The Unexpected Spark (2)

Julian Pov:

Fred crossed his arms, leaning slightly forward. “Now, this is interesting. Why the sudden interest in Samantha, if I may ask?”

I cleared my throat, attempting to sound casual. “No particular reason. Just... curiosity.”

Fred didn’t buy it, his smirk widening. “Curiosity, huh? Well, let me see what I can find.” 

He pulled out his phone, scrolling through his contacts. “You know, sir, Samantha didn’t exactly seem like a fan of yours. Are you planning to apologize or something?”

I shot him a look. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, Fred. Just find the number.”

Fred chuckled as he tapped at his screen. “Whatever you say, sir. But something tells me this isn’t the last time I’ll be hearing about her.” 

I sighed, already regretting asking for his help, as he handed me a slip of paper with her number on it. 

“Here you go,” he said with a mischievous glint in his eye. “Good luck, sir. You’re going to need it.” 

I rolled my eyes, pocketed the number, and went back to work, all the while wondering why Samantha was still occupying space in my mind.

******

As the day drew to a close, Fred returned to my office, a stack of papers in hand and his usual professional demeanor firmly in place.

"Sir," he said, standing at the doorway. "You don’t have anything else on your schedule for today. You could close early if you’d like."

I glanced up from the documents spread across my desk and shook my head. “Not yet, Fred. I’ve got a few things to finish. You can leave if you want.”

Fred’s face lit up with excitement at my words, and without hesitation, he turned and began heading toward the door. Just as he was about to open it, he suddenly stopped in his tracks. He hesitated for a moment before turning back to face me.

“Uh, sir?” he said, his voice uncertain.

I looked up, a little puzzled by his tone. “Yes, Fred?”

Fred rubbed the back of his neck, clearly trying to choose his words carefully. “I know this may not be what you want to hear,” he began, his eyes meeting mine cautiously. 

“But I think you should really consider opening your heart to the possibility that you need someone special in your life.”

I frowned slightly but said nothing, letting him continue.

“Your life has been all about work, work, and more work ever since your grandma passed away. And, well, after your ex-girlfriend broke up with you... I mean, sir, it’s no secret why that happened. 

You were always late for dates and constantly used work as an excuse.”

Fred paused, as if gauging my reaction, but I remained quiet.

“Look, all I’m saying is, if you open your heart, even just a little, you might find that there’s still happiness out there for you. Especially this Christmas.”

He quickly turned and left the room before I could respond, shutting the door softly behind him.

For a long moment, I stared at the closed door, Fred’s words echoing in my mind. 

“Open my heart? 

Happiness?”

I shook my head, scoffing under my breath as I tried to focus on the papers in front of me. 

But no matter how hard I tried, my concentration was gone. Something about Fred’s words stirred a part of me I hadn’t wanted to acknowledge.