“Well, it’s not exactly easy, Mr. Armanelli.”
Lucas cleared his throat, and I knew he was gearing up to speak on my behalf.
“I beg to differ. How many calls have you handled this morning?”
My eyes bulged. Lucas even slid the candy canes toward me like I should take another before responding to the asshat in front of us. Candy canes calmed us. It was a bad habit I’d started when I got cravings, and I passed it onto him. Instead of nicotine or a bump of cocaine, he had a candy cane. That’d begun during wintertime last year. Now we both had a problem eating them throughout the year.
We’d been sharing a table in our office space. Most of us had utilized the communal tables near the back because we wanted to lounge together and chitchat while we worked. But since Cade had been around this week, most everyone had migrated back to their desks. The floor wasn’t separated by cubicles, but when posted up behind your laptop, it could still feel pretty solitary.
I needed my team—especially when dealing with the terrible IT calls—and Lucas ventured over to the empty tables with me, even if there was some unspoken perception that we might get in trouble.
“Are you getting any work done?” Cade continued, and his eyes flicked between us and narrowed.
“I’ve taken more than enough IT calls, Mr. Armanelli.” I shouldn’t have sneered it. I knew it was wrong. In my defense, it’d been a long week. My boss had fucked me in his office, I’d been recently dumped by a guy who kept calling me, and I’d been given a new position. I was tired. Containing my attitude wasn’t on my list of to-dos, and my reflexes to stop it were quite slow.
“You have a problem with IT?” Cade asked quietly. And of course the room was silent. Most of my coworkers had even stopped typing.
“It’s just...”
“Just what?” He crossed his arms and waited.
No one was going to jump in and help me on this one. “I’m sorry. It’s fine. I’m a little stressed.”
“With IT work? Because I guarantee you the election security is going to be much more taxing.”
I swear I heard Juda snicker. I started to pick at my nails, trying to curb my irritation. Everyone knew IT was shit. Cade himself knew that. Unless, maybe he’d never had to do IT work.
“Have you ever taken an IT call?”
“What?” He appeared perplexed. “Why does that matter?”
“I’m just wondering, since you find it so easy, have you ever done it?”
His eyes narrowed, and then he zeroed in on my nail picking. He tapped his shoe in rhythm with it as he smirked. “I’m sure it’s not hard.”
My picking got faster, and so did his shoe tapping. Fucker. “Well, why don’t you take Jodie here that I have to call back. She’s struggling to get her internet up and running for her medical practice.”
He cracked his neck, and I saw a little bit of tattoo peek out from his collar. It made me wonder if he was tattooed across his whole chest, all down his arms, everywhere. I’d never ripped his shirt off the way I wanted to.
And I never would, I reminded myself.
“Give me the phone, Izzy.”
Of course, now Lucas was smiling and leaning back to watch the show with his candy cane, while Cassie giggled to Penelope.
“Here you go,boss.” I emphasized his title, and his eyes cut to me.
“You really think this is going to stump me?” He grinned and dialed the number. “Yes, is this Jodie? I’m calling on behalf of Stonewood Enterprises IT. You’re having an issue?”
We all waited. I swear it was like we were at the movies. Cade was not personable. Not approachable. And he didn’t give directions. He worked alone.
“Okay. Start with checking to see if your Wi-Fi is on.” Another pause. “What do you mean what’s Wi-Fi?” he practically squeaked.
Lucas nearly spat out his candy cane, and I silently cracked up. Cade glared at both of us.
“I’m sorry. Do you have anyone else in the office with you? They will most likely know where it is on your screen. Wi-Fi connects you to the internet and—”
I watched Cade’s jaw get tighter and tighter.