When u held my heart

Episode4

A Call at the Right Time

The office on Monday morning buzzed with its usual hum—phones ringing, keyboards clattering, colleagues exchanging hurried greetings while rushing between desks with files tucked under their arms. Sofia sat at her desk by the window, her laptop open and her notepad already filled with the neat bullet points of her weekly tasks. She tried to focus on emails, her fingers moving briskly across the keyboard, but her mind betrayed her.

Every now and then, she found herself replaying Saturday’s supermarket encounter. Gabriel’s crooked smile. The easy banter. The way his eyes had locked onto hers when he handed her his phone. She caught herself sighing softly, shaking her head to clear it.

“Okay, what’s with the dreamy look?”

Sofia blinked, quickly straightening in her chair. Clara leaned against the edge of her desk, a coffee cup in hand, one brow arched knowingly.

“Dreamy look? I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Sofia said quickly, clicking back to her inbox as if the sheer act of answering emails would make her appear less suspicious.

Miriam, who had been passing by, stopped and smirked. “Don’t even try, Sofi. You’ve been smiling at your screen for ten minutes, and unless you’ve suddenly fallen in love with spreadsheets, there’s another reason.”

Sofia groaned. “Can’t I just have one peaceful morning without the two of you interrogating me?”

“No,” Clara and Miriam said in unison, laughing.

Before Sofia could retort, her phone buzzed on her desk. The sound made her heart lurch in a way that had nothing to do with work. She glanced at the screen—and froze.

Gabriel.

Her breath hitched. She hadn’t expected him to call so soon, even though he had promised. Her fingers hovered above the phone for a second, nerves colliding with anticipation.

Clara caught the name flashing on the screen. Her eyes widened, and she nearly squealed. “Is that—?”

Sofia pressed a finger to her lips, glaring at her, before quickly answering. She swiveled her chair slightly away from them, her voice deliberately calm. “Hello?”

“Good morning, Sofia.” Gabriel’s voice poured through the line, smooth and warm, like coffee with just the right amount of sweetness.

She swallowed, trying not to smile too hard. “Good morning.”

“I hope I’m not disturbing you at work,” he said.

She glanced at Clara and Miriam, who were now both leaning shamelessly close, pretending to look busy while clearly eavesdropping. “Not… exactly,” she murmured, lowering her voice. “What’s up?”

“I was wondering if you’d let me steal you away for lunch today.” His tone was casual, but there was something underneath—an earnestness that tugged at her.

Sofia blinked, caught off guard. Lunch? Already? Her stomach fluttered at the thought. “Lunch?” she echoed softly.

“Yes,” Gabriel said without hesitation. “Nothing fancy. Just… a chance to talk. No crowded supermarket aisles this time.”

She laughed despite herself, biting her lip. “You’re persistent.”

“I like to think of it as determined,” he replied easily.

Her heart thudded. She hesitated, then whispered, “Alright. Lunch.”

“Perfect,” he said, his smile audible through the phone. “I’ll text you the place. See you at noon?”

“Noon,” she agreed.

When the call ended, she placed her phone down carefully, as though afraid it might shatter the fragile bubble of warmth still lingering in her chest.

Clara immediately pounced. “Well?”

Miriam leaned in, her eyes sparkling. “That was him, wasn’t it? What did he say? Don’t tell me he finally asked you out!”

Sofia buried her face in her hands. “You two are impossible.”

“Stop stalling,” Clara said, practically bouncing. “Details. Now.”

Sofia peeked at them through her fingers, her lips twitching into a smile she couldn’t hide. “He… asked me to lunch.”

Both Clara and Miriam let out a chorus of squeals that drew curious glances from nearby desks. Clara fanned herself dramatically. “This is it. The real deal. Lunch is never just lunch.”

“Exactly,” Miriam agreed. “It’s like the unofficial first date.”

Sofia shook her head, laughing. “You’re exaggerating. It’s just lunch.”

But as she returned to her work, she couldn’t stop her smile from lingering.

By noon, Sofia’s nerves had tangled into a tight knot in her stomach. She checked her reflection in the bathroom mirror before leaving the office, smoothing down her blouse and reapplying a touch of lip gloss. Her hands trembled slightly as she clutched her bag.

The restaurant Gabriel had chosen was only a short walk away—a quiet bistro tucked into a side street, with soft lighting and the scent of fresh bread wafting through the air. Sofia spotted him immediately through the window.

Gabriel was already there, seated at a corner table. He wore a crisp white shirt rolled up at the sleeves, a simple watch on his wrist. He looked effortlessly put together, yet relaxed, his phone resting face-down on the table as though he had deliberately set work aside.

When their eyes met through the glass, his face lit up with a smile that made Sofia’s breath catch.

He stood as she entered, pulling out a chair for her. “You made it.”

“Of course,” she said softly, sliding into the seat.

“I wasn’t sure,” he admitted with a hint of teasing. “You strike me as someone who might change her mind at the last minute.”

“Maybe,” she replied, matching his tone. “But then again, maybe I like good food.”

He chuckled. “I’ll take that as a win.”

They ordered—pasta for her, grilled chicken for him—and soon the conversation flowed as naturally as it had in the supermarket. He asked about her work, and she told him about her latest project, her colleagues, and the chaos of deadlines. He listened intently, his gaze steady, his questions thoughtful.

“And you?” she asked, leaning forward slightly. “What do you do, Gabriel?”

He hesitated, then answered simply. “Finance. Boring, I know.”

Sofia shook her head. “Not boring. Numbers scare me. I admire anyone who can make sense of them.”

His lips curved into a smile. “Then maybe I can help balance your books someday.”

“Careful,” she warned, laughing. “That almost sounded like a pick-up line.”

“Maybe it was,” he said smoothly, eyes twinkling.

Their food arrived, and they ate slowly, conversation weaving easily between them. At one point, Gabriel shared a story about a disastrous meeting with a client, and Sofia laughed so hard she nearly spilled her drink. He looked at her then, his expression softening, as though he were memorizing the sound.

For a moment, the world outside the bistro seemed to fade—the clatter of cutlery, the murmur of other diners, even the ticking clock above the counter. It was just them.

When the meal ended, Gabriel insisted on paying, despite Sofia’s protests. He walked her back toward her office, the midday sun casting long shadows on the pavement.

As they stopped at the corner, he turned to her. “Thank you for saying yes.”

She met his gaze, her chest tightening. “Thank you for asking.”

He smiled, warm and steady. “This won’t be the last time.”

Her lips parted, but before she could respond, her phone buzzed with a message from Clara: Are you back yet? We need details!

Sofia laughed softly, shaking her head. “I should go before my colleagues hunt me down.”

“Until next time, then,” Gabriel said, his voice gentle.

She nodded, her heart fluttering as she walked back into the office. Clara and Miriam were waiting, grins wide, eyes sharp.

“Well?” Clara demanded.

Sofia smiled, unable to hide it anymore. “It was… nice.”

“Nice?” Miriam gasped. “Girl, you’re glowing. That was more than nice.”

Sofia laughed, her cheeks warm. Maybe it was. Maybe it was the beginning of something she wasn’t ready to name yet—but she couldn’t deny it anymore. Gabriel was no longer just a coincidence. He was becoming something more.