Coffee and complications..6
990 Words
Claire stood at the mirror in the company bathroom, smoothing a hand over her blouse.
She wasn’t dressing up — not for Ryan, definitely not. It was just a standard workday, and after her unexpected meeting with Damian the day before, she wanted to look put together. That was all.
But even as she told herself that, her thoughts wandered to the way Damian had looked at her. No, not just looked — seen her. Really seen her. It was nothing. A moment. A fleeting thing.
Still, she hadn’t slept much last night.
It had been a long day in the design department. Carter had already handed her the first layout drafts for the Empire Tower project, and Claire had spent hours sketching new concepts, checking structural constraints, and organizing her ideas. She was thriving. Busy. Focused.
Which made the notification from Ryan all the more annoying.
Ryan: “6PM? I’m already at the café. Don’t make me wait.”
Claire checked the time — 5:58 PM. She sighed.
She didn’t want to go. But she had said she would. And Claire always kept her word, even when she regretted giving it in the first place.
She made her way to the café two blocks from her office. It was a warm, artsy little place, all wood panels and soft music, with locals curled up with laptops or sketchpads. She spotted Ryan immediately, waving at her like a golden retriever.
“Claire!” he stood up too quickly and almost knocked over his coffee.
She managed a polite smile. “Hey, Ryan.”
He pulled out the chair for her, overly eager. “You look great. Even better than college.”
Claire sat down and ignored the compliment. “Thanks. You look the same.”
Ryan laughed, taking that as a good thing. “So… How’s the new job?”
“Intense. Busy. But I’m learning a lot.”
He leaned forward, eyes too bright. “Still working under that CEO guy? What’s his name? Damian?”
“Mr. Laurent,” she corrected. “And yes.”
Ryan scoffed playfully. “Man, must be nice working with a billionaire. Maybe you’ll be the next office romance headline, huh?”
Claire froze for a split second, her smile tightening. “It’s not like that.”
He shrugged. “I mean, you always had that don’t-touch-me vibe in college, but now… I don’t know. I feel like there’s more to you.”
That struck a nerve.
Claire leaned back, arms crossing. “I’m still the same person, Ryan.”
He didn’t seem to catch the shift in her tone.
“I just think… maybe now’s the time to explore more, you know? Reconnect. Start fresh.”
She resisted the urge to groan. This wasn’t a date, no matter what he thought.
She glanced at the clock. “Actually, I can’t stay too long. I’m crashing at Audrey’s tonight. We have a lot to catch up on.”
Ryan’s smile faltered. “Oh. Right. That’s cool. Another time?”
Claire gave a polite nod. “Maybe. I’ll let you know.”
But in her mind, she already knew she wouldn’t.
⸻
Later that night, she let herself into Audrey’s apartment with the spare key and was immediately hit with the smell of popcorn and the sound of music humming from the kitchen.
“You survived coffee with Ryan the persistent, huh?” Audrey called out as Claire kicked off her shoes.
“Barely,” Claire said, collapsing onto the couch. “He still thinks he’s charming.”
Audrey appeared with two glasses of wine. “You need this more than me.”
Claire took the glass gratefully and exhaled.
“I don’t get it,” she said. “I’ve never shown interest. Not once. And yet he keeps circling like a hawk.”
Audrey smirked. “It’s the Claire effect. You’re like a challenge no one can beat.”
“Please. I’m not that interesting.”
Audrey raised a brow. “Tell that to your boss.”
Claire groaned. “Don’t start.”
“I will start. You’ve been different since that retreat. More flustered. And don’t think I didn’t notice the way you avoided saying Damian’s name earlier.”
Claire covered her face. “It’s not like that.”
“Sure,” Audrey said. “You just can’t stop thinking about the man. But hey, I get it. If my boss looked like he walked out of a fashion editorial and had the voice of a silk-covered thunderstorm, I’d be a wreck too.”
Claire laughed, despite herself. “He’s my boss, Aud. It’s just workplace admiration.”
“Mmhmm. And that’s why your heart skips every time you talk about him.”
Claire paused, quiet.
“…He complimented my design work yesterday,” she said. “Said it stood out. That he liked ambition.”
Audrey sat beside her. “That’s huge, Claire. You’ve only been there a few weeks.”
Claire nodded slowly, swirling her wine. “I know. It meant something. But it’s not just that. It’s the way he listens. Like every word matters. He’s kind but unreadable. And sometimes… I think he looks at me like—”
She cut herself off.
“Like?” Audrey pressed, eyes gleaming.
Claire shook her head. “Never mind.”
Because if she said it — if she gave that feeling a name — it might become real.
And real was dangerous.
“I’m not going down that road again,” Claire said firmly.
Audrey didn’t push. She just clinked their glasses and said, “Whatever you do, just don’t forget who you are now. You’re not that girl they broke. You’re the woman who walked away and rebuilt.”
Claire smiled faintly, her heart full.
She had changed.
And maybe… just maybe… she was strong enough now to feel something again, even if she wasn’t ready to admit it.
- Writer
