Page 47 of Written By a Woman

“If you change your mind and decide to speak with Jacqueline, I understand.”

“The same goes for you.” Signe countered, “Anyway,” She carelessly waved her hand in the air, shooing the problem away, “Do you still need to look that thing up for Nikhil?”

She held her phone up in an offer, and I shook my head before replying, “I’ll figure it out later.”

“Sounds good,” She smirked, “Now, what are you dressing up as?” I felt my lips twitch, relief mixing with a new type of anxiety at the thought of revealing my costume to Signe after that whole situation.

A costume that Raina was very invested in.

“It’s not that cool of a costume,” I admitted, standing away from the wall I leaned against and walking around to the back of my desk, feeling a little more professional with the furniture separating us, “You’re going to think I’m lazy.”

“Probably,” Signe smiled.

I huffed a laugh and shook my head, opening my desk drawer to find the mask I had bought yesterday.

“Close your eyes,” I instructed.

“That’s what little effort you put in?” Signe seemed shocked, animated. Like how we usually were. I was suddenly so grateful that she was able to put the wholethe CTO of Sun Steer just accidentally read smut on her phone mere seconds agodebacle behind us so casually, “I just have to close my eyes for a moment for you to change?”

“I could just not dress up at all,” I lifted an eyebrow at her, a look that I was learning made her smile every time. Her lips pulled back, showing her white teeth, and making her eyes crinkle in delight.

“I guess I should be happy with what little effort you’re willing to put in,” Signe sighed as if exhausted with me. She set the iPad down on my desk before she closed her eyes and folded her arms across her chest. I held my breath as I pulled the scream mask out of my desk drawer and slipped it on, glancing at my reflection on my dark computer screen to make sure it sat right and that I could see out of it just fine.

I then glanced around my desk space, realizing that I couldn’t do the type of casual doorframe lean that I also read about online. I could use the back of my chair, but that had wheels, and knowing me I would likely slip and land on my ass. I decided I would simply stand tall with my arms crossed casually as if I was truly put out by dressing up for the Halloween party. Plus, this brought attention to my exposed forearms again. I glanced down and flexed them a little, hoping that they looked as good as women on the internet claimed about good forearms.

“Open your eyes at your own risk,” I replied, my voice partially muffled by the scream mask.

Signe opened her eyes, her expression already one of disappointment, before she looked at me and her gaze widened, and her lips parted. I stayed still and silent, waiting to see if this worked. Was she scared of the mask? Was she disappointed that I just wore a basic scream mask and regular work clothes? Was she weirded out?

My face felt hot underneath, but I was pretty sure that was due to her scrutiny.

I saw her tuck her bottom lip into her teeth, before popping it out again and clearing her throat. I took a good look at her face again, and I realized that her flushed cheeks and chest were darker, indicating that she was blushing asecondtime in my presence. Seeing me in this mask with my arms crossed made her do so.

Was it agoodblush, though?

Hopefully, a blush that didn’t make her want to call HR.

“Good lord,” Signe wheezed.Wheezed. I chuckled under my mask, my heart racing erratically in my chest, and my palms even started to get a little sweaty.

“Does this count?” I asked, my voice lower and gravelly again. It was like I was in tune with her on a biological level. If there was any indication that Signe was feeling a fraction of what I felt for her daily, my temperature, pulse, and voice responded accordingly.

“Um,” Signe cleared her throat, “That’ll work.”

“Are you sure? I don’t want to disappoint you,” I made a show of placing my hands on my waist. Signe’s eyes traveled down my form, appreciative, before she tore her gaze away and stared at my masked-covered face again. Like she couldn’t look away.

I inhaled, my chest rising with the movement and earning Signe’s attention, before I stepped around my desk as casually as I possibly could.

“I know it’s not as thorough as your costume,” I made a show of tilting my head and dragging my gaze down and up at her outfit, exaggerating the movement so she could see where my eyes went even behind the mask.

I saw her hands ball into fists from my perusal, tucked tightly under her folded arms.

“It works.” Signe’s voice was strained, and I thought I saw her breathing tremble a little bit under my stare. Was this working? Did she like this? Perhaps it was insanity. Perhaps it was the fact that Signe had already brushed off the previous inappropriate behavior I exhibited in her presence that made me more confident. That made me want to push this just alittlebit more.

“You aren’t lying to me, are you Signe?” Funny, because I was lying to myself at that moment, telling myself that I was lowering my voice for the mask and the act of the costume, and not because it sounded like we were in the privacy of a bedroom. I took another step towards her, thrilled that she held her ground, and tilted her head up just enough to meet my masked eyes.

“N-No,” Signe stammered, shaking her head once as her gaze became hooded. Her flush was still painted on her pretty face. Her chest was heaving like mine, and her eyes watched my hand as I trailed my fingers on the edge of my desk as I approached her. This would be the second time we were in each other’s personal space within minutes, and my pulse hummed in my veins at the thrill of it. How I was pushing the boundary here, and how Signe was clearly into whatever this was rapidly developing between us.

“…You promise?” I asked, “This works?” I left maybe an inch in between us.

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