Page 42 of Some Things Never Change

“It’s not that I thought you were hot. It’s that I knew you were. Both you and Anthony, of course. All the girls used to be insane about you two, always watching you both like hawks.” I laughed.

He scoffed with a smirk. “Your comment almost made me think that you might have had a little crush on me back in high school. Turns out you were just going along with everyone else.”

“But, it’s true. You were hot then and you’re still hot now. I don’t know why you’re even surprised.”

Andy leaned closer to me as his eyes searched my face. "Well, I honestly never really cared how much attention I was getting back then because I’ve always hated being the center of attention.” Then, his voice dipped low, husky, and deep in a whisper. “But I would’ve noticed it if it was coming from you.”

Ba dump.

The searing heat of my blush immediately climbed up my neck and across the expanse of my face to my ears. Andy continued to hold my gaze as he watched me. The grin he wore tipped into a smug smirk.

I scoffed, despite my flushed cheeks. “You’re such a flirt, Andy Hughes.”

His eyes twinkled a bit like the cashier behind the register. “Nah, I only flirt with you.”

I rolled my eyes. “Liar.”

“Am not. It’s the truth.”

“Sure, just like how you don’t ogle and smirk at a certain pretty receptionist who also works at J.A. Carnegie.”

After Cindy mentioned Andy crushing on a receptionist, I had also had the chance to see it with my own eyes. Just like what she said, Andy seemed to have a crush on Yazmine. She’s the beautiful receptionist who greeted you the moment you stepped into the J.A. Carnegie lobby with her big hair, soft red lips, and sexy hourglass body. Yazmine was on the elevator ride up with us once, and I couldn’t help but notice the way Andy smiled and watched her with an intense gaze.

Andy's expression changed immediately as he raised his brows at me. Then, his eyebrows suddenly furrowed. “Are you… jealous?”

What? Me? Jealous? No, of course not.

I meant to say those words, but I just couldn’t bring myself to utter them as I stared back. He watched me, searching my bewildered face. He seemed a little confused as he swallowed thickly again. Then, his lips parted to say something when the barista behind the bar called out his name. The interruption chipped at the building tension between us. We both went up, grabbed our drinks, and were soon on our way downtown.

Unfortunately, the air between Andy and me was still stiff and uncomfortable. I had never had an awkward silence with Andy before, and it was unsettling as he drove the two of us to work.

After parking the car, we continued to walk toward the elevator in an incredibly awkward silence. The tension between Andy and I was uncomfortable as he handed me my keys. Since I needed to go check up on the process of two of my current projects on opposite sides of the city, I needed my car today.

Luckily, we both bumped into Cindy by the elevators, and she proved to be a great distraction until the ecstatic grin on her face creeped me out. Her heels clicked with firm determination as she walked toward Andy and I. She was clearly a woman on a mission this morning with chili hot lipstick on.

“Are you alright?” I asked.

“Me? I’m more than alright!” she replied, a bit too happy.

Did someone sneak something into her coffee? Or was I just too exhausted to be happy it was a Friday? Regardless, I knew something was off when Cindy suddenly placed both of her hands on my shoulders. She gave them a quick squeeze as she continued to wear her crazed grin.

“Julie,” she said. “You trust me. Right?”

Andy and I cast a suspicious glance at one another. Whether Cindy noticed or not, she made no notion of it as she continued to focus only on me. She’d usually be a little chirpy since Andy was always there with me, but this morning was another level of Cindy I’ve never experienced before.

“Um, yes?” I said, unsure.

“Good,” she said after she finally pulled her hands away. As she propped one of her hands on her hips, she continued. “Because I have some news for you, girl.”

I blinked. “What news?”

Cindy let out an excited squeal. “Oneofmyhusbandsfriendshasacrushonyou!”

She was practically speaking in tongues because I couldn’t understand a single syllable she was trying to say to me. All the while, Andy was snickering. I elbowed his side to get him to stop.

“Calm down, Cindy! I can’t understand you!” I said.

She still wore her big smile as she slowly took in a long breath to calm herself down.

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