Chapter 1

After pulling an all-nighter to meet my boss's insane deadline, I obviously overslept the next morning.

Since HR would dock my pay the same whether I was 10 minutes or an hour late, I figured I might as well treat my exhausted self to a proper breakfast.

I strolled into a local diner and ordered some hash browns and eggs without a care in the world.

The place was packed, but I managed to grab a table. I was in no hurry, just adding some hot sauce to my breakfast.

You know what they say - breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

While eating, I casually glanced around the restaurant.

Then I stopped mid-chew.

Wait, what?

That guy over there... with the movie star looks - somewhere between young Johnny Depp and Brad Pitt in his prime... why does he seem familiar?

Isn't that suspiciously like Lucas Miller, my taskmaster of a boss who kept me working until 3 AM?

I looked harder.

Oh no, it is him!

Just as I was about to make a run for it, nearly choking on my scalding hot soup, Lucas picked up his order number and glanced my way with a detached look.

That eye contact almost stopped my heart.

When Lucas spotted me, he actually flinched and whipped his head around.

His usually impeccable posture crumpled.

So there we were in this packed diner - me trying to become invisible, him practically squirming in his shoes.

But then I realized something odd.

Hold on a second.

Why is he the one acting all flustered?

His ears are even turning bright red!

It took me about one bite to figure out why.

This guy had just announced in our work group chat that he'd be visiting the factory alone this morning instead of coming to the office.

But here he is in sweatpants and slides getting breakfast?

Just rolled out of bed, didn't you, boss!

Playing hooky, aren't you, boss!

Caught red-handed, aren't you, boss!

So much for that perfect image, huh boss!

But I kept my schadenfreude to myself.

I pretended not to see Lucas, focusing on blowing on my steaming hot breakfast.

I snuck a peek as he stood there with his bowl of oatmeal, looking completely lost as he searched for a seat.

Please don't sit here, please don't sit here!

Dear merciful lord, I'll become a vegetarian for life, just hear my prayer.

Right then, the enthusiastic server called out to him.

"Hey handsome, there's a seat across from that pretty lady! Go grab it!"

"..."

My whole body tensed up. For once in my life, I wished "pretty lady" wasn't referring to me.

"What are you waiting for? Better hurry before someone else takes it!"

The server's second attempt made it impossible to refuse.

"Okay, thanks," Lucas replied politely, his voice deep and gravelly from sleep.

???

What's happening?

He's not actually going to sit across from me, is he?

My mind went completely blank.

Maybe I should just bite the bullet and say hello.

But I was too chicken to do even that.

I practically buried my face in my breakfast.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Lucas reluctantly take the seat across from me.

At this point, staying quiet would just be rude.

I mustered up my courage, plastered on a fake smile, and prepared to say hi - only to find Lucas's head buried even deeper than mine had been.

What?

Seriously, boss? Are you trying to swim in your oatmeal or something?

So there we were - boss and employee who'd worked until 3 AM last night, sitting inches apart in a diner, each awkwardly focused on our own breakfast in this weirdly peaceful standoff.

I was practically inhaling my food, while Lucas was pushing his oatmeal around with his fork.

The whole scene was both pathetic and hilarious.

We managed to play complete strangers for a solid ten minutes.

Though we couldn't see each other's faces, we could hear how frantically we were both eating - the sound of rushed swallowing and sharp intakes of breath from burning our tongues with too-hot food.