C81 You.. Have A Girlfriend

Lunch break came to an end, and everyone gradually returned to their respective departments. Back in the Cybersecurity Strategic Engineering Division, I sat at my desk and continued studying the company's security systems. Although I had only been here for a short time, every document I read taught me something new.

Still... Today, my concentration wasn't as sharp as usual. I had plans with Laura after work, so I wasn't in the mood to dive too deeply into complicated technical manuals. After reading for another thirty minutes, I leaned back in my chair and let my thoughts wander.

Surprisingly, I wasn't thinking about Alicia. Nor was I thinking about Laura. Instead, one person occupied my mind. Josh Tryon. My team manager. Ever since my first day at Wood's IT Company, he had treated me with nothing but kindness and respect. He never looked down on anyone because of their background or position. Whether someone was a cleaner or a department head, he treated everyone exactly the same. That was one of the reasons I admired him.

But now... Things were becoming complicated. "I'm beginning to take my relationship with Laura seriously," I thought. "What happens when Manager Tryon finds out?" The thought made me uncomfortable. Would he distance himself from me? Would he think I was only getting close to his daughter because of his position?

Even worse... Would he order us to break up? I sighed quietly. "If that happens... could I really accept it?" Another thought crossed my mind. "Would it affect my progress in the department?" Although Josh wasn't the type to mix personal matters with work, emotions weren't always easy to control. For the first time in a long while... I felt nervous about the future.

Meanwhile... Inside the Business Administration Department, Chris was experiencing a surprisingly peaceful afternoon. For nearly twenty minutes, nobody entered his office. He looked toward the door several times. "Strange..." "Not a single person needs my help today?" He almost laughed.

Finally enjoying the silence, he picked up his phone. His fingers hesitated above the screen before opening Sarah's chat. After thinking for a moment, he typed "Hi again. I just wanted to check on you. I hope it wasn't my fault that you left. I miss you." He pressed send. Then he waited. One minute... Three minutes... Five minutes... Nothing. Sarah remained offline.

Chris looked at the last online status and sighed. "She probably hasn't even landed in England yet." He stared at the screen again before typing another message. "Can I ask you something?" A few seconds later, he added "Do you have a boyfriend?"

The moment he sent it, he regretted it. "What kind of question is that?" he muttered to himself. He rubbed his forehead helplessly. Now all he could do... was wait.

Elsewhere, Alicia had already completed most of her work for the day. Her promotion to Special Analyst meant that many of her responsibilities involved reviewing reports and providing recommendations rather than handling repetitive technical tasks. With nothing urgent left to do, her thoughts drifted toward Saturday.

She smiled softly. "I'll be visiting Aunt Mary." Then she remembered something. "Mike and Chris won't even be there." She imagined herself sitting alone with Mike's parents. "That... might become awkward." After thinking for a while, an idea suddenly came to her. "Maybe I could teach Aunt Mary how to cook something new."

She remembered a traditional Scottish dish that had recently become popular in several modern restaurants. Cranachan Mille-Feuille. It was a creative twist on the classic Scottish dessert, combining layers of buttery pastry with whipped cream, honey, fresh raspberries, toasted oats, and a hint of whisky. It looked elegant. It tasted incredible. And it wasn't easy to master.

Her eyes brightened. "Aunt Mary loves cooking." "Maybe she'd enjoy learning it." Then another problem appeared. "What if she already knows how to make it?" She sighed. "Should I bring a gift instead?" Flowers? A fruit basket? Homemade cookies?

After several minutes of thinking... She still couldn't decide. Finally she smiled helplessly. "I'll think about it tomorrow." Soon another thought entered her mind. Driving. Now that she had become the Special Analyst for the entire department, being driven to work every morning by her family's chauffeur suddenly felt inappropriate.

She wanted to become more independent. Then she thought about Mike and Chris. Both had now secured permanent positions in the company. "They can't keep riding bicycles forever." Almost immediately, an idea formed. "I'll ask them after work

Soon the workday came to an end. Employees began leaving their offices one after another. Alicia packed her bag and walked toward the Cybersecurity Strategic Engineering Division. When she entered, Bright and Alex immediately noticed her. "Good evening, Alicia!" She smiled politely. "Good evening."

The two exchanged amused glances. "So you came to pick Mike up today?" Alicia simply smiled without answering. Just then... I walked out of my office. Seeing Alicia chatting with Bright and Alex surprised me. I laughed. "You seem to have a lot of free time today." She tilted her head. "What makes you say that?" "You've already started talking to my colleagues." She laughed. "Let's go."

As we walked through the hallway, I suddenly remembered something. "I hope you don't have another long discussion planned." She looked at me curiously. "Why?" "I'm in a hurry today." She blinked. "How did you know I actually wanted to discuss something?" I smiled. "I just had a feeling."

She looked even more confused. "I know you." "When you're smiling like that, it usually means you've thought of another interesting idea that you want all of us to hear." Alicia stopped walking for half a second. "He... knows me that well?" That was exactly what she had been planning. Unable to explain it, she simply laughed. "Chris is waiting." "Let's not keep him waiting."

When we reached our usual meeting place, Chris looked at us and immediately burst into laughter. "Here comes the famous couple!" Both Alicia and I rolled our eyes. "Very funny," I replied. "I don't have time for your jokes today."

Alicia chuckled. "Since Mike is rushing to meet his girlfriend, let me quickly say something." "I knew it!" I laughed. "See?" Chris frowned. "Knew what?" "What have you two been discussing this time?" Alicia ignored him. "We've all been promoted."

She looked at both of us. "So I don't think it's appropriate for me to keep getting dropped off and picked up by my family's driver every day." I couldn't resist teasing her. "But you are a spoiled child." "Driver or no driver." Chris nodded seriously. "I completely agree."

Alicia stared at both of us before sighing dramatically. "Thank you very much." Then she continued. "That's why I thought of something." "I asked around today." "The best driving school in the city is only a few minutes from here." I raised an eyebrow. "So that's what you were asking my colleagues about?"

She nodded. Then she looked at me. "Do you honestly think I'd walk into your department just to chat with random strangers?" I laughed. "So..." "You want all three of us to learn how to drive?" "Exactly." I scratched my head. "But even if we get licenses..." "We're nowhere near rich enough to buy cars."

She smiled. "Not immediately." "But your jobs are now permanent." "When the time comes, you can always buy one through monthly installments." Chris suddenly interrupted. "You two are impossible." He pointed between us. "It's like you've already had this conversation during pillow talk and now you're pretending it's the first time."

Both of us laughed. Alicia, however, looked completely confused. "What... is pillow talk?" Neither of us answered. Chris immediately looked away while trying not to laugh. I coughed awkwardly. "You don't need to know." Alicia narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "I'll ask Grandma later," she thought. Chris suddenly grinned. "See? That silence proves you two really discussed it before!"

Before Alicia could answer, I spoke. "Brother..." "You're starting to sound like those office colleagues who assume the worst." I smiled. "You know she's our little sister." Then I looked at Alicia before continuing. "And besides..." "If we really were dating..." "I'm sure you'd be the first person to oppose it."

Chris laughed loudly. "Exactly!" "You always tell us about your relationship." "So why would I happily agree if it involved my own sister?" The three of us laughed together.

Meanwhile... Alicia quietly lowered her head. "So..." "Mike has actually thought about that possibility too?" "Does that mean..." Before she could finish the thought, she quickly dismissed it. "I'm overthinking again." She looked back at us. "I don't need an answer today." "Think about it tonight." "Tell me tomorrow whether you're interested."

Just as we were about to leave... A young woman approached us nervously. It was Anna Bartia from Chris's department. She greeted everyone politely before turning toward Chris. "Team Manager..." Chris immediately noticed her nervous expression. "Yes, Anna?" "I... I wanted to ask you something." "If I know the answer, I'll tell you."

She took a deep breath. "Do... do you have a girlfriend?" Silence. Then Alicia burst into loud laughter. Anna blushed bright red. "I.. I'm sorry!" "It's not just me who wants to know!" "Everyone in the department is curious." Then she looked toward Alicia and me. "You're always with this couple..." "So..."

I froze. Alicia froze as well. "A couple... again?" Chris looked at us before smiling mischievously. "What's wrong with spending time with a couple?" Seeing our awkward expressions, he almost laughed.

Finally, he turned back to Anna. "To answer your question..." "Yes." "I do have a girlfriend." "And she's more beautiful than anyone in my department." Anna's eyes widened. Without saying another word, she turned around and ran away in embarrassment.

The moment she disappeared... Both Alicia and I slowly turned toward Chris. Our expressions were identical. Complete disbelief. Alicia blinked twice. "You..." "You said you have a girlfriend?"