Back at the office, the fluorescent lights seemed harsher than usual, stabbing into my already sore eyes. I stared at the computer screen, forcing myself to concentrate on the mountain of tasks waiting for me. Reports, emails, follow-ups... They should’ve been easy distractions, but my mind kept wandering.
To him. To Caleb.
*God, get a grip,* I scolded myself, shaking my head slightly. There was no time for this, no time for anything but work. I had to push the events of last night away. That was the only option.
But every time I typed a sentence or clicked through a file, I felt the tension pulling tight between my shoulders. Every time I heard footsteps outside my office door, my heart jumped, half-expecting Caleb to walk in. I didn’t know how I’d face him, not after what had happened, not after the way I left things.
"Focus," I muttered under my breath, tapping furiously at my keyboard. *You have too much to do to get caught up in...*
A knock interrupted my frantic typing, and my stomach twisted. I glanced up, eyes landing on the door. Please, let it be anyone but—
"Sam, can you come to my office for a moment?"
It was Caleb. His voice calm, professional, like nothing had happened between us. Like we hadn’t crossed that line last night. My heart dropped into my stomach, but I forced a nod.
"Sure. I'll be right there," I called back, fighting the lump that had formed in my throat.
I stood, smoothing down my skirt, hoping that my face wouldn’t betray the nerves rattling inside me. As I made my way down the hall to his office, I tried to shove the memories of last night away. I needed to act normal. Like everything was fine. Like I wasn’t replaying his touch over and over in my mind, despite the regret that twisted around it.
I knocked lightly on his office door before pushing it open. Caleb was seated behind his desk, eyes focused on a contract in front of him. When he looked up at me, his face remained neutral, no flicker of emotion.
"Hey," he said, his tone businesslike. "We need to go over the final details of the contract signing process."
"Right," I responded, keeping my voice steady as I crossed the room.
The awkwardness in the air was palpable, thick and suffocating. I sat across from him, feeling his eyes on me but refusing to meet his gaze. My skin prickled with the awareness of him so close. It was ridiculous how the room felt smaller just because he was in it.
I reached into my folder, pulling out the necessary documents, keeping my hands busy to avoid the awkward silence. "Here’s the updated version. I made the adjustments we discussed last week."
Caleb nodded, his eyes scanning the papers quickly. The distance between us felt so unnatural, like a wall had gone up overnight. He hadn’t said anything, but I could feel it—how different things were now.
"You’ve done great work on this deal," he said quietly after a moment, still not looking up from the documents.
"Thanks," I replied, my voice sounding flat even to my own ears.
I shifted in my seat, fighting the urge to fidget under his gaze. Caleb’s face remained impassive, unreadable, but I knew him well enough to catch the subtle tension in his shoulders, the way his jaw tightened just slightly. He wasn’t as unaffected as he seemed.
Before I could respond, there was a soft knock on the door, and it opened almost immediately. I didn’t need to look up to know who it was. The sharp click of her heels was enough.
"Caleb," came the honeyed voice of Monica as she swept into the room, her perfume filling the air. She moved like she owned the space, as if her presence alone was enough to claim territory.
I stiffened immediately but forced myself to stay composed. My hands gripped the edge of the table a little tighter as I fought to keep my cool.
"Monica," Caleb greeted her, though his voice lacked warmth.
Monica’s eyes barely flickered to me before she turned her attention back to Caleb, leaning against his desk like she belonged there. Her hand reached out, brushing lightly against his arm as she spoke. "I was hoping we could grab lunch later. I missed you."
I swallowed hard, keeping my eyes on the documents in front of me, pretending to be immersed in the contract. But her flirtatious tone sent a jolt through me, and I couldn’t help but feel a sinking sensation in my chest.
I wasn’t jealous. No. This was something else entirely.. something uglier.
I kept my expression neutral, even as Monica’s fingers trailed down Caleb’s arm, her touch light but possessive. "Oh, I didn’t realize you were in the middle of something. I hope I’m not interrupting?" She smiled, her voice dripping with faux innocence.
*Breathe, Sam,* I told myself, gripping the pen tighter than necessary. "I was just finishing up," I replied, my voice steady, despite the knot tightening in my stomach.
Caleb glanced at me, something unreadable flickering across his face before he cleared his throat. "We were just going over the details for the contract signing," he said, his tone professional, but I could sense the tension in the room.
Monica’s smile widened as she looked between the two of us, her eyes narrowing just slightly. "I see," she said smoothly, and I could feel her sizing me up. "Well, I’m sure Sam has everything under control. Caleb and I have some things to talk about too, you know." She winked at him, and my stomach twisted again.
I closed the file in front of me, ready to make my exit. The sooner I was out of this room, the better.
But just as I stood, Monica turned to me, her smile still in place, though her eyes were sharp. "You know, Sam, Caleb and I have some big plans coming up." Her voice was casual, but there was something pointed about the way she said it. "I’m sure you’ll hear all about it soon enough. We’re just waiting for the right time to share the news." She winked again, her hand resting possessively on Caleb’s shoulder.
My heart stuttered. *What?*
I forced a smile, nodding as if nothing she said had rattled me. "That’s great," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.
But inside, my mind was reeling. What news? What plans? My pulse quickened, the air feeling suddenly too thick to breathe.
I couldn’t let them see it, though. Couldn’t let them know how much her words had shaken me. With a polite nod, I gathered my things, avoiding Caleb’s gaze as I turned to leave the office.
But her words echoed in my head, lingering long after I closed the door behind me.