CHAPTER 2 : The Unexpected Offer
496 Words
The morning light spilled through the windows of Tessa’s small apartment, landing across the business card that still lay on her table.
“Ariana Blake — CEO, Blake Holdings.”
She must have read that name a hundred times before the kettle even boiled.
She told herself it meant nothing — a kind woman got stuck in the rain, she helped her, and that was that.
But still… she couldn’t throw the card away.
Across the city, Ariana sat in her glass office high above New Crest. Papers lay untouched on her desk, coffee half-cold beside her. Her assistant was talking, but her mind was somewhere else — a quiet café, a shy smile, the warmth of cocoa against a rainy night.
Why am I even thinking about her? Ariana sighed, shutting the file.
She didn’t do “curious.” She did control, success, results.
But something about Tessa’s eyes kept slipping through her walls.
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That afternoon, Ariana’s car slowed in front of the same café. She told herself it was a coincidence — she needed caffeine, that was all.
But when she stepped inside and saw Tessa behind the counter, that lie melted faster than the snow outside.
Tessa’s eyes widened. “Miss Blake…?”
Ariana smiled faintly. “Ariana, please. I was nearby and thought—” she glanced at the counter, “—maybe I could try your coffee this time.”
Tessa chuckled nervously. “No rain today, so it might even taste better.”
Ariana sat by the window, the same spot as before. Tessa brought over a cup — careful, steady.
Their hands brushed slightly when she set it down. Just a second, but enough to make the air between them still.
“How’s business?” Tessa asked softly.
“Busy,” Ariana said. “But… quieter than I expected.”
“That sounds lonely,” Tessa said without thinking, then bit her lip. “Sorry, that was—”
“No,” Ariana interrupted, her voice low. “You’re right. It is.”
For a while, neither spoke. The café hummed softly around them. Then Ariana reached into her purse and placed something on the counter — a card with the Blake Holdings logo.
“We’re hiring a new events assistant,” she said. “If you ever want something different… something more.”
Tessa blinked. “You mean… me?”
Ariana looked up, meeting her eyes. “I don’t usually make personal offers. But yes — you.”
Tessa’s heart skipped. “I don’t know what to say.”
“Say you’ll think about it,” Ariana said, her tone gentle now.
Tessa nodded slowly. “I will.”
Ariana smiled — small, real. “Good.”
As Ariana left, the doorbell chimed softly behind her. Tessa stood frozen, the card warm in her hand, the world suddenly too bright, too real.
She whispered, almost to herself,
“Why does she make the world feel different?”
- Writer
