Page 57 of The Player Next Door
That was not particularly helpful, but Clare made herself smile. “I’ll work extra hard, then.”
“Have you talked to Noah recently?” Craig asked.
“About what?”
Another glance around. “How’s his pitch coming along?”
Clare had chatted with Noah about his ideas just that morning. He was working on the horror movie pitch with most of the rest of the team, but if she remembered correctly, the pitch had been Derek’s idea in the first place. “I think they’re doing well,” Clare said neutrally. “Why do you ask?”
Craig shrugged, but there was something in his tone that gave her pause. “I like to get everyone’s opinions on how things are developing, especially when we have a couple of competing ideas. Do you think Noah’s pitch is good?”
Clare wouldn’t have called it Noah’s pitchspecificallysince there were four other people working on it, but then again, he was taking the lead. And she still remembered how annoyed Craig had been with her for disagreeing with him. “I think it’s got some really interesting approaches,” she said as diplomatically as possible. “Our core audience will love it.”
“Ah, so you think it won’t broaden our appeal?” Craig asked with a smirk.
“Oh, I didn’t mean it like that,” Clare hastened to add. She didn’t want to give Craig the impression she wasn’t a team player, especially since he’d gone out on a limb to let her develop her own pitch. “I just meant, you know, it’ll be a big hit with gamers and maybe would bring in some horror fans, too.”
“But yours would be sure to bring in a new crowd, right?”
“I mean, that’s my hope, yeah.”
Craig smiled broadly. “Didn’t know you were such a killer, Clare,” he said, and she wished he hadn’t goaded her into saying it. When she’d been hired, Craig had talked a lot about how they were a family and everyone had each others’ backs, and she really did try to live up to that ideal. She might not love her coworkers, but she liked them well enough, and truly wanted the team as a whole, not to mention the company, to succeed.
But no matter how hard she tried, she never quite fit in. Maybe she could have tried taking up multiplayer video games, or hosted a horror marathon at her apartment, or something. She felt like a square peg being stuffed into a round hole; they were technically the same size, but she was the wrong shape.
“I didn’t mean—”
“I know what you meant,” he said with a wave of his hand. “I’m just teasing.”
“Oh, uh, thanks,” she said, and Craig patted her shoulder as he stood to go.
“Good luck, kid,” he said, and when she first started the job, Craig calling herkidhad felt like a sign he was looking out for her, like they were something approaching friends. But now it felt patronizing and discouraging. She scrubbed a hand across her face, sighed, and turned back to her desk, wishing she felt just a little bit better about everything.
Chapter Twenty-eight
Logan had barely started unpacking his meager groceries—several premade meals, a bag of salad, and four bottles of wine—when his phone rattled against the countertop.
Clare
Would you want to come over and watch a movie tonight?
Also I feel honor-bound to mention that I know you’re home because I saw your light go on, but I promise I wasn’t sitting in my kitchen staring at your dark apartment or anything
He grinned, deciding to simply embrace the softness in his chest.
Logan
Stalker
And next time just say Netflix and chill. It’s faster
Clare
Fine you wanna come Netflix and chill?
Logan
I’ll bring the wine