My Corporate Affair

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Sophie slowly pulled away from the hug, but I didn’t let her go completely. My hands stayed gently on her arms, holding onto the moment just a little longer. She looked up at me, her face flushed, her eyes wide and unsure. I could see she was nervous. Honestly, I was too, but I knew exactly what I wanted to say.

"I want to know you more, Sophie," I said, my voice low and sincere.

Her lips parted slightly, clearly not expecting that. I smiled a little and continued, "You're good for me. I don’t know how else to put it... but you are."

Sophie looked away, almost shyly, and muttered under her breath, "I'm way out of your league, sir. I'm just an intern..."

The way she said it, like she truly believed it, made something tighten inside my chest. I hated hearing that doubt in her voice. Gently, I lifted her chin so she could meet my eyes.

"I don't care about any of that," I said firmly. "I don't care if you're an intern, a stranger, anything. I care about how you make me feel... and how real you are."

For a moment, she just stared at me, like she was trying to figure out if I was serious. I was. Every word I said was true.

Finally, she gave a small, shy smile and whispered, "Good night, sir."

I nodded slowly, not really wanting to leave but knowing I should. "Good night, Sophie," I said.

I finally let her go and watched her turn and walk back inside, her hoodie slightly too big for her frame, making her look even smaller and softer under the night sky. I walked back to my car, a strange lightness in my chest. When I got in and started the engine, I realized I was smiling without even thinking about it.

All the way home, I smiled like an i***t. I didn’t care. For the first time in a long time, something felt right. And it all started with a girl who had no idea just how much she was already beginning to mean to me.

Sophie....

I pulled away from Elliot, but to my surprise, he didn’t let go right away. His hands stayed on my arms, and I could feel the warmth from his touch. I felt my heart beat faster, and even though I was nervous, there was a calmness in his touch that made me feel safe.

"I want to know you more, Sophie," he said, his voice gentle but serious.

I felt a little shocked by his words. My heart was racing, and I wasn’t sure how to respond. But he wasn’t done.

"You’re good for me," he added, looking at me with an intensity that made my stomach do a flip. "I don’t know how else to say it, but you are."

I felt my cheeks burn. His words made me feel so... special. But I couldn’t shake the feeling of doubt creeping in. I pulled back a little, unsure of myself. "I’m way out of your league, sir," I said, not really believing it as the words left my mouth. "I’m just an intern..."

He didn’t let me finish. He reached up and gently lifted my chin so I had to look at him.

"I don’t care about any of that," he said, his voice soft but firm. "I don’t care if you’re an intern, a stranger, or whatever. I care about how you make me feel. You’re real, Sophie."

His words hit me hard. I didn’t know how to respond. I was speechless. I wanted to say something, but I just felt... overwhelmed. It was like he saw me in a way I wasn’t used to, and it made my heart race even more.

I had to look away, feeling my face go even redder. "Good night, sir," I said, not able to keep eye contact with him.

"Good night, Sophie," he replied softly, almost like it meant more than just a casual goodbye.

I turned and quickly went back inside, my mind spinning. I couldn’t stop thinking about how my heart was still racing, how his words made me feel so... important. The warmth from his hug was still there, and it made me feel like something had changed. I didn’t know if it was real, but it felt real.

Once I was inside, I leaned against the wall, trying to calm down. My heart was still thumping hard in my chest. Was he serious? Did he really mean what he said? I didn’t know, but a part of me really hoped so. I smiled a little to myself, but then quickly stopped, trying to keep my emotions in check.

.

.

Sitting at my desk, I tried my best to focus on my work, but my mind kept drifting back to last night. The way Elliot had held me so tightly, his words about wanting to get to know me better, it all felt like a dream. I couldn’t stop replaying everything in my head, and it was impossible to concentrate on anything else.

“Hey, Sophie,” Mia’s voice broke through my thoughts. I looked up to see her standing beside my desk, an amused look on her face.

“Hmm?” I responded, trying to look casual, even though my heart was still racing from last night’s events.

Mia tilted her head, giving me a questioning look. “You okay? You’re all red. Feeling sick or something?”

I quickly checked the phone screen in front of me. My reflection showed my cheeks were flushed. Great. “Oh, no, I’m just... hot, I guess,” I said, trying to wave it off.

She raised an eyebrow at me, clearly not buying it. “Uh-huh. Just hot, huh? Nothing else going on?” she asked teasingly, crossing her arms.

I quickly looked down at my phone again, trying to avoid her gaze. “Nope. Nothing else.”

Mia just smirked, clearly amused, but she didn’t press it any further. “Well, if you say so.” Then, she added, “By the way, Boss called a meeting for the continuation of the project. I’m guessing you’ll be seeing him again soon.”

The words hit me harder than I expected. I knew it was coming, but hearing it out loud made it feel more real. My heart skipped a beat. “Oh. Right,” I said, trying to sound calm, but I could feel my nerves rising. “When?”

“Like, right away,” she said, shrugging. “He’s been pretty insistent about getting this moving quickly. We’re going to be meeting soon.”

The thought of seeing him again made my stomach flip. I tried to steady my breathing. “Got it,” I managed to say, feeling awkward.

Mia walked off, leaving me alone to deal with the mix of excitement and nerves running through me. I couldn’t deny that part of me was looking forward to the meeting... but another part of me was nervous about facing him again so soon.

Elliot....

I sat in the conference room, waiting for the team to arrive. My fingers drummed lightly against the table as my mind kept drifting back to one thing, sophie. I couldn’t shake the feeling that something had changed after last night. It wasn’t just the conversation, but the way she made me feel like maybe, just maybe, I wasn’t completely alone in the world.

The door opened, and the team filed in, talking quietly among themselves. But as soon as Sophie stepped in, all of that faded into the background. She was wearing a smart blouse and slacks, the kind of professional attire that had me thinking about how effortlessly she balanced both intelligence and beauty. She looked stunning. Her hair was pulled back neatly, and I could see the faintest flush on her cheeks as she walked in.

I tried to keep my cool, to not make it obvious that I was excited to see her, but I couldn’t help it. I could feel my smile widening the moment she walked in. She met my gaze, and for a brief moment, our eyes locked. A subtle smile tugged at her lips, and I felt my heart skip a beat.

I cleared my throat, trying to focus on the meeting. “Alright, everyone,” I said, trying to sound professional, “Let’s get started.”

I began walking them through the agenda. The project we were working on had a lot of moving parts, and I made sure to address each of them. I glanced at Sophie a few times throughout the meeting. Her eyes were sharp, her attention focused, and the way she took notes with precision just made me admire her more. She wasn’t just an intern, she was already acting like someone who could lead a team.

I turned to Mia first, asking her to give me an update on the design side. She spoke briefly, and I nodded, listening to what she had to say. Then I moved on to Leo, who updated me on the testing progress. Everyone was on track, but we still had a lot to do.

Then Sophie spoke up, her voice calm and steady, “I think we need to improve the collaboration between the design and development teams. If we schedule more frequent check-ins, we could address potential roadblocks faster and ensure smoother implementation.”

I had to stop myself from smiling at her suggestion. It was simple, but it showed a level of understanding and insight that was rare. “Great idea, Sophie,” I said, looking directly at her. “Can you coordinate with both teams to set that up?”

She nodded, and I saw a tiny blush rise to her cheeks. Her smile was shy but genuine, and I could tell she was proud of her suggestion.

“Of course, sir,” she said softly.

Hearing her say that made something in me stir,something I hadn’t felt in a long time.

We moved through the rest of the meeting, but I was only half-focused on what everyone else was saying. I couldn’t stop looking at her. There was just something about the way she carried herself, the way she spoke up when needed, and how she held her own in a room full of professionals.

As the meeting wound down, I glanced at the clock. “Alright, I think that wraps it up for today,” I said. “Everyone, keep up the great work. We’ll check in again in a few days.”

The team began packing up, but I lingered behind for a moment, watching Sophie gather her things. She glanced at me, and our eyes met again. That same soft smile returned, and for some reason, it felt like we shared some unspoken understanding.

I stood slowly, feeling my pulse quicken just from being in the same room with her. I couldn’t wait to see her again.