"Just for fun"

"Friends"

For weeks, Bruce kept his distance from Alma. He didn't speak to her, and he didn't even look her way. He wanted to make her feel the same way she had made him feel - ignored, unwanted, and hurt. But as the weeks went by, he began to feel a different kind of pain. He realized that he actually missed her - her presence, her smile, her laugh. He realized that he actually enjoyed her company, even if it was just in the office. And so, one day, he decided to do something about it.It was the night before a big presentation, and Alma was getting ready to go to bed when she got a phone call from her boss. He told her that one of the other executives had fallen ill, and she would need to give the presentation the next day. She was nervous but ready to take on the challenge.

When she arrived at the meeting, she was feeling confident and prepared. But when she entered the room, she saw that Bruce was there, and he looked at her with a smug smile on his face. He was clearly trying to intimidate her, and it was working. But she refused to let him see her fear.

She stepped inside and then sat down.

"How could she still look so beautiful, I'm sure the presentation must have made her stay up all night?" he wondered.

When it was her turn to speak, she stood up and addressed the board members, looking straight at Bruce as she spoke. She spoke confidently and with conviction, laying out her ideas and plans for the company. And as she spoke, she saw the looks of admiration and respect on the faces of the board members. She could tell that they were impressed by her ideas and her poise.

And then, to her surprise, the board members rose to their feet and began to applaud. Even Bruce was clapping, though his face still looked sour. She had won them over, and she felt a sense of triumph. She had proven to be one the best in the game.

Alma's presentation was all about innovative ideas for the company. She proposed new ways to reach customers, to streamline operations, and to improve the company's bottom line. She spoke with authority and confidence, and her ideas were well-researched and well-presented. The board members were captivated, and by the end of her presentation, they were eager to hear more. They had never seen her like this before, and they were impressed by her growth and maturity.

After the meeting, several of the board members approached her to tell her how impressed they were. Even Bruce was forced to admit that she had done an excellent job.

Bruce pulled her aside after the meeting, his expression still sour. "I'm surprised you managed to pull that off," he said, his voice dripping with condescension. "I thought you were out of your depth, but you did a decent job."

Alma refused to let him get to her. "Thank you for your compliment," she said, her voice even and polite. "I'm glad you were impressed."

He scowled, and she could tell he didn't like being dismissed so easily. But she just smiled and walked away, feeling proud of herself and her accomplishment. She knew that she had proven herself."I'm curious," Bruce said as he followed her out of the room. "How did you manage to pull off such a professional and impressive presentation? It's not like you."

Alma turned to face him, keeping her expression neutral. "I'm capable of a lot more than you give me credit for," she said. "I'm not just a pretty face, you know."

He bristled at that, and she could see him struggling to find a response. "I never said you were a pretty face," he said finally. "I simply meant that you're not usually so...business-like."

she ignores him and then goes into her office.

Bruce began to notice Alma in a new light. He saw the way she laughed with her coworkers, the way she always made time to help others, and the way she seemed to light up a room when she walked in. He began to see the good in her, and he realized that he had been too quick to judge her. So, one day, he decided to talk to her again. He approached her desk and asked if they could talk, and to his surprise, she agreed. They went to a coffee shop near the office, and over coffee, they began to talk.

At first, the conversation was awkward. he ordered two cups and then they both sat down. he didn't want it to be boring, he thought of a joke..

"so I'm kinda a like good at telling jokes, would you like to hear one?"

"No." she declined.

"So what do you call flower that looks like a sun?"

she ignores him.

", Okay, a sun flower!!" he said and then laughs.

As he told his joke, he waited for Alma's reaction. She laughed politely, and then there was an awkward silence. "Well, that was a dud," he said, feeling a little embarrassed. "I guess I'm not as funny as I thought." Alma smiled sympathetically. "It's okay, not everyone can be a comedian," she said. "But I appreciate the effort." They walked back to the office in silence, and as they neared the door, Jim spoke up. "Hey, I just wanted to say, it's been nice talking with you." Alma looked at him, a little surprised.

"okay"

"So I was wondering if we could be friends now?"

"No."

"oh common, I promise I won't cross my limit, I enjoyed the coffee we had together, and I wouldn't mind doing it everyday with you."

she glanced at her shoes.

"Alright, at least warn me next time,so I don't have to wear heels to a coffee shop,"

"Sure, I will, so is that a yes?!!"

"hmmmm, I guess so, don't make me change my mind."

"ofcourse I won't, Thanks miss Valdez,"

he was grinning with joy, and everyone could tell because it was all over his face.

As Alma drove home, her mind kept going back to her conversation with him. It was the first time they had really talked, and she was surprised by how much they had in common. He was funny, smart, and easy to talk to. But she wasn't going to let herself get too caught up in it. She had been burned before by men who turned out to be nothing like they seemed. She wasn't going to make the same mistake again. She would keep her distance from him, no matter how charming he was.

She arrived home and got ready for bed, thinking about her new co-worker. As she laid-back eating shu shi.

"Today wasn't so bad after all, I did well and then shocked everyone, a preety face isn't everything I've got."

As Bruce hires a private detective, he learns more and more about Alma, he found himself increasingly impressed by her. She was clearly a woman of many talents, with a heart of gold. He was even more determined to win her over, to show her that he was the man for her.

But as he dug deeper, he discovered something shocking. She had a dark past, one that she had kept hidden from the world. She had been the victim of a brutal attack, one that had left her scarred both physically and emotionally. She had spent years rebuilding her life, and he could only imagine the strength and resilience it must have taken for her to lose both her parents at age ten.

Bruce was filled with a mixture of emotions as he read about Alma's past. He was awed by her strength and resilience, but he also felt a deep sadness for what she had been through. He couldn't imagine the pain and suffering she had endured, and he wondered if he could ever truly understand it. But he knew one thing for sure - he wanted to be there for her, to support her in any way he could. He wanted to help her heal, and maybe even to find happiness again.

He decided to take things slowly, to give her time to get to know him. He didn't want to scare her.