airborne or toxic. You will live." I flash him a penitent smile. "What are you doing here anyway? Are you here to see Hunter?"

Think of something, something fast. "Uh-" Say words. Right now! "I-yeah, I am uh here, to see-to say... hello to Hunter. Yes." And that is my audition for speechless girl #1.

"Ok," Jack hesitates. "Well, his office is down that hallway on the left. Office 1A. Do you want me to walk you there? Or can you find it yourself?"

"No, no. I can find it myself." Guess I have to actually go and see Hunter now. I take a deep breath and smile. "Thanks, Jack, see you around, yeah?"

"Yeah, ok. Bye..." Jack seems a bit confused by our interaction and I don't blame him. I'm sure Kimmy will call me later for details.

I walk along the light blue linoleum floors towards Hunter's office.

What am I going to say to him? I'm not going to bring up the Camille thing, that's established. I could just be here to say hi. He's shown up unannounced before, so this could be me returning the favor. Yes. A Thursday afternoon surprise.

Biting my lip, I knock quietly on his office door.

No answer.

Perfect, maybe he's not here. I'll just lea-

"Come in," Hunter's voice looms from inside. Shit. Shit. Shit.

I straighten out my dress and open the door, peaking my head through. Hunter's sitting at his desk, typing aggressively on his computer, looking like a snack. He's wearing a pair of dark rimmed Ray Bans. I didn't know he wore glasses. He kind of looks like Clark Kent. I chuckle softly at the thought seeing as we pretty much come from different worlds anyways.

My laugh must have caught his attention because his eyes dart towards me and a slight smile clips the corner of his lips.

"Lilah, what a surprise." Hunter slowly removes his glasses, folds them, and places them on his desk. His eyes remain affixed on my face. "What are you doing here?" More like how did I know where you worked. Oh, this is cringey, I feel like a stalker.

"I came here to...take you for lunch." Good, yes. Plausible.

"Lunch?" Hunter raises an eyebrow. "That's why you're here?"

There's a seeded hint of amusement glistening in his green eyes. Everything about his body language tells me he knows the real reason I'm here, like he's been expecting me. Marice! Well, two can play at this game.

I relax my shoulders and casually stride to the edge of Hunter's desk and prop myself down. "Yes, are you hungry?"

Hunter reclines in his chair, and links his fingers together before resting his hands on his torso. "Starving." His voice is deep and raspy, and I get a feeling he's not talking about food right now.

My face flushes as I feel his eyes gloss over my body. I quickly push myself off Hunter's desk. "I don't have long, I have to get back to work soon."

"Back to your meeting with Marice?" Oh, crap, he's taunting me. I glide my hand over my neck. Boy, it's hot in this office.

"Actually, that meeting is over." Do they not have A/C in this building?

Hunter licks his lips subtly before standing up and walking towards me. "And how did that meeting go?"

"Fine," I swallow.

"Did you gain any useful insights from your meeting?" Hunter takes another step forward.

"Yes," I hesitate. "I learned quite a bit." God, I feel like we're spies communicating through morse code.

"And how did you feel after your meeting?"

I narrow my eyes. "Slightly confused and angry, if I'm being honest."

"Is that why you came here to take me to lunch?" Oh, this is getting ridiculous.

"I was going to take you to lunch then I reconsidered."

Hunter smirks. "Then why are you here?" Shoot me. Just put me out of my misery.

"Because it took me a little longer than expected to change my mind. Once I got here I realized I wasn't...hungry."

"And yet here you are." Please don't remind me. Stupid medical vial cart.

"But I wish I wasn't," I mutter, taking a step forward so that Hunter and I are only a few inches apart. "Perhaps if lunch was discussed earlier we wouldn't be in this predicament." I don't even know what lunch we're referring to anymore.

"Most people don't discuss lunch until the third date."

"Well most people aren't employed by said lunch." I grunt in frustration. "Ok, enough! This is no longer making any sense!"

Hunter's laugh roars through the office. "You were doing so well Lilah, why give up?" I cross my arms and scowl at Hunter. "So you know about Camille."

"Yes, but to me, she's Ms. Harris, my boss! Why didn't you just tell me as soon as you realized I was going to be working for her?"

Hunter's hand reaches up and cups my face, his fingers are soft and calloused at the same time. "Because then you probably wouldn't have wanted anything to do with me." I lean into his warm touch. "And I couldn't have that."

"That's not true..." I whisper. Hunter holds my gaze, his eyes burning into mine and I sigh. "Ok, maybe it would have affected how I viewed you a little."

"I'm not sorry I didn't tell you." Hunter's thumb strokes my cheek gently. "But I am sorry you found out from someone else. I was going to talk to you about it tomorrow."

"So you were trying to butter me up first?" I tease.

Hunter drags his hand from my cheek down the length of my arm until his fingers intertwine with mine. "Did it work?"

I roll my eyes. Smooth as silk this one. "I'm still here aren't I?"

Hunter tugs on my hand, pulling me closer to him. He holds me tenderly against his chest, his hot breath blowing on my ear. There's magnetism to his embrace. It's like an unexplainable comfort that feels more intimate than any kiss.

"Did you actually want to get lunch?" Hunter whispers into my ear.

I giggle softly. "No sorry, I really do need to get back to work. Marice said she'd cover for me for an hour."

"Meddling Marice," Hunter jokes. "I'll have to tell mother not to share any more of our talks."

I pull away gently from Hunter's inviting chest, my eyelashes batting feverishly. "You've discussed us with your mother?" I can gauge from Hunter's uneasy expression that he didn't mean to say that out loud.

"The topic might have come up," Hunter admits begrudgingly forcing a wide smile to form on my face.

"And what did you tell her?" I can't hide the giddiness in my voice.

Hunter shakes his head but I can see a ghost of a smile on his face. "That I met a frantic girl covered in blood and scotch at a fundraiser." I can feel the blood pooling around my cheeks. "And since that night I can't seem to get her off my mind." Eek!

"Well if your mother asks, you can tell her the feeling is mutual." My voice drips with admiration as I press my lips against his in a slow tantalizing kiss. "I've got to go,' I whisper.

Hunter grazes his lip with his thumb, looking impressed by my sudden forwardness. "I'd like to make dinner for you tomorrow, at my place."

I arch an eyebrow. "At your place?" I'm going to get to see Chateau Hunter?

"Yes, if you're available."

"I think I could be free."

Hunter grins. "I can pick you up from work tomorrow."

"Like, come up to the office?" I bite the inside of my cheek. What if Ms. Harris sees him?

"Or I could wait downstairs if you'd prefer..." Hunter's eyes flash with understanding.

"I just don't want to create any tension in the workplace," I confess.

Hunter shrugs. "Camille is a grown up, and she's bound to find out at some point anyway. But it's up to you, Lilah."

I know how it feels to be kept a secret. I don't want to do that to Hunter. "Come up to the office, it's alright."

Hunter narrows his eyes. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, how bad could it be?" I exhale deeply. "Did you at least have an amicable break-up?" 

Hunter scoffs. "I wouldn't necessarily say that." Oh, no. "But don't worry. She's not one for making a scene," Hunter reassures me.

I wonder what happened between them. She's clearly bitter if flowers are still banned from the office. But Hunter seems completely over her, if anything there's contempt in his voice whenever the topic comes up.

"OK, I'll see you at five tomorrow." I give Hunter a quick peck on the cheek and hurry out the door.

***

I saunter back into my office, keeping my head down to avoid meeting any of my colleagues' eyes. No one saw me enter or exit the office, so I think I'm in the clear.

As soon as I login to my computers, three messages from Marice pop up on Slack, our office messaging system.

M. Holland: Let me know when you're back.

M. Holland: ...How did it go?

M. Holland: Nevermind, you don't need to tell me.

I laugh to myself as I read her messages. She really is a nosy woman, but I guess she's known the Carlisle's for years. I wonder if she's their godmother. Or maybe she's more of a fun aunt. I feel oddly comfortable with her meddling.

I reply.

D. Sterling: I'm back now. It went well, no yelling if that's what you're asking.

M. Holland: Oh good. I thought I might've made it awkward by telling Hunt you were on your way.

D. Sterling: You did.

D. Sterling: But it's okay, I had an inkling you'd tell him.

M. Holland: -_-  

Did she just send me an emoji?

D. Sterling: lol, don't worry everything is fine. He's going to pick me up from work tomorrow and make me dinner.

My work phone rings fifteen seconds later.

"Delilah Sterling, Marketing."

"Hunter is coming here!? Tomorrow?" Marice shrieks. "Bad idea darling."

"Why? He said it will be fine," I whisper into the receiver. Luckily my colleagues are all engrossed in their work. "Plus maybe Ms. Harris won't see him."

"Delilah, Camille is like a shark, she'll smell him coming." A shark? What did this woman do? Marice is definitely not a Camille fan.

"I don't know what to do with that information Marice," I murmur. "I think we're just going to have to bite the bullet and deal with it."

Marice sighs. "Well may God be with you tomorrow, child." I put the receiver down slowly.

Ok, now I'm scared.