OFFICE GLOW
1156 Words
Chapter 15
The next morning, Aria walked into the office with a softness in her step that hadn’t been there in weeks. Her usual tired shuffle was replaced by something more… lifted. She wasn’t humming, but she may as well have been. Her skin glowed slightly, her lips carried a subtle smile that she didn’t bother to hide. It wasn’t about makeup or a new outfit. It was something from deep inside—an invisible thread of warmth running through her, sparked by a voice she’d only just come to know.
Naturally, it didn’t go unnoticed.
“Uh oh,” chimed Martina from behind the front desk, her voice dripping with playful suspicion. “Someone looks suspiciously happy for a Thursday morning.”
Aria paused at the coffee machine, trying—and failing—not to smile as she poured herself a cup.
“I’m always happy,” she said lightly.
“Lies,” called Jamal from his cubicle without looking up. “You’re usually grumbling about the broken heater and overcooked bagels by now.”
“I’m serious,” Martina leaned closer, squinting at Aria like she was trying to solve a puzzle. “You’re glowing, girl. Is it skincare? Did you get laid? Please say it’s skincare—I need hope.”
Aria laughed, nearly spilling her coffee. “Neither.”
“Oh, then it must be mystery man,” said Sharon from across the aisle, her eyebrows raised suggestively. “Come on, you’ve been doing that dreamy-smile thing all morning. The one where your brain is totally here, but your heart’s still on the phone.”
Aria flushed and turned quickly toward her desk, but the smirk on her face gave her away.
“I knew it!” Martina squealed. “There’s someone! Who is he? Do we know him? Is he tall? Does he have a beard? Is he hot in that ‘reads poetry but also knows how to fight’ kind of way?”
“I don’t know what he looks like,” Aria said as she sat, cheeks warming, voice calm but undeniably amused.
Sharon blinked. “Wait—what?”
“You heard me. We’ve only talked. On the phone.”
“Girl, are you telling me you’ve got a phantom flirtation going on?” Jamal said, finally peeking over his monitor. “That’s either wildly romantic or a Netflix documentary waiting to happen.”
Aria couldn’t help it—she laughed, full and bright, the kind that came from somewhere real. The sound filled the small office space and made a few heads turn.
“Look,” she said, brushing her hair back, “He’s kind. He listens. He says things that make me feel like I matter. He doesn’t ask for anything. Just… wants to hear about my day. That’s all.”
The teasing slowed. The room softened a little.
“That’s kind of beautiful, actually,” Martina said after a moment. “Also mildly concerning, but mostly beautiful.”
Sharon nodded. “Okay, but if he turns out to be a prince or an alien, we want first dibs on the book rights.”
“Duly noted,” Aria grinned.
Just as she was settling in at her desk, her phone buzzed. Unknown Number. Her breath caught.
“El,” she whispered to herself.
She swiped to answer, smiling instinctively.
“Hey,” she said quietly, turning away from the office chatter.
“Hi,” came Elion’s deep, calming voice. “I just wanted to check on you. You said your mornings are always hectic. I… just wanted to make sure you were okay.”
Aria’s heart did a little flip. Her smile widened. She turned slightly in her chair, lowering her voice.
“That’s really sweet of you,” she said softly. “But you picked the worst possible time.”
“Oh?”
“My coworkers are already onto me. They know something’s up,” she whispered.
From across the room, Martina caught sight of Aria on the phone and grinned like a fox.
“She’s on the phone!” she stage-whispered to Sharon. “With him!”
Aria glanced over, caught them staring, and turned back to her desk quickly.
“Oh my god,” she groaned under her breath. “They’re watching me. I’m never going to live this down.”
Elion chuckled gently on the other end. “You’re blushing, aren’t you?”
“I am not!”
“You are.”
She smiled, biting her lip. “Okay, maybe a little.”
“You sound happy.”
“I am,” she admitted, then lowered her voice again. “But I really can’t talk right now. I’d rather talk properly. You know… when I’m not being teased like a high school girl with her first crush.”
Elion’s voice warmed. “Then I’ll wait.”
“Call me back at seven?”
“I will.”
“And El?”
“Yes?”
“Thanks… for checking on me. That was really thoughtful.”
“I’ll talk to you tonight, Aria.”
She ended the call and stared at the phone for a second, grinning to herself.
“Was that him?” Sharon called out.
“You’re blushing again!” Martina added with a wink.
“I swear,” Aria said, trying not to laugh as she tucked her phone away, “you all need lives.”
“Not when yours is turning into a rom-com,” Jamal muttered.
The rest of the day passed with lightness. Her usual burdens—endless emails, calendar shifts, passive-aggressive client notes—seemed smaller. Her fingers typed smoothly, her back didn’t ache as much, and every now and then, she caught herself smiling for no reason.
At one point, she stood near the copier, lost in thought, when Sharon walked by and nudged her shoulder.
“You’ve got it bad,” she teased.
“Shut up,” Aria laughed, turning away bashfully.
Sharon gave her a genuine smile. “No, really. It’s nice to see you like this. You seem… lighter. Like the old Aria.”
And that stayed with her for the rest of the day. The old Aria. The one before Alex. The one before disappointment stacked itself so high she stopped expecting anything good.
By the time the workday ended, the sun had dipped low, painting the office windows in gold. Aria gathered her things slowly, as if savoring the anticipation of what came next.
Back at her apartment, the minute hand ticked toward 7 p.m., and her heart beat a little faster.
She didn’t know his face. She didn’t know his past.
But his voice had started to build something inside her—a sense of safety, of possibility, of warmth.
And for the first time in a long time, she wanted to fall into that voice again.
She settled by the window, phone in hand, heart open.
Waiting.
- Writer
