CHAPTER 6
1034 Words
Chapter 6: “Rumours in the Rain”
Monday morning arrived beneath a heavy drizzle that glazed the sidewalks like silver glass.
Ava stepped into Blackwell Tower balancing her umbrella, sketch tube, and a cup of coffee that she hoped would quiet the nervous flutter in her stomach.
The weekend after the dinner with Liam had passed in a blur of sketch revisions and replayed conversations. She told herself it had been nothing more than a business meeting, but the memory of the molten chocolate cake they’d shared kept slipping back into her thoughts — that unguarded moment when his usual formality had softened.
She tried to shake it off as she entered the elevator with a cluster of other employees. By the time she reached the thirty-fifth floor, she’d put on her professional face, ready to dive into work.
The moment she stepped out, she sensed something different in the air.
A hush fell over the nearest group of assistants, followed by low whispers as they glanced her way. She caught the flicker of curious smiles, the quick shift of eyes.
She made her way to her desk, trying to appear oblivious.
A few minutes later, her friend from the pattern team, Liza, slid into the seat beside her, eyes wide and gleaming.
“Okay,” Liza murmured in a conspiratorial whisper, “you have to tell me everything. The dinner. The Rosewood. With him.”
Ava blinked, startled. “How do you—”
“Word travels fast,” Liza said with a grin. “Apparently Samantha booked the reservation herself. Half the floor thinks you’re getting promoted. The other half thinks you’re…” She lowered her voice, “…Mr Blackwell’s new favourite.”
Ava’s cheeks warmed. “It was just a work dinner. Contract discussion for the Ward Tech collaboration.”
“Mmh-hmm,” Liza teased, clearly unconvinced. “Still, people are talking. Samantha’s been icy all morning.”
Ava’s smile faltered. She glanced across the room; sure enough, Samantha stood near the copy machine, speaking quietly to another senior assistant, her eyes sliding toward Ava for the briefest moment before returning to her conversation.
Ava turned back to her sketchbook, heart thudding faster. She had no desire to be the centre of gossip — especially not the kind that could cast doubts on her professional credibility.
---
The day’s schedule left little room to brood. She and Liza were summoned to the fitting room to check fabric samples, then rushed back to the main studio for an impromptu meeting on the showcase’s theme.
Still, the whispers persisted like a background hum.
> “Did you hear they had dinner alone?”
“Maybe that’s why she’s handling the pilot gown…”
“Typical. Pretty face gets the spotlight.”
Ava gritted her teeth and forced herself to focus on the mannequin before her. She wasn’t going to let hallway talk derail her work.
Near midday, the office door swung open and Liam entered, trailed by Mr Grant and two department heads. His presence, as always, seemed to quiet the room.
Ava felt every gaze flick toward her, as if expecting some sign of familiarity between them. There was none. Liam’s expression was as cool and impersonal as ever as he reviewed the morning’s progress.
He paused briefly at Ava’s station, studying the revised sketches pinned to her board.
“Good,” he said simply, then moved on without another glance.
The neutrality of his tone should have reassured her. Instead, it left her oddly unsettled — as if he’d built the wall back up overnight.
---
Late afternoon brought a sudden downpour that blurred the skyline outside the wide studio windows. Employees gathered near the breakroom for coffee, their chatter filling the space with warmth against the grey weather.
Ava ducked in to refill her mug and found herself face-to-face with Samantha.
The assistant’s smile was polite but carried a hint of sharpness beneath the surface.
“Busy weekend?” Samantha asked mildly, stirring her tea.
“Just catching up on sketches,” Ava replied, keeping her voice even.
“Of course.” Samantha’s tone was light, but her gaze held Ava’s just a little too long. “It’s admirable how quickly you’ve risen to prominence here. Dinner meetings with the boss usually take years to earn.”
Ava resisted the urge to bristle. “It was strictly professional. We discussed the Ward Tech contract.”
“I’m sure you did.” Samantha’s smile tightened, then she added with deceptive sweetness, “Just be careful not to give people the wrong impression. Mr Blackwell values discretion.”
With that she walked out, leaving the faint scent of jasmine perfume in her wake.
Ava stood still for a moment, fingers tightening around her coffee mug. The words had been framed as advice, but they landed like a warning. She couldn’t tell if Samantha’s hostility came from jealousy, loyalty to Liam, or something more personal.
---
The rain continued into evening, tapping softly against the windows as the studio emptied.
Ava stayed behind again, working on fabric tests for the constellation motif. The quiet helped her think, yet the echoes of the day’s rumours kept intruding.
By the time she packed up to leave, the office was deserted and the city beyond the glass was awash in street-light reflections rippling across puddles. She slipped on her coat, determined to ignore the gossip and focus on what she could control: her designs.
As she stepped into the elevator, her phone buzzed with a message from an unknown number.
> “Tomorrow. 9 a.m. My office. — LB”
No greeting, no sign-off beyond the initials.
She stared at the screen for a moment, pulse quickening again. Whatever the meeting meant, she knew it would feed the rumours if anyone found out.
The elevator doors slid open on the ground floor.
Outside, the rain had eased to a mist. Ava walked beneath the glistening streetlamps toward the subway, silently promising herself that she wouldn’t let whispers decide her future.
Yet, as she reached the station steps, she couldn’t help glancing back at the tower behind her — and wondering what tomorrow’s meeting would bring.
- Writer
