another employee had filed for a study leave, his transfer was requested to help lessen the burden.
“Why doesn’t Allan just fire him?” he asked. It was a completely reasonable move. He doubted anyone would question it if it were to happen.
“Nepotism,” she replied simply. “He’s the son of one of the board members, I think. Totally unfair, right?”
“Let me guess,” he started. “He gets paid the same even though you do more work.”
“Yep,” she said with a slow nod.
“Well that sucks,” he mused.
“Anyway,” Jordan said, putting on a cheery smile. “What do you feel like having for dinner?”
“Best Chinese food in your opinion?” he wondered.
“You truly are after my heart, aren’t you?” she teased. “You and I are gonna get along just fine.”
***
What Jordan had said on the day they met seemed to ring true as the days passed. The more time they spent together and the more they found out about each other, the closer they became. Friendship came naturally to them, proving to be advantageous with how their relationship at work got on. Michael had been on the receiving end of a lot of helpful advice from her while she was treated to fresh opinions and criticisms for her ideas from him. Even Allan couldn’t help but comment on how impressed he was with their dynamic, commending them both on their work.
He hadn’t really expected to get along so well with her but he was very grateful about it. He may have been out of his element in a new town but having her around made the adjustment easier. She was very considerate towards him, always asking what he felt like eating and offering him rides or letting him borrow her car. And even though he found himself missing his family and friends a lot, her easygoing and cheerful attitude made it easier to be away from home. And of course, it didn’t hurt that he had a beautiful girl hanging around him.
Jordan was quite the looker with her slender build and pretty face. He knew she worked for her body, going on short jogs every morning before work or during the early evening, and for longer runs during weekends. She explained that it allowed her to still indulge in her less healthy cravings. He told her he didn’t care, that he liked a girl with a healthy appetite. She teased him then, saying how that sounded like such a line.
Michael smiled to himself at the thought. At some point during the past few weeks, they had become comfortable enough with each other that playful flirting had ensued. Whether it was just her easygoing attitude or if she was actually interested, it was a mystery to him. He didn’t want to be too forward in pushing the possibilities just yet, seeing how their friendship was still quite new but there was no use in denying that he was attracted to her and definitely interested in seeing if they could be more than friends.
He was pulled out of his reverie when a knock sounded on his front door. Given his current status, he knew that there could only be one person stopping by. “Hey Jordan,” he greeted as he opened the door.
He was almost knocked back by the sight of her as she flashed a breathtaking smile that lit up her features. “Hey,” she replied. “Are you busy tonight?”
“No,” he said. “You wanna come in?”
“No, that’s okay,” she said. “I just wanted to know if you were busy coz I was planning on inviting you out. There’s this new bar that opened up and I’ve heard from a few people that it’s pretty cool. They serve meals so we can go there for dinner and head straight into partying after.”
Michael tried to hide his amusement at how it seemed like she was rambling. Was she nervous? he thought. Maybe the attraction isn’t so one-sided after all. It sounded like an egotistic thought even to him, but with the way she was fidgeting on the balls of her feet as she waited for his reply made it ring as close to the truth
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