Later that same day, Scott looked up as Carl entered his office and closed the door firmly behind him. Without any preliminaries he got straight to the point as he always did.
"Someone has been checking up on you. Wanting information about you," Carl said as he sat calmly in the nearest chair.
"Oh? What kind of information?" Scott wondered.
"Both financial and personal."
"Do you know whose asking?"
"No, they're very discreet."
"Hmm," Scott murmured. "I'll keep that in mind. Let me know if you hear anything else."
"There is something. Have you heard about Warren Russel?"
"The financial genius? Of course I have. He's worth billions, I understand."
"Don't you think it's a bit strange that he shares the same last name as your newest ladylove?"
"I should be more discreet, is that it?"
Carl just smiled at him.
"How did you find out?"
"The way you behave when she's around, my friend. I know you too well not to notice."
Scott just nodded. Damn it. He thought he'd done his utmost to hide his feelings. Instead, the entire staff would probably know more about them than he did.
"Do you think the others have noticed?"
"Are you kidding me? Most of them can only see the computer screen at the end of their noses and they only care about the hardware. Besides, what you do in your own spare time is your business, right?"
"Agreed," Scott said half-heartedly as he thought about the question Carl had raised. "You said something about them having the same last name?"
"Yes, and they even spell it the same way."
"It must be a coincidence. There are thousands of Russels out there. There's no way I can be that unlucky as to get a famous tycoon as a father in law."
"Wow, are you getting married? That was fast."
"No, no. It was just a matter of speech. Don't get your hopes up. She's still considering whether she wants to speak to me or not."
"Sounds like a smart young woman no matter who her father is," Carl laughed heartily.
Tuesday
The next day at work, both Scott and Kate tried to act as normal as possible, trying not to let the others know about their relationship.
Still, their acting skills were not very good, Kate realised, after Brian came to her office and sat down in her visiting chair.
"Are you and Scott an item?" Brian asked without any preliminaries.
"No. Not that I know of," Kate replied and tried to sound as if she was only half-interested in the topic. "What makes you think that?"
"He stares at you."
"Is that all? What else is new? I'm a female programmer, remember? It's a race practically extinct. Everybody stares at me."
"He follows you around with his eyes and he has this hungry look."
"Hungry?"
"Yes, and you can be certain that it's not food he's after."
"I'm sure you're mistaken."
"Not at all. I'm an expert on seeing what others don't," Brian insisted.
"Look, Brian. What you see is just him being civil. Besides, I'm the only woman in this company. So of course I'm treated a bit differently than you men."
"You'll see that I'm right," he continued. "Very soon he will make you sleep with him or he'll threaten to get you fired."
Kate just laughed heartily. Been there, done that, she wanted to confess.
"You just mark my words," Brian said haughtily. "I'm usually right about these things."
"Sure you are, Brian. Thanks for the warning. I'll keep an eye on him in case he wants to attack me in the hallway."
"Who's attacking you?" Scott asked suspiciously as he leaned against the doorway. "Is Brian bothering you?"
"Relax, big guy." Kate almost laughed. "Brian was just warning me about a stalker he's heard of."
"A stalker?"
"Yep, you know the kind that lurks around in the shadows before attacking some unsuspecting victim," Kate explained as she gave Brian a wink. Brian sniggered before retreating quickly.
Scott looked more perplex than ever.
"Am I missing something here?"
"Just an internal joke between geeks. You wouldn't understand."
"Try me."
"Come in and close the door then," she offered.
"Are you sure?"
"No, but since it's a glass door I'm sure that you would behave yourself."
He closed the door and sat down in the nearest chair.
"So, what's so funny?"
"Brian was warning me about you."
"Oh."
"Oh, yes. He says you look like you intend to eat me for breakfast."
"I'm that transparent. Damn."
"Don't worry. I think Brian is an exception to the normal computer geeks working here, but..."
"But he likes to gossip as well. I know."
She just nodded.
"Well, there is only one thing to do," Scott sighed.
"And that is?"
"You have to marry me. Then we can have as much sex as we want at home so we can even start working again," he teased lightly.
"Not funny. You don't have to be married in order to sleep together these days," she reminded him.
"It sounded a lot better in my version. But nevertheless. Would you like to go out with me this evening?"
"Sure, what did you have in mind?"
"A nice dinner for two and then you can decide the desert?"
"You mean, in or out of bed?"
"You read my mind."
"Sounds interesting."
