Chapter 19: About last night
Pepper was distracted for most of the day at work yet she managed to present the seminar on the newest project the company took on.
She was munching her carrots for lunch when Marks entered her office. She was mostly absentminded as she thought of last night with Asher.
"Callie, are you free to talk?" Marks was a little indecisive whether he wanted to be an object of Pepper's amusement that afternoon.
Yet, he still owed her a lot for standing in for him on the presentation earlier in the week. If Pepper hadn't, he would be out of a job and cost the company three hundred thousand dollars.
So, here he was with his tail in between his legs grateful to a girl that would probably laugh at his face.
"Of course, please have a seat Mr. Marks" Pepper dropped the bag of carrots on the table
"Do you want some carrots?" Pepper offered.
Marks turned around to check when someone else was standing behind him because there was no way in hell, Calliope 'Pepper' Hart was offering him something other than insults.
But since he was the only other person in the room, he turned around to clarify himself.
"You want me to have some carrots? Me, Marks Damian…you are offering me carrots" Marks pointed at himself as he talked.
He figured that if calling himself by name wasn't enough for Pepper to realize her mistake then the pointing will bring her back to her senses.
"Do you want some?" Pepper asked him and brought the bag of carrots closer.
This was a trap! Run Marks! It's poisonous carrots that would render him speechless for a year!
A lot of things raced through Mark's mind but if it was poisonous then why was she eating from this same bag? The next logical argument and conclusion was that the real Pepper Hart had been replaced by an Alien.
"No, thanks. I am actually not hungry" Marks replied instead. There was no need to tempt fate.
"Why are you here?"
"I came to say thank you for your help with the project. You came through for me and I won't forget it in a hurry" Mr Marks waited for the caricature and the sneering but it never came.
"You are welcome, Mr Marks. What am I if not helpful?" Pepper answered with a brief smile.
Marks knew that there were many ways in which he could answer Pepper's question. She has been anything but helpful to him since he got promoted.
Was this a prank? Did HR send a camera team to watch her? Was he having a dream…no, not a dream. Pepper usually has horns on her forehead in his dreams about her.
He stood up immediately to walk out before whatever she was planning, that she needed to be nice to him exploded in his face. like the time she rigged his offices with booby traps that ended up pouring baby powder on him.
He almost collided with June on his way out.
"Pepper, are you alright?" June asked and watched her friend closely.
"Yeah, shouldn't I be?" Pepper asked her best friend.
"Are you sure?" June insisted.
"Yes. Why are you looking at me like that, Junie?" Pepper's curiosity was peaked.
"For starters, you just offered your bag of carrots to Marks and then you didn't even insult him. Wait! Did Gramps later die?" June was sincerely worried.
"No! Of course not" Pepper dropped the bag on carrots inside the drawer and closed it.
"Yesterday, Asher's daughter locked me out of my apartment. She is a mean one, the little bossy thing!" Pepper's anger was rekindled.
"What did Asher do about it?"
"Nothing. Because I locked him out of the apartment earlier myself…"
Pepper was interrupted by June.
"You did not!"
"Junie, we spent the night together in his car and I…I…" Pepper suddenly found herself tongue tied.
Her face was distorted like she was about to reveal an imperfect thing that she did.
"Oh my Vijay-jay! Did you have sex with your husband at the back of his car? You little…little slu-"
June was interrupted by the pacing and the worsening frown on Pepper's face. She was almost hopping on one foot.
"No? I didn't have sex with Asher. I did something much worst. I was…I was…" Pepper couldn't bring herself to say it.
June waited for her to talk with the impatience of a bored tigress. She needed the juicy details.
What could be much worst than her virgin friend losing her virginity to a man she married by mistake, in a car of all places but if Pepper said it was much worst then it must be.
"Pepper, I swear to God if you don't take me out of my misery by spilling the juicy details then I am sending your phone number to my bald cousin. You know he likes you" June threatened her with.
"Fine! I allowed myself to be vulnerable with Asher last night!" Pepper finally let the cat out of the bag.
June's eyes widened.
"How vulnerable are we talking about?" June asked her friend
"I told him about my parents and how we gaze up in the night sky while lying on a water bed"
"You did not! It took me three years of friendship for you to tell me about the stars and you told Asher in one week! What does he have that I don't?!" June was slightly furious.
"A comfortable chest that made me feel like I was in heaven?" Pepper said.
Her eyes narrowed and her face was distorted.
"Well, he is pretty hot. Are you alright?" June asked her and she shook her head.
"Do I look alright to you? I offered my bag of carrots to Marks…Junie, I was nice to Marks…."
"I know, you are not alright. Maybe you should stop pacing" June suggested.
Pepper stopped pacing and she sat down on her chair.
"What should I do?" Pepper needed advice.
"Maybe, it's a good thing. I mean you like him right?" June asked her.