Chapter 89 Tiny People
Noah's POV:
Forcing Eden to stay in the kitchen might have been taking things a step too far... Now spending her time in my office instead of the kitchen, she seems slightly happier. Mostly because at least now they have a window. The problem is that she can see through the windows into the department.
Which when everyone is working in the conference room isn't really a problem. But when the first of the houses are finally finished and we have to move them to the store room things get a little complicated. I ask Stacey to distract Eden, take her out for lunch or something but my girlfriend only refuses everything the other girl suggests.
"Boss, maybe you should take her out?" Rob tells me. "You like her, right? So, here's your chance..."
I frown because we don't have time for this. There's no time to waste but his suggestion might be the only thing that will get her out of the building, unless I were to ask Mrs Clancy for help. But then I'd have to admit that I already know that Eden is her granddaughter and I want to wait for Eden to tell me herself.
"I'll take her out," I say before making my way across the department towards my office, ignoring Rob's jeers. I shouldn't have told him that I like her.
Letting myself into my office, I grin at Eden. She's sitting behind my desk, carving away at what looks like a little robin. It's funny because as much as she's my assistant, she belongs in the boss's chair. One day, possibly not that far from now, she'll be my boss. I can imagine she'll make a brilliant boss, just as good as her grandma.
Looking up, she catches me staring.
"Hey you!" she says excitably.
"Fancy some lunch?" I ask, striding towards her.
"Er... I've got to carve at least five more of these today."
"Please," I practically beg. "I'm starving."
She looks like she's going to refuse but then she surprises me when she puts down the knife. "Fine, but you don't get to blame me if I don't get them all finished today."
"I'll take the blame," I tell her. "What do you want to eat?"
"Anything will do," she says, coming around the desk to stand beside me. "What do you want?"
"Pizza?" I suggest because it's quick but then reconsider. Perhaps I shouldn't be rushing back, but rather taking my time so my team have time to move all the houses. "Or... something else... I'm super hungry so I could happily eat a five course dinner."
***
It's only when I get a text message from Rob that the coast is clear that Eden and I return to the company. She's angry with me because I'm distracting her. She says we should have had a quick lunch and rushed back.
I don't want to argue with her. "Didn't you enjoy it?"
"Yeah but there's so much to do," she grumbles, "and I can't work late tonight."
"Oh?" I ask as we get out of the lift.
"I've got to head back to my grandma's," she tells me.
I'm a little relieved. If she's not staying late, I don't have to worry about keeping the houses a secret.
She pauses just as we reach the doors to our department, crouching down to pick something up.
"What's this?" she asks, inspecting something in her hand.
Standing over her, I look down, trying to see what she's referring to.
"It's so tiny," she says, getting to her feet to show me a tiny - and I mean tiny - table. It's smaller than the nail on my finger and yet that tiny, little thing causes me to panic.
How the hell can I explain it away? I'm floundering, trying to think up an answer that doesn't make me sound like a crazy person.
"Tiny people..." I have no idea why I just said that.
"What?" she asks, looking up at me.
"You know... like the borrowers..."
"Noah, tiny people aren't real," she says.
"Yeah, but Rob thought it would be funny to pull a little prank on Stacey. He has her genuinely convinced that they're real."
"You're not serious," she laughs. "Stacey isn't that gullible, surely?"
"Apparently..." Taking the little table from her, I tell her that I'll return it to Rob, so she can get straight back to work on her own woodwork. She gives me a slightly disgruntled look at that suggestion, clearly not delighted at the idea of having to continue with the woodland creatures.
"Have you seen my hands, Noah?" she asks, holding them up for me to see.
They're covered in callouses and look really sore. "I'm sorry, love," I say, "but it's important work and you're the only person I can trust with the task."
She doesn't look convinced. Actually she looks like she thinks I'm barmy for thinking she's as gullible as Stacey.
"Rob obviously has some time on his hands if he's making borrower furniture."
"He bought them... I think," I lie. Goodness, I hope she can't tell. The last thing I want is for her to think I'm lying to her.
"Right..." She still looks disbelieving as she makes her way into my office without saying goodbye.
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