A simple call
1051 Words
Chapter Four: A Simple Call
The presentation ended better than Maya had expected.
As she closed the final slide, she looked around the conference room.
For a moment, there was silence.
Then one of the senior executives nodded approvingly.
"That was a very comprehensive presentation, Ms. Carter."
Maya smiled.
"Thank you."
Another executive leaned forward.
"I particularly liked the long-term customer engagement strategy. It aligns well with where the company is heading."
Maya felt some of the tension leave her shoulders.
"Thank you. That was one of the areas I worked hardest on."
Ethan remained seated at the head of the table, listening carefully.
When the discussion finally ended, he closed the folder containing Maya's proposal.
"Excellent work."
Maya looked at him.
"Thank you."
His expression was professional, but she could still detect the faint amusement in his eyes.
She narrowed hers slightly.
"What?"
"Nothing."
"You have that look again."
"What look?"
"The one you had at the café."
Ethan smiled.
"I was just thinking that you handled the surprise better than I expected."
Maya laughed softly.
"I nearly forgot my own name when I realized who you were."
"But you recovered."
"Eventually."
"And you did very well."
The sincerity in his voice made Maya's expression soften.
"Thank you, Ethan."
The meeting officially concluded.
Maya gathered her laptop and documents, feeling considerably lighter than when she had entered the room.
As she reached the door, Ethan called her.
"Maya."
She turned.
"Yes?"
"Can I have your number?"
She blinked.
"My number?"
"For business purposes," he explained calmly. "We'll need to communicate about the proposal and the next stage of the campaign."
Maya smiled.
"Of course."
She took out her phone.
They exchanged numbers.
Ethan saved her contact.
"Maya Carter."
She looked at his screen.
"Very formal."
"It's your professional name."
"You could have just put Maya."
He looked at her.
"Would you prefer that?"
She smiled.
"Maybe."
He changed it.
"Maya."
She glanced at her own phone.
"Ethan Brooks."
He raised an eyebrow.
"You're keeping the surname?"
"You're the CEO. I need to remember that."
He laughed.
"You won't forget after today."
"I definitely won't."
They exchanged one last smile before Maya left the room.
By the time Maya arrived home that evening, the nervousness of the morning had completely disappeared.
She placed her handbag on the sofa and sank into a chair.
What a day.
She had walked into Brooks Global Holdings expecting to present to a group of executives.
Instead, she had discovered that the man she had met at a restaurant and later asked for advice at a café was the CEO himself.
She smiled at the memory.
"Unbelievable."
Her phone suddenly vibrated.
She looked down.
Ethan: Did you get home safely?
Maya stared at the message for a moment.
A smile slowly appeared on her face.
She typed a reply.
Maya: Yes. Just got home.
A few seconds later, another message appeared.
Ethan: Good. How are you feeling after the presentation?
Maya smiled.
Maya: Relieved. I was convinced I would forget everything when I saw you walk into that room.
Ethan replied almost immediately.
Ethan: But you didn't.
Maya: Because I remembered your advice.
Ethan: Which advice?
Maya: Don't rush.
There was a short pause.
Then:
Ethan: I'm glad it helped.
Maya placed the phone beside her.
She thought the conversation was over.
Then it rang.
She looked at the screen.
Ethan calling
She hesitated briefly before answering.
"Hello?"
"Hi."
His voice sounded different over the phone.
More relaxed.
Maya smiled.
"Hi."
"Am I disturbing you?"
"No. I was just resting."
"Good."
There was a comfortable pause.
Then Ethan asked,
"How was the rest of your day?"
Maya leaned back against the sofa.
"Busy. After the presentation, my team wanted to discuss everything."
"And?"
"They're happy."
"I'm not surprised."
She laughed.
"You sound very confident."
"I saw the proposal before everyone else."
"That's true."
"And I knew you could do it."
Maya smiled.
"Thank you."
"What about you?" she asked. "How was your day?"
Ethan sighed.
"Long."
"CEO problems?"
"Something like that."
She laughed.
"You make it sound terrible."
"Some days are."
"Then you should take a break."
"I'll consider it."
"Don't just consider it. Do it."
"Yes, ma'am."
Maya laughed.
"I can't believe you just said that."
"Why?"
"Because you're the CEO."
"After work hours, I'm allowed to be a normal person."
She smiled.
"I suppose."
They continued talking.
The conversation moved from work to ordinary things,restaurants they liked, places they had visited, funny experiences from their university years, and the small frustrations that came with busy days.
Neither noticed how quickly the time passed.
Eventually, Maya glanced at the clock.
"It's getting late."
Ethan looked at his own clock.
"You're right."
"I'm surprised we've been talking this long."
"So am I."
There was another pause.
Then Ethan said,
"Goodnight, Maya."
"Goodnight, Ethan."
She ended the call and stared at her phone.
For several seconds, she simply smiled.
Ethan placed his phone on his desk.
He leaned back in his chair.
The office was quiet now.
Most of the lights were off, leaving only the soft glow of the city through the windows.
He thought about the day.
The presentation.
Maya's nervous expression when she discovered his position.
The way she recovered and confidently delivered her proposal.
Then he remembered their conversation that evening.
It had been simple.
Nothing extraordinary.
Just two people checking on each other after a long day.
Yet somehow, Ethan found himself smiling.
He picked up his phone again.
He looked at Maya's name on the screen.
Then he placed the phone down.
"Interesting," he murmured.
The following morning, Maya arrived at work to find a message and a bouquet of flowers waiting for her,On the note read:
Good morning. Ready for another busy day?
She smiled.
Maya: Unfortunately.
His response came quickly.
Ethan: You'll survive.
She laughed quietly.
Maya: Thanks for the encouragement.
Ethan: Anytime.
Maya put her phone away and began working.
She didn't know when their occasional conversations had started feeling so natural.
Neither did Ethan.
But something had changed.
They were no longer simply the two strangers who had accidentally bumped into each other at a restaurant.
They had become two people who had begun looking forward to hearing from each other at the end of the day.
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