Mmmmm
1781 Words
The rest of the day passed without incident.
That, somehow, felt like an accomplishment.
Ella finished her tasks on autopilot, answering emails, cross-checking figures, nodding when someone spoke to her. But underneath it all, her body stayed alert—like it had learned a new frequency and hadn’t figured out how to tune it out yet.
Across the floor, Thompson didn’t look at her once.
Not obviously.
She noticed anyway.
At 3:17 p.m., her inbox chimed.
From: Thompson Hale
Subject: Revised Budget Breakdown
Can you bring the signed copy to my office before you leave?
Simple. Professional.
Her heart reacted like it always did now—too quickly, too warmly.
She replied Sure before she could overthink it.
His office door was open when she reached it.
That alone made her slow down.
Thompson stood by the window, sleeves rolled to his forearms, phone pressed to his ear. He glanced over when he sensed her presence—and the shift in him was immediate.
Subtle. But unmistakable.
His shoulders eased. His voice softened half a degree.
“Yes,” he said into the phone. “That works. Thanks.”
He ended the call and turned fully toward her.
“Hey.”
Not Hi.
Not Ms. Ella.
Just… hey.
She held up the folder. “You needed this signed.”
He crossed the room, took it from her hands—but didn’t let go immediately.
Not of her.
Of the moment.
“Thank you,” he said. Then, quieter, “How are you?”
The question landed gently. Not probing. Not heavy.
She considered the honest answer.
“I’m okay,” she said. “Tired. But okay.”
His mouth curved—not a smile exactly, more like relief.
“Good.”
He flipped through the pages, nodding absently. She noticed he wasn’t really reading.
“You can sit, if you want,” he added casually.
She hesitated.
Then did.
The chair across from his desk felt closer than it should have.
He signed the document, slid it into a tray. Business done.
Neither of them moved.
Outside the glass walls, voices drifted past. A printer whirred. Someone laughed.
Inside, the air felt… softer.
“I meant what I said earlier,” he said suddenly, keeping his eyes on the desk. “About not rushing you.”
She nodded. “I know.”
“And I meant what I didn’t say too,” he added, finally looking up.
Her breath caught. “Which was?”
“That seeing you doesn’t make this harder,” he said. “It makes it clearer.”
She looked at him for a long moment.
Then—surprised herself again.
She smiled.
Not small. Not nervous.
Real.
“That’s… nice to hear.”
His expression changed instantly—like something warm had been unlocked.
“There it is,” he murmured.
She blinked. “There what is?”
“That smile,” he said. “I’ve missed it.”
Her cheeks heated. “You saw me this morning.”
“Yes,” he said. “But you were guarded.”
She shifted in her seat. “And now?”
“Now you’re here.”
That simple.
Her phone buzzed in her bag, breaking the spell. She glanced at it, then back at him.
“I should go,” she said. “I don’t want people to start noticing patterns.”
He nodded immediately. No argument. No disappointment.
“Of course.”
She stood, smoothing her skirt.
At the door, she paused.
“Thompson?”
“Yeah?”
She turned, hand still on the handle. “Thank you… for today. For earlier. For all of it.”
His eyes softened in that way that felt almost dangerous.
“Anytime,” he said. “You’re worth waiting for.”
Her heart did that thing again—stumbling, then steadying.
She left before it could undo her.
Kate caught up with her at the elevator.
“So,” she said lightly. “You went to his office.”
Ella stared straight ahead. “It was work.”
Kate hummed. “Work that made you smile like that?”
Ella pressed the button.
The doors slid open.
She stepped inside, turned back just enough to meet Kate’s gaze.
“Something is changing,” she admitted quietly. “And I’m not running from it.”
Kate’s smile was soft. Proud.
“That,” she said, “is new.”
Back upstairs, Thompson remained in his office long after Ella left.
He didn’t sit.
Didn’t work.
Just stood by the window, watching the city breathe, her smile replaying in his mind like a promise he didn’t need words to believe in.
For the first time in a long while, waiting didn’t feel like restraint.
It felt like intention.
Jake noticed things most people didn’t.
That was how he stayed in control.
It wasn’t Ella’s behavior that tipped him off—not at first. She was too careful for that. Still efficient. Still polite. Still predictably reserved in meetings.
It was Thompson.
Jake watched him from across the conference table, fingers steepled, expression neutral. Thompson spoke when addressed. Didn’t dominate the conversation. Didn’t look distracted.
On paper, he was flawless.
And yet.
There was a looseness to him. A quiet confidence that hadn’t been there before. Like someone who no longer carried all his weight alone.
Jake’s eyes flicked—just once—toward Ella.
She was taking notes, head slightly bowed, pen moving steadily. Nothing in her posture suggested intimacy.
But when Thompson finished speaking, her pen paused.
Half a second.
Then continued.
Jake filed that away.
Later that afternoon, Jake stopped by Ella’s desk.
Casual. Smiling.
“Hey,” he said. “Got a minute?”
Her shoulders tensed before she could stop them—but she looked up calmly. “Sure.”
Thompson, across the room, didn’t react.
Jake noticed that too.
They stepped into the corridor near the break room. Glass walls. Visibility. Jake always chose spaces like that—where he could appear harmless.
“I heard you’ve been working closely with Thompson lately,” he said lightly.
Ella kept her tone even. “He’s overseeing the budget revision. It’s part of my role.”
“Of course,” Jake said. “I just wanted to check in. You’ve seemed… different.”
Her pulse quickened. “Different how?”
He smiled. “More settled.”
That was the wrong word.
She met his eyes. “I’ve been focusing on my work.”
“Good,” he said smoothly. “That’s all I want for you.”
Behind him, through the glass, Thompson finally looked up.
Not sharply.
Just… aware.
Jake turned, followed his gaze, then smiled wider. “Anyway. Let me know if you need anything.”
“I will,” Ella said.
Jake walked away, satisfied—for now.
But as he returned to his office, his jaw tightened.
Something was moving.
Thompson waited until Jake disappeared down the hall before approaching Ella’s desk.
He didn’t speak.
Just stopped beside her, low enough that only she could hear.
“You okay?”
She nodded. “Yeah.”
He studied her face—not searching for damage, just checking for consent to stay.
“I don’t like the way he watches you,” he said quietly.
“I know,” she replied. “But he doesn’t have anything.”
“Yet,” Thompson said.
Her fingers curled around her pen. “He won’t.”
That certainty surprised them both.
Thompson held her gaze. “If he pushes—”
“I’ll tell you,” she said. “I promise.”
Something in his chest eased.
“Okay.”
He stepped back. Gave her space.
Jake noticed that too—from the reflection in his office window.
The tension didn’t break.
It followed them into the next morning.
Jake scheduled a departmental review.
Mandatory attendance.
Ella sat two seats away from Thompson. Not close enough to be suspicious. Not far enough to be comfortable.
Jake stood at the head of the table, voice smooth, eyes sharp.
“Let’s talk about collaboration,” he said. “About transparency.”
Ella’s stomach tightened.
“This department thrives on clear boundaries,” Jake continued. “Professional ones.”
Thompson’s jaw tightened—just slightly.
Ella raised her eyes.
Jake met her gaze and smiled.
“Especially when leadership dynamics are involved.”
The room was silent.
Ella inhaled slowly, then spoke.
“I think clarity works best when people feel safe enough to do their jobs well.”
Jake tilted his head. “Do they not?”
“They do,” she said evenly. “When trust isn’t questioned without cause.”
Thompson looked at her.
Not surprised.
Impressed.
Jake’s smile faltered for the first time.
“Of course,” he said lightly. “Just an observation.”
The meeting continued.
But something had shifted.
Afterward, Jake cornered Thompson near the elevators.
“Got a minute?” Jake asked.
Thompson nodded. “Sure.”
Jake leaned back against the wall. “You’re good at what you do.”
“Thanks.”
“And Ella is… valuable,” Jake continued. “I’d hate for anything to complicate her position here.”
Thompson’s expression stayed calm. “I agree.”
Their eyes locked.
“I’m protective of my team,” Jake said softly.
“So am I,” Thompson replied.
A beat.
Then Jake smiled. “Good to know.”
The elevator dinged.
They stepped inside.
Two men. One truth.
That evening, Ella found Thompson by the elevators as everyone else filtered out.
“You okay?” she asked.
He smiled faintly. “I should be asking you that.”
She hesitated, then said quietly, “He knows something’s different.”
Thompson nodded. “He senses it. That’s all.”
“And that’s enough?”
“For him?” Thompson said. “Yes.”
She exhaled. “I don’t want this to become a problem.”
“It won’t,” he said firmly. “Not because we’re reckless—but because we’re honest.”
She studied him. “You trust that?”
“I trust you.”
Her chest tightened.
They stood there, close but not touching.
Choosing restraint again.
As the elevator doors slid open, Ella stepped inside, then turned back.
“Thank you,” she said. “For not treating this like something shameful.”
His voice was low. “It isn’t.”
The doors closed between them.
Jake watched from the far end of the hall.
And for the first time since he’d returned to Ella’s life, uncertainty crept in.
Because whatever this was—
It wasn’t something he could control easily.
- Writer
