Chapter 44: Hello Mike.
Kyle had accomplished quite a lot today, making significant progress in laying the groundwork for his cover story. Feeling very satisfied, he decided to shift his attention to Jane, planning a surprise visit to her workplace. He knew she would be ecstatic to see him, and the thought of seeing her face light up with joy brought a small, genuine smile to his face. Unlike his masked dance with Calista, Kyle genuinely liked the kind of person Jane was, her easy-going nature and her way of making him feel relaxed.
Pulling up near her workplace, Kyle parked out of sight to ensure no one saw him arriving. He stopped just before the curve, choosing to walk around the block and take his time, savoring the calm before he’d surprise Jane. Along the way, he considered whether he should bring her something special, maybe a coffee or a small treat, but quickly decided against it. Jane wasn’t the type to be overwhelmed by grand gestures or love-bombing; subtlety always worked better with her. She appreciated the simple things more, and that was one of the things Kyle liked about her.
When Kyle finally entered the shop, he noticed Jane standing with her back to him, chatting animatedly with a coworker. Some of her colleagues spotted him and seemed ready to inform her of his arrival, but Kyle motioned for them to stay quiet. They had grown quite fond of Kyle, as he had helped bring Jane out of her shell in ways no one else had.
Kyle tiptoed toward her, but his plan was abruptly interrupted when Mike entered the room from the back. His eyes locked on Kyle, who was mid-sneak, making the whole situation much more complicated.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING, SIR?" Mike barked, startling everyone in the shop and effectively ruining Kyle’s surprise.
Kyle froze in place, irritation flickering across his face as the others collectively facepalmed. Rose, another coworker, watched the scene with growing amusement and a small, sarcastic grin.
"It’s about to go down," she muttered under her breath, thoroughly entertained by the whole spectacle.
Hearing the commotion, Jane turned around, her heart skipping a beat when she saw Kyle standing there. She wasn’t prepared for this moment, nor had she expected him to show up so unexpectedly.
"K-Kyle?" she stammered, her voice filled with complete surprise.
Kyle smiled widely, opening his arms slightly in a welcoming gesture. "Hey, you..." he greeted her warmly.
Jane stood frozen in place, unsure of what to do in front of her coworkers.
"What the hell is going on?" Mike thought, his confusion growing as he glanced at Rose, who was now smirking with satisfaction at the unfolding drama.
"Are you going to leave me hanging?" Kyle asked, still smiling as he stood with his arms outstretched. He wasn’t bothered by the curious eyes around him. Jane, he had learned, appreciated public displays of affection, or so he believed from their previous interactions.
After a moment of hesitation, Jane slowly walked toward him and wrapped her arms around his waist in an awkward but sincere embrace.
"See? I don’t bite," Kyle said softly, realizing this was the first time they had hugged, and he could feel the subtle connection between them deepen in that brief moment.
Jane held on longer than expected, as if not wanting to break the moment, seemingly unwilling to let go. Kyle didn’t mind and gently stroked her hair, a comforting and tender gesture. But Jane, realizing where she was and the crowd around them, quickly broke away from the embrace, her eyes darting around the room as if embarrassed by the attention.
"I don’t think anyone saw that," Kyle teased, looking around dramatically before asking the group, "Did anyone see that?"
In unison, they all said, "No," with humor in their voices that perfectly matched Kyle’s playful tone as they went along with his antics, pretending nothing out of the ordinary had occurred.
"You see? No one saw anything," Kyle reassured her, though Jane’s cheeks remained a bright red, and her heart was racing from the unexpected emotions she was feeling.
"W-What are you doing here?" Jane stuttered, trying to regain her composure but failing miserably. She was not used to having this much attention drawn to her in front of her coworkers, especially not from someone who made her feel this way.
"I came to see you, silly," Kyle replied with a light-hearted smile, lightly poking her forehead in an attempt to make her feel a bit more at ease.
[Change in affection bar!]
[Jane’s affection: 85%]
"M-Me?" Jane’s voice wavered slightly, but his words made her heart flutter in a way she hadn’t expected.
Mike, meanwhile, stood silently, watching the exchange. He couldn’t believe the faces Jane was making—faces he had never seen from her before. The man she had known for only a short time had brought out emotions in her that Mike had never thought possible. Jealousy began to bubble within him, though he kept it contained for the moment.
"What are you both doing? This is a workplace," Mike said sternly, his tone cutting through the lighthearted moment. His frustration was starting to show, as he didn’t quite understand what was happening between Jane and Kyle.
Kyle turned to him, raising a brow in silent acknowledgment of the statement. Mike was right, technically, but it was clear he was the only one with a problem with what was happening. Kyle wasn’t about to back down, not when it came to Jane.
Kyle sighed, deciding not to escalate things. "You’re right," he said calmly, forcing himself to relax. The last thing he wanted was to make Jane uncomfortable or create trouble for her at work. But he also knew he couldn’t let Mike try to assert dominance over him in front of Jane.
"So how about this?" Kyle continued, shifting his tone to something more confident. "I’ll buy everyone here a brand-new iPhone—you included. But, of course, only if my lady is okay with it."
The room lit up with excitement at his words. Kyle had effectively turned the situation around, positioning Mike as the potential villain who could ruin everyone’s good fortune, should he try to stop it.
"Did he just call her his lady?" Mike thought to himself, disbelief washing over him. This was the same woman who had rejected him, yet now she seemed entirely smitten with Kyle, who wasn’t afraid to assert himself in a way Mike never could.
"H-He just called me his lady?" Jane’s thoughts spiraled as her heart raced, unable to process what she had just heard. She had never expected this turn of events and certainly hadn’t been prepared for Kyle to refer to her so openly.
"Well?" Kyle prompted Jane, watching her closely, eagerly waiting for her response.
"Y-Yes," Jane finally said, her voice barely audible but enough for Kyle to hear clearly. She couldn’t help but smile at his words, feeling a wave of affection she hadn’t expected to feel so strongly.
And just like that, the room erupted into action. The employees hurried to pick out the phones of their choice, not wanting to risk Kyle changing his mind, as they had no idea how long the offer would last.
Mike, though irritated and internally frustrated, had no choice but to play along. Despite his jealousy, the offer was too good to pass up. He was caught in a difficult situation and knew there was no way to back out now.
"There you have it, folks," Kyle announced with a grin, as the team moved quickly to make their selections, their excitement palpable.
Kyle watched the scene unfold, his mind lingering on Mike. He had noticed something off about him from the start. Mike wasn’t just a stickler for rules; he was marking his territory, attempting to assert some sort of dominance. But Kyle had made it clear who was in control, and he didn’t need to cause a scene to do it.
