SUGAR (bxb)

56. Matchmaking Tuesday (Casey)

   "Sugar! Wake up!" I hear Ave's soft voice in my ear, pulling me out of the drowse. "It's eight. Time to wake up, if you want me to drive you to work."

   I open only one eye to peek at him and am immediately greeted with a wide smile, "Aww, look who came back from the land of dreams, my beautiful Bunny!"

   "Really?" I'm suddenly wide awake. "Beautiful? No rash and swelling?"

   "No," Ave confirms. "You look great!"

   "Let me see!" I scramble out of bed, almost knocking him down and rush to the bathroom.

   "Careful! Mozart is sleeping again on the... " Before he can finish, I run into a huge, furry butt and sprawl face down on the floor.

   "We really need to break his habit of lying here," I mutter, but don't waist time and crawl on all fours the rest of the distance to the mirror. "Oh, my God! It's me again! Ave, look! I can see my eyes!" I lean closer and study carefully my face. There are still reddish spots here and there and the sclera of my eyes is definitely not exactly white, but I can recognize myself and look decent enough for the office.

   "Yeah, Dr. George is a magician! You're cute even when you're like a balloon, though," Ave chuckles, wrapping his arms around me in a back hug. "Promise me that you'll never ever eat or drink anything that has been in close proximity to Ebony again!"

   "We aren't sure," I try to protest. "It could've been anything."

   "Yes, we are!" he insists. "It's totally her style. She put a bee in my pants once when we were kids. Get in the shower now! You have twenty minutes to get ready. I've prepared some sandwiches for you. We have no time for breakfast. I have an appointment at the Patent Office at nine."

   I slip out of my t-shirt and boxers and turn on the water while Avery is trying to push the dog out the door. Mozart, of course, is doing his best to make it as hard as possible.

   "Do you think that the procedure will be completed soon?" I ask while shampooing my hair.

   "I have no idea," Ave huffs. "The bureaucracy is terrible. It would have been easier if grandpa was here. He has a natural talent to make state institutions work for him. Unfortunately, I've inherited none of it."

   "Why don't you call him?" I suggest.

   "Nah," he dismisses it instantly. "He's done enough! I'm on it. I'll manage on time. We still have two weeks to the launch of the new app."

   I shrug my shoulders and focus on scrubbing my body. Legal details has never been my strong side. There's no logic in them. I can work only with something that has a clear algorithm.

   "Why are you so stubborn?" Ave yells, finally giving up his attempts to make the dog go out. Mozart snorts and goes back to sleep on the rug.

   I'm in the office at exactly half past eight and rush out of the elevator, impatient to discuss the tests with Smiley. He's sitting on his desk, engaged in what seems a very  important phone conversation. His face is serious. He's speaking in a low voice, almost whispering. The moment I appear, he quickly blurts "We'll discuss this later. Bye!" and hangs up. I'm puzzled. This is the first time I see him so secretive. Why would he hide something from me? He's my boss, but we've become really good friends as well. 

   "Hey, Casey!" he jumps up and throws an arm over my shoulders. "How are you? Ave told me about the allergic reaction. You look like someone who has barely kept body and soul together."

   "What do you mean?" I purse my lips. 

   "I'm just joking," he chuckles. "Did you have coffee?"

   "No, there was no time," I answer.

   "Ahh, that explains everything," he pats my back. "Let's get you one. I want to talk to you about something, as a friend. I need a favor."

   "Sure!" I beam. Smiley is great. I'll be glad to help him with whatever he needs. "What is it?"

   "Mmm, it's about me and...," he's scratching nervously his head, "... Maya. You've noticed that I like her. No, not like, I actually adore her. She's... you know... perfect, beautiful, smart, sexy... but..." He takes a deep breath. "Do you think she likes me too?"

    I start to giggle. It's funny how this big, confident, usually composed man is suddenly stuttering and blushing, talking about a petite, shy girl. Love can really throw you off balance. I know this better than anyone.

   "Let's find out," I smirk.

   "How?" he raises a brow, handing me a cup of steaming coffee.

   "By you asking her on a date, of course" I state, as if I have any idea what to do in such situations. To be honest, I would've probably still be hiding in my apartment, avoiding parties and pitying myself, if it wasn't for Avery. 

   "Noooo! What if she says no?" he palms his face.

   "What about me inviting you both to a dinner with me and Avery tomorrow," I offer. "You'll spend some time with her and we'll see how it goes."

   "That actually sounds great," he says in relief. "It might actually work."

   "Of course it will work," I assure him. "Ave will be thrilled. He thinks you two will make a great couple."

   "He does?" Smiley gazes at me in astonishment.

   "Well," I confess, "It's me who thinks so, but he always agrees."

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Photo 24610073 © Byelikova |Dreamstime.com

A/N

Hello everyone at the end of Chapter 56!

Thank you so much for reading and supporting! ❤

The end of this story is near. Each of the following chapters will be a day of the week and we'll see the denouement on Sunday.

I hope you had a lot of fun so far and will enjoy the rest.

And don't worry about Ave and his sweet Bunny 😀

Love always wins! 💗💗💖

Share your thoughts, be free to express yourself and criticize, if you feel it's necessary.

And don't forget to vote if you enjoyed the story.

See you in next chapter.

Love: Anny