Swipe Right, Wrong Number

Chapter 3

I woke up the next morning with a strange mix of excitement and dread swirling in my stomach. It was ridiculous, really. After all, it was just a meeting. Just another day at work. Except... it wasn’t. Not after last night’s unexpected turn of events.

I stood in front of the mirror, tugging at the hem of my blazer. Professional but not too stiff, I reminded myself. I wasn’t sure why I cared so much about my outfit today. Maybe it was the thought of seeing Ethan after our weird, almost-friendly exchange. Or maybe it was because this wasn’t just about work anymore. There was this invisible thread between us now, tugging ever so slightly with each glance, each word.

As I made my way into the office, I repeated my mantra for the day: Keep it cool. Be professional. This was Ethan, the same guy who never missed a deadline and probably had his entire calendar mapped out to the minute. He was my boss, not some guy I was texting late at night.

I walked into the conference room exactly two minutes before the meeting. To my relief, it was already filling up with other team members, their voices low and tired as they shuffled papers and sipped on their coffees. I took my usual seat, pulled out my notes, and tried to focus.

But then the door opened, and in walked Ethan. He was dressed in his usual sharp, tailored suit, his expression as composed as ever. Yet, the moment our eyes met, a flicker of something passed between us. Something subtle, something I was sure only I felt. His gaze held mine for just a fraction longer than it needed to, and I quickly looked down at my laptop, pretending to adjust something that didn’t need adjusting.

“Good morning, everyone,” he said, his voice smooth and commanding as always. He took his place at the head of the table, his usual air of confidence filling the room. No one else seemed to notice anything different, but I felt it. It was small, like the quiet hum of electricity in the air before a storm.

The meeting kicked off like any other, with numbers being thrown around, charts and projections discussed, and strategies debated. I tried to focus, really I did. But every time Ethan spoke, I found myself hyper-aware of his presence. His voice, his gestures, the way he flipped through his notes. And every now and then, I’d catch him glancing in my direction—just brief flickers of attention, but enough to send my pulse racing.

About halfway through the meeting, while someone was presenting a slide on market trends, Ethan leaned back in his chair and sent me a message on the internal chat system.

Ethan: “Hope you remembered to leave your dating app at home.”

I bit my lip, suppressing a smile. Of course, he had to bring that up. I quickly typed back, keeping my face as neutral as possible.

Me: “Don’t worry, I’m fully in work mode. Professionalism at its finest.”

I glanced up to see him stifle a small smirk as he returned his attention to the presentation. It was nothing, just a harmless joke. But suddenly, the air between us felt lighter, less... formal.

The rest of the meeting passed in a blur of business jargon and action items. When it finally wrapped up, I gathered my things and headed for the door, determined to make a swift exit before anything awkward could happen. But just as I reached the hallway, I heard his voice behind me.

“Ms. Valehart, a word?”

I froze, my heart skipping a beat as I turned around. Ethan stood in the doorway, his expression unreadable but his tone casual enough that I didn’t immediately spiral into a panic. I took a breath and walked back toward him, keeping my posture as relaxed as possible.

“Yes?”

He closed the door behind us, and for a moment, I was hyper-aware of the fact that we were alone in the conference room. This was fine. Totally fine.

“I just wanted to make sure everything’s on track for the Q3 project,” he said, his voice businesslike, though there was a slight edge of something warmer underneath.

I nodded, grateful that we were sticking to safe, work-related topics. “Yes, everything’s moving along as planned. We’re in good shape for the deadline.”

He nodded, but his gaze lingered on me a little longer than necessary, as if he was about to say something else. For a brief second, I thought he might bring up the app again, but instead, he simply said, “Good. I’m counting on you.”

I swallowed, feeling the weight of those words in a way I hadn’t before. “You can count on me,” I replied, my voice softer than I intended.

There was a brief, heavy pause. The kind where time seemed to stretch, and a million things could have been said but weren’t. And then, with a small nod, he stepped aside, opening the door for me.

“See you around,” he said, his tone light but his eyes still holding that quiet intensity.

“Yeah,” I managed, my heart still racing as I walked out into the hallway. “See you.”

As I made my way back to my desk, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something had shifted again, like another small crack had appeared in the professional wall between us. It was subtle, barely noticeable, but it was there.

I shook off the thought, forcing myself to focus on the task at hand. I had emails to answer, spreadsheets to review, and a project deadline looming over my head. Whatever had just passed between Ethan and me, I couldn’t afford to let it distract me. This was my job, not some rom-com fantasy.

That night, I sat curled up on my couch, a warm blanket draped over my legs, I took a sip of my tea and let out a sigh, trying to shake off the mix of excitement and anxiety that clung to me. My phone buzzed on the coffee table, and I grabbed it, expecting a mundane notification. Instead, I saw Ethan's name flash across the screen, and my heart skipped a beat. The email hit my inbox like a sudden gust of wind:

Subject: Mandatory Team Building Activity

Message:

Hi Team,

As part of our ongoing efforts to strengthen team bond, we will be participating in a team-building activity this Friday afternoon at Adventure Zone. Please wear comfortable clothing and be prepared for some fun challenges.

Looking forward to seeing everyone there!

Best,

Ethan

I stared at the screen, my heart racing. Team building. Great. Just what I needed—a forced opportunity to interact with Ethan in a more casual setting. The idea both excited and terrified me.