I don't mind that.
The light in Alice's eyes dimmed a little yet she retained her composure. She knew her childhood friend wouldn't have said that unless he had a good reason.
"And that's because..."
"Well." Sam cleared his throat, noting that his little joke was more effective than he thought. "To be more precise we can't date openly like a normal couple."
Even with that, Alice didn't seem to understand what he was trying to say. Sam sighed, allowing her a few seconds to gather her thoughts. The task turned out to be beyond her so he gave in and told her.
"You're technically my superior, remember?" Sam said. "It would be bad for your reputation if people heard about us. Not to mention, I only got my job thanks to your recommendation. It's already troublesome enough. The last thing I want is for my capabilities to be questioned."