“Amyra! I heard you’re still working in the office. That’s not necessary. You can continue tomorrow. Please leave the workplace immediately; it’s already close to eight p.m., and I don’t want you to overwork late at night.” My mentor, Ms. Shanaya, speaks in an unimpressed tone, and I can’t help but wonder who informed her.
“Sure, ma’am. I’ll leave now.”
“Alright. Don’t forget to preserve the documents safely. Our new project meeting is just a week away.”
“I remember that, ma’am. I’ll take care of it.”
“See you tomorrow. Bye.”
“Good night, ma’am.” The call ends, and I immediately pull my swivel chair closer to continue working on my laptop. Just a few more minutes, and I’ll be done.
After working continuously for the next twenty minutes, I stretch my arms, relief finally settling in as I finish the assigned work for the day. I log out of my account and call it a day. Stepping out of my cubicle, I find the corridor dimly lit and empty. I reach the elevator, click the ‘0’ button, and soon the doors open into the lobby.
The security guard greets me with a soft ‘good night’ as I step outside the entrance. I immediately call my driver to unpark the car, but there seems to be a network issue. I instantly regret declining Reyansh’s insistence to stay back with me. I didn't want to spend alone time with him, but now, I feel different. Still unable to connect to my driver’s number, I decide to walk into the parking lot. The place is oddly dark and quiet, and I can’t even see if my car is parked there.
Suddenly, a flash of headlights cuts through the darkness, the glare striking my face as my hands instinctively fly up to shield my eyes. Once they adjust, I open them, hoping to see my car but instead, I find another familiar one.
The car speeds forward, stopping just before me, and my eyes widen as I realize the presence of a particular man, one that instantly warms my heart. “Get in, Ames,” I hear him say.
The sexiest voice I’ve ever heard sends goosebumps racing across my skin, my thoughts spiraling as I imagine how we’ll spend the rest of the day together. I nod awkwardly and move to open the car door, sliding into the passenger seat beside him. My heart goes into a frenzy, having him this close after so long, especially when we’re alone. The journey begins in pin-drop silence, broken only by the low hum of the engine. I freeze in my seat, making no effort to turn my head toward him.
Wait.
“Are you the one who informed Shanaya ma’am, about me?”
“Ouch! You got that!” A playful snicker escapes his lips, and I punch his arm reflexively.
“Why would you want me to get taunted by my mentor?”
“Because, princess, you’ve been stubborn enough to push the work to the next day, and you were working yourself to exhaustion.” I’ve always loved the way he occasionally calls me princess, but this time it feels different. Hearing it slip from his mouth after ages, the husky tone he uses to spell it out, does something to me.
“You know me, Rey. I hate leaving things incomplete.”
“Yes, that’s exactly why I called your mentor.” I hit his arm once again, and he chuckles shamelessly, his face lighting up with that ridiculously charming, boyish grin that can melt my heart instantly.
Stop playing with my heart, Rey!
“You’re really mean.”
“I just want you to understand a few things better, Ames. I really dislike it when you push yourself too hard to finish your decided tasks. You can take breaks and resume with fresh energy.”
“I know you’ve been ranting about this our entire lives, but this is an important marketing report I need to curate for next week’s project meeting. We also have other small tasks to complete before then, so I finished it today.” I explain in a proud tone, high from ticking off my to-do list and softly euphoric. It feels like I’d achieved something meaningful in my life.
“I hope you learn the lesson one day. It’s okay to take slow steps to reach your goal instead of trying to finish everything overnight—”
“Can you just stop?!” I grunt in disbelief, and he shoots me a wink.
“Didn’t I tell you to leave? Why did you even wait? Just to complain about me to my mentor? And where’s my car?” I frown at him.
“I told your driver to leave. And do you really think I’d be at peace letting you work alone late at night? Even if my mind agrees, my heart never will.” He turns to look straight into my eyes, and there’s something in his gaze that tugs at my heartstrings, pulling me toward him without effort.
This is exactly why I’ve avoided meeting him alone. Before joining the company, I would’ve imagined him as mine, openly admiring him until it became a habit. Now, when I’m supposed to act like just a friend, I find myself suppressing my feelings every time he’s in front of me. Yet whenever he hits me with such heartwarming lines, my heart slips out of control, returning to feelings I’ve tried so hard to bury.
“Alright, hero. Keep your eyes on the road.” I manage to hide his effect on me, and he rolls his eyes before focusing back on the drive.
“Do you mind having dinner together?” The sudden question clouds my mind with nervousness, and I know it’s not a good idea. As tempting as it sounds, I need to avoid any situation that could divert me from my ‘moving on from him’ mission. And I shouldn’t forget the fact that he’s my sister’s boyfriend.
“Sorry, Rey. Today is mandatory family dinner day.” I instantly weave a lie to escape the situation. There are times when our work schedules don’t align, so our mother proposed that we at least have dinner together as a family twice a week.
