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with him just a week later (which consequently included very loud make-up sex). Their on-again, off-again cycle had repeated for the entire year Tessa had lived with her. Tessa really should've gotten her own place, but she was trying to save money to buy her own house. When Adam had mentioned he was looking for a roommate, he'd been surprised when she stepped up. Still, they'd gotten along very well from the beginning.
    She probably should do something nice for him, she thought. Make him something, maybe, since he seemed to rave about the sandwich and cookie. He liked chocolate--she'd make him some kick-ass chocolate torte, she thought with a smile.
    She heard his voice over her cube wall. "Um, Stacy?"
    Her cube was close to the reception desk. He was apparently chatting up the pretty new hire. Well, "pretty" was probably an understatement. Stacy was beautiful--and very polished, an abnormality in their hoodie-and-jeans wearing set. She usually dressed like someone out of Scandal  or something, very high end.
    "Hi. You're Adam, right?"
    Tessa didn't mean to eavesdrop, but it wasn't like she was doing anything else. And it really wasn't her fault that sound naturally carried from the reception desk to her cube.
    "Yeah. Um...how are you doing?" He sounded nervous.
    "I'm settling in," Stacy said, her voice friendly and bright. "Anything I can help you with?"
    "Just wanted to see how you're doing," he said.
    Oh, hell, Tessa realized with a start. He's trying to ask her out!
    It wasn't a surprise, considering. In the few weeks that Stacy had been here, Tessa had heard several of the guys asking her out. José asked her out regularly at this point, every single day. Stacy had kept a good attitude about it, laughing and saying "Still no, José," but it was obvious the woman was getting a little tired of the attention.
    She hadn't even known that Adam was interested in Stacy. She felt a little twinge of something, but couldn't quite get what. Why should she care? He could date whoever he wanted. Of course, that might mean him bringing women home, she thought, and her stomach knotted a little. She hoped there wasn't headboard-banging sex. She'd had more than enough of blasting her headphones, trying to drown out that sort of noise, in her last living situation. Ugh.
    "Are you from around here?" Adam continued.
    "I'm from Snoqualmie," Stacy replied, and Tessa could hear her voice go from friendly to slightly wary. "Grew up there, actually."
    "Really? I bought a house in Snoqualmie three years ago. It's a great place." His voice was warm and genuine.
    Tessa peeked over the cube wall. He was leaning slightly against the wide cherry reception desk, his reddish-brown hair ruffled, wearing a green sweatshirt and jeans with a black pair of chucks. It was quite the contrast to Stacy's white cashmere sweater and diamond earrings.
    "You're a regular, then. What are your favorite places to eat?"
    Stacy sighed. "Listen, I'm sorry if I'm overstepping, but are you trying to ask me out?"
    He choked. "What?"
    "Because I have to say, I get asked out like three times a day at least," she said. Her smile was still friendly, but her gaze was firm. "I mean, I'm sure you're a great guy, but..."
    "Um, no. No! God, no. I mean, not God no," he quickly amended. "It's just...I mean, I was just..."
    "Did you need something then?" Stacy asked gently.
    "Yes. Need. Umm..."
    The guy was going down in flames, Tessa thought, squirming in empathetic discomfort. He needed help.
    He'd helped her at lunch. The least she could do was return the favor.
    Before she could think about it too much, she got up and strode over. "Coffee," she said.
    The two of them looked at her, surprised. "I'm sorry?" Stacy asked.
    "He wanted to tell you that we're out of coffee," Tessa said, looking at Adam and mentally willing him to play along. "He really likes those K-cups, the French roast ones, and we're completely out down in the Pit. You do the ordering, right? Supplies, lunches and