Page 22 of Strictly Against Policy

I smirked. “Yes, but I’m also the one with the most student loans. And aren’t you the one with a diverse investment portfolio?”

Andy nodded slowly. At the same time, I heard Lina walk behind me. Her footsteps were the lightest and lowest to the ground among the team members. She practically dragged her feet across the floor when she walked, making the sounds of her footsteps distinguishable.

“Lina Lee?” asked Andy.

Julie perked up as Lina came to a stop. I looked over my shoulder at her as she peered up at Andy, who, at six feet, is not much taller than me. He was grinning.

“I don’t think you remember me, but I was the teacher’s assistant for your P.E. class your freshman year,” he said.

“Oh, hi. You’re Andy, right?” she asked. Her voice was light.

Why was Lina being gentle when the real her was all ice and hard, sharp edges? This was strange. I watched her closely as she smiled—a genuine one that defrosted her usual cold demeanor. I blinked, unsure of what I was seeing.

Andy breathed a sigh of relief. “I was worried you might call me Anthony for a second,” he laughed. “People used to get us confused with one another all the time even though we aren’t identical twins.”

“N-no, never. It’s easy to remember that you’re Andy,” said Lina quietly. Her cheeks flushed pink with that answer, and I couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow at her.

I looked at Julie, who was now excitedly approaching the counter. She beamed with a blinding grin, and Lina returned the gesture. “Hi, Lina. I don’t think you remember me either, but we were in the same sketch class.”

“No, I remember you, Julie. If it wasn’t for your help and pointers, I probably wouldn’t have gotten an A in that class and wouldn’t have become class valedictorian,” she smiled.

My sister’s grin grew wider as she glanced between Lina and me. “It’s nice to see you work with Jonathan. Must be quite nostalgic,” she said. “He talks about you all the time. Back then and now.”

For a moment, the smile Lina wore shook, then she regained her composure. “Really?” she asked, turning her attention to me.

All the sweetness in her voice and the warmth in her presence were gone. Her lips now barely curled at the corners as she pursed her lips, not enjoying the news Julie disclosed. I wasn’t sure what game my sister was playing at. But I wasn’t thrilled about it either. At least Julie and Andy would be able to see her for who she truly was.

I folded my arms across my chest and tipped my head to the side, smug and cocky. “Don’t look so flattered, Dr. Lee. It looks unprofessional on you.”

“You’re not denying it, which only leads me to believe it’s true. You love to talk about me, Dr. Lo.” Her words slithered out in a slow and methodical cadence, purposefully so everyone could hear her.

The corners of my lips tugged tight into a sneer. I took a sharp inhale, ready to respond, when Andy spoke up.

“You two sound like you’re getting along.”

We both turned to him in disbelief as he and Julie laughed. They glanced between the two of us as if they were privy to a secret only we shared. But there was nothing but spite and pure dislike sizzling between her and me.

“Seems like there’s never a dull day here with you two working together, if this is how you both usually are,” quipped Julie.

Lina smiled politely and excused herself to get back to work with a red face. Meanwhile, I just rolled my eyes at my family. I waved them off dismissively. My sister and brother-in-law laughed again as they took their seats in the waiting area.

I was going to have to say a few strong words to them during lunch. Sure, I talked about Lina any chance I could. But they couldn’t just waltz in here and casually mention things about my life outside of the pharmacy.

CHAPTER 12

Jonathan

Lina was acting strange.

I clocked the change in her character the moment she walked in this morning. But her behavior right before I left work was even more odd. Most of the time, she didn’t bat an eye my way when I left on her closing days. Today, she hung out at the corner of my peripheral vision, standing too close to me. It was as if she wanted to say or do something.

“Can I help you with something?” I asked, turning to look at her squarely.

What was true to her character was how she always looked me straight in the eyes. But this time, she turned away when I glanced at her. There was no answer, no motion, or any attempt to speak or explain herself. She silently shook her head and stepped back a few steps to create distance between us.

I raised an eyebrow at her before bidding everyone goodbye. My mom wasn’t going to be home for dinner, so I thought I’d grab something from a Cantonese barbecue restaurant across the street. I planned on bringing it over to Auntie Gao’s and Uncle Gary’s.

My mom and me always ate dinner at their place once a week. Several times a week, even, depending on the season. My mom and Auntie Gao had always been great friends, but they hadn’t been spending much time together lately. My mom had been spending a lot of time with a new friend she met through work, a fellow supervisor at the meat processing factory she worked for. They seemed to get along well.