Falling for my fake boyfriend

9 - First name basis

“Are you coming in, or what?” A large hand blocks the elevator doors from closing, and a low curse leaves Davies’ mouth when the metal hits his fist. I blink a few times, still unsure of what is going on, then cringe and my feet move to their own accord and I find myself leaping in the small metal room with him.

I don’t move as he pushes the floor where the coffee shop is. Or maybe he has other things to do on that floor, I shouldn’t assume. Wait, what even am I assuming?

“Did you hear what she said? About the Christmas party and the…” I wave a hand, unable to bear the silence any longer. In truth it’s been barely a few seconds, but for me it feels like an eternity of crushing awkward silence.

“I did. That’s why I… ” He looks at me, and then I notice his eyes trailing to my waist area. The memory of his large hand sparking heat over my lower back only minutes ago makes me understand his reasoning immediately.

“Thank you, again.” I say, feeling compelled to repeat my gratitude. The thing is, that Adam Davies might be a notorious arsehole, but after what just happened I have to say I feel pretty darn grateful for him, too.

“Also, uh, I couldn’t help noticing that no solicitor’s office has contacted me since the Christmas party. It looks like I’m not going to court.” The corner of his mouth twitches just barely, but it’s there, I see it.

“Is that so?” I nod, fighting a grin.

“Which makes me believe that maybe you haven’t filed that complaint? Even though it would have been totally within your rights. So, thank you for that. And also for stepping in with Jessie earlier. You don’t realise how much trouble you saved me.”

Davies stares at me for way longer than it would be socially acceptable without causing the other person to feel uncomfortable. At this moment I see the same guy I’ve always noticed during meetings. The same scowling look that he gave whenever someone mixed up something or made a small calculation error.

“You shouldn’t need someone to step in.” He finally speaks in a court, short bark. I stiffen visibly, resisting the urge to gulp. I get it now, that’s why everyone says he’s an arsehole.

“To be fair, it’s not like I asked you to do anything. I was going to handle it by myself, thank you very much…” He cuts me off, rudely by speaking over me.

“And you shouldn’t have to lie about your relationship status either. Especially not so your best friend can date someone and not feel guilty that you aren’t. That’s not how friendship works, last I checked. And not how relationships work either.”

OK. So it looks like Davies was actually listening when I vomited my life story at him.

“It’s not like that.” He quirks an eyebrow, unconvinced by my argument, which is lacking. So I raise my hands in defence.

“Brandon, the guy Jessie likes, really likes her too. And he’s the kind of guy she never dated, and that would be really good for her. Someone that she deserves, an equal of some sorts. And Jessie didn’t ask me for anything. I’m not some sort of victim here. If anything, she is trying to help me, to be supporting by holding on to that stupid pact we made.

It’s not her fault that she’s drop dead gorgeous and my ex was pining over her, just like it's not her fault that I went to this extreme to make her believe I am happy and seeing someone. I just… I want my friend to be happy.” I exhaled right when the elevator reached our floor and the doors opened.

Without really thinking about it, I follow Davies to the fire exit instead of going to the more populated areas of the floor.

“You’re trying to do that by lying to her.” He adds drily while pushing a heavy door open. The bright natural lighting outside blinds me momentarily, and I have to blink a few times, then squint and shield my eyes with my hand to regain vision.

“Well, yeah, bu…” I suddenly feel defeated. A takeaway cup of coffee is pushed in front of me and I take it without hesitating. I notice Davies also has one, but my brain is too tired to wonder what kind of magic or engineering he must have used to procure them.

“She thinks we’re dating, you and I.” I quickly blurt out.

God, now that I’ve said that out loud, I get why Jessie laughed her arse off initially. The implications are too ridiculous to bear.

“Well, wasn’t that the point?” He takes a sip of his own coffee.

“Yeah.” I nod and then remembered the coffee in my hand. I dare to take a sip from my own cup, relishing the taste of it. It’s scalding hot, which means it’s freshly prepared.

Taking a deep breath I speak again when Davies doesn’t.

“Yeah. I guess it was.” I look at him warily before mentally saying to hell with it and I extend my free hand in Davies' direction. “By the way, I’m Lily Parker. In case you still want to file that complaint with HR. I’m an apprentice engineer in Mrs. Pradeep’s team.”

“I know who you are, Lily.” The way he says my name causes a slight shiver to run down my spine. I clutch the warm cup of coffee tighter.

“Oh, I… I didn't realise.” I swallow the lump that formed in my throat. Maybe he had looked me up, afterall.

I tried to imagine him combing through the security footage from the night of the Christmas party, and then using his influence to access the employees database and see who swiped their badge around the time of our kiss.

Though, realistically, it would be ridiculous for a man like Adam Davies to spend his Christmas break doing silly things like that. Right? Right?

“OK.” I say again, as the wheels keep spinning in my brain.

“And I’m Adam. Adam Davies. I’m a sen…” I can’t contain the fit of laughter that bubbles up in my chest and then explodes. Leaving aside that he introduces himself in the James Bond spirit, and how good that sounded.

I cough and try to take another sip of coffee, instantly regretting my inability to be more socially acceptable when speaking to important people.

Did he really think I didn't know who he was? Is there anyone working at Vauxhall that doesn’t know who he is? I find it hard to believe that modesty and Adam, pardon me, Dr. Adam Davies, are close.

“Right. Sorry, excuse me. I know who you are, too, Dr. Davies.” I say in a more composed face, yet avoiding direct eye contact. Something flashes in his stormy eyes when I call him Doctor. I try to ignore it.

“Alright. Though you should probably call me Adam.” He surprises me with his nonchalance. Like he didn’t just tell me to address him by his first name. Only.

It’s good that I swallowed that mouthful of coffee before he said that, for I might have spat it in his face, because of the shock, of course. I doubt that would have ended well for me.

“Oh. Oh, no, no. I couldn’t.” That would be way too… just no.

The way things work in this company is pretty straightforward. People like me, trainees and apprentices and even junior engineers don’t call the supervisors, the heads of the department or anyone of a higher role by their first name.

“If Jessie happens to be around.” He adds, again very casually while sipping his coffee.

It dawns upon me that I, Lily Parker, am technically having coffee with Adam Davies. I push that silly thought away before it would overwhelm me and I start to hyperventilate.

“Oh. Of course, that makes sense.” It does make sense. “Thank you. I didn’t think about that.” Nor did I think about anything worth thinking, really.

Clearly, my brain stopped working the moment I decided that kissing Adam Davies to save her own arse was a good idea.

Rising the cup of coffee higher, I look for my exit strategy before things turn and not in a good way for me.

“I have to get back to work. My lunch break is nearly over and we are running an experiment in the testing room.” I start babbling without even knowing if the test is finished or not. But who cares, being in Davies’, Adam’s, presence is becoming too much.

He nods, taking a few steps on the little terrace and putting his presumably empty cup in a nearby bin. Looking over in that direction more carefully, I notice the same logo as the cafe in the building. I haven’t realised it, but the back access and loading bays for the cafe is out here, so Adam might have had someone fetch him his coffee and leave it here for him to take.

I don’t even want to know who that someone is, but a small thought in the direction of a petrified teenage barrista playing slave to Davies flashes in my mind, I wouldn’t put it past him.

“I’ll walk you to the testing room.” He sais opening the heavy door for me.

“I can manage.”

“In case Jessie’s still around.” He adds again, with a bored sigh. My phone pings and he gives me a minute to look at the device.

My colleague Trina is the one that texted, letting me know that our test was such an epic fail that Pradeep ordered all of us to go home for the day and think out of the box on how we can fix the flaud. I sigh, feeling the keys to my flat in my back pocket, and seeing my phone in my hand. There’s really no point in going up and taking my bag, so I should just head home and bury my head in my pillow.

“Oh, that’s OK, really, my colleague just told me that we have been sent home for the day.” As I decline his offer a second time, I can’t help but wonder why is he being so… nice to me. Him, Adam Davies, the man that’s notorious for being mean to everyone he deems inferior and not only, is acting quite the opposite.

“Then I’ll walk you to your car, Lily.” His offer, insistent nonetheless, stuns me. I feel like there’s a catch, there has to be. But as my cheeks burn red almost matching my hair, I snort out a laugh.

“I don’t have a car.” I’m a fresh out of school, working at my first job, young woman, living in London. I literally make less than 5 pounds an hour. I can barely afford food and rent, so the notion of owning a car is ridiculous to me. And no, I didn;t miss the irony of my qualification of the company I’m working for.

I have no idea how old Davies is, but I’m sure he remembers what it was like when he was like me. If he ever was, like me. Maybe he was born rich and snobby.

“Did you take the tube?” He then asks, his nose wrinkling slightly. Yup, definitely born rich and snobby, I conclude.

“I rode my bike. And you don’t have to walk me, my bike is right at the entrance of the building.” I announce. Yeah, I try to avoid taking the tube unless I’m desperate. The fare is not as cheap as one might think. I keep that information to myself though. I’ve overshared with Adam already.

Still walking alongside me, Adam opens his mouth and then closes it. Then he opens it again, and a small smile plays at my lips, remembering I had kissed that mouth not long ago.

And it was a good kiss, that in retrospect I enjoyed a little too much considering the situation. Kissing a random, unknown uy and all that.

“There are no bike lanes around here.” He frowns, thinking deep about it. I shrug.

“What can I say? I like to live dangerously.” Cheaply, is what I meant, but I’m not sure he got the subtlety. “And I have a helmet.” Which is at my desk, but I guess now is as good a time as any to really live dangerously and venturo on the streets without a helmet. And it’s not like I’m the only one pissing off car, van and lorry drivers by holding up traffic behind her slow bike.

I’m getting that overwhelming feeling again by being in his presence, and this time I know I have to get away from Adam. I didn’t realise that we exit the building and are now outside again. The bike rack is only a few feet to my left.

One second I’m blinking and the next, those lips that I remembered so well from the party were on my own, perfectly moulded in a kiss. It lasted the same amount of time it took me to open my eyes, but I’m fairly certain I didn’t imagine it. I think.

“I’ll see you around, OK?” His chest rose as he inhaled deeply.

“Yeah. OK.” I squeaked before walking away as fast as my legs would carry me. When I got to the bike rack to unlock my bike, I realised that while I had my house keys I didn’t have the one that unlocked my bike. The one I kept in my bag, with my helmet, upstairs in the building. In a building I have no desire to walk in again today.

Resigned, I started walking in the general direction of my apartment, still daydreaming about kissing Adam Davies. Again.