LOGINThe office was quiet at that early hour.Not silent. Just softer.The hum of the air conditioning drifted through the room while the city outside my windows slowly woke up in shades of grey and gold. My heels were abandoned beneath my desk, my legs tucked loosely under my chair while emails sat half-answered across my screen.I wasn’t really working.“Okay, but you judged me for using the wrong lane,” Kevin said through my earbuds, his voice warm with amusement. “You gasped like I almost killed somebody.”“You turned without signalling.”“There was no one there.”“That’s not the point.”Kevin laughed softly. “You sound exactly like somebody’s disappointed wife.”I smiled despite myself, typing random nonsense into an unfinished email to look productive in case someone walked by.“That’s dramatic.”“No, what’s dramatic is the way you grabbed the dashboard.”“You were driving like a criminal.”“I was driving normally.”“You accelerated during a yellow light.”“It was still yellow.”“It
I opened the door already exhausted.Elena stood in the hallway with loose curls falling over one shoulder and a soft beige coat wrapped around her as if she had stepped out of some expensive European perfume commercial. She smiled immediately when she saw me, warm and effortless in a way I had never figured out how to be naturally.“Hi,” she said gently.Before I could answer, Amanda practically launched herself off the couch behind me.“Oh my God,” she gasped. “You’re the sister.”Elena blinked once before smiling wider. “I’m guessing you’re Amanda.”“The one and only,” Amanda corrected dramatically, already walking toward us with her hand stretched out. “I almost know everything about you.”“That’s concerning,” Elena laughed softly as they shook hands.“I know,” I muttered, stepping aside so Elena could enter. “Come in before she starts interviewing you at the door.”Amanda ignored me completely. “You’re prettier than Nina described.”“I literally never described her.”“Exactly,” A
Amanda was already on my couch by the time I came out of my bedroom in sweatpants and one of Elena’s old college hoodies I had somehow stolen years ago and never returned.She looked up immediately, eyes narrowing suspiciously.“Oh my God,” she said. “You look happy again.”“I look tired.”“You look moisturised emotionally.”I stopped near the kitchen island and pointed at her. “That’s not even a real sentence.”“It is today.” She tucked one leg under herself and grinned. “Sit down and tell me everything.”“There’s nothing to tell.”Amanda stared at me blankly for three full seconds. “Nina.”“What?”“You disappeared all night with mystery diner man and came home looking like somebody in a romance movie. Start talking.”I rolled my eyes and grabbed the wine bottle sitting open on the counter. “You’re dramatic.”“And you’re deflecting.”I poured myself a glass anyway and finally sat across from her.Amanda immediately straightened excitedly. “Okay. Start from the beginning. Did he pick
"So,” Kevin said casually, rocking back slightly on his heels. “Your place isn’t that far from here, right?”I narrowed my eyes immediately. “That sounded suspicious.”He laughed. “It was a question.”“A suspicious question.”He grinned wider. “Fine. Let me rephrase it. Would you like to walk home with me?”I crossed my arms loosely, pretending to think about it harder than necessary. “You know normal people usually offer women rides home.”“You look like the type to insult my driving within thirty seconds.”“That’s because I probably would.”“Exactly.” He gestured toward the sidewalk. “Come on. It’s a nice night.”I hesitated for half a second.Not because I minded.That was the problem.Walking home with someone felt strangely intimate in a way dinner didn’t. Dinner had structure. An ending. Walking home felt slower. Personal.Still, I shrugged lightly. “Traffic annoys me anyway.”“Ah,” he said seriously. “So this has nothing to do with wanting more of my excellent company.”“Don’t
The restaurant was far too expensive for a first date.That was the first thing I thought as I stood outside the entrance staring through tall glass windows at people who looked like they belonged in luxury watch advertisements. Soft music drifted through the doors every time they opened. Men in suits. Women in silk dresses. Waiters carrying trays like they were transporting diamonds instead of food.I looked down at myself again.Black dress. Simple heels. Hair down.Amanda had forced me into all of it.“You’re going to dinner with a man who likes you,” she had said while practically shoving me out of my apartment. “Try not to dress like you’re attending a funeral.”I pushed the door open before I could change my mind.Warm air wrapped around me immediately, carrying the smell of wine, butter, and something grilled. Conversations blended softly under the music, silverware clinking against plates.Then I spotted Kevin near the back.He looked up almost instantly like he had b
The knock came without warning, followed immediately by Amy pushing the door open like she owned the place. Ralph trailed behind her, coffee in hand, already looking like he had something to say.“Tell me you’re not buried in spreadsheets again,” Amy said, walking in without waiting for an answer.“I’m not,” I replied, not looking up from my screen. “I’m buried in emails. It’s a step up.”Ralph snorted, closing the door behind him. “Same grave, different shovel.”I leaned back slightly, finally looking at them. “What do you want?”Amy dropped into the chair across from my desk like she was settling in for a long conversation. “We’re bored. You’re interesting. It felt like a good combination.”“I’m not interested,” I said flatly.“That’s exactly what someone interesting would say,” she shot back, grinning.Ralph took the other chair, stretching his legs out slightly. “Also, we haven’t seen you snap at anyone in at least twenty minutes. It’s unsettling.”“I’ve been busy,” I said.Amy ti







