Chapter Eight
1010 Words
The office was buzzing with its usual lunchtime chatter when Jenna dropped into the seat across from Aria, setting her tray down with a dramatic sigh.
“You got any plans for the weekend?” Jenna asked, lazily twirling her fork in her salad.
Aria barely looked up from her meal. “What other plans than enjoying the comfort of my home?” she replied dryly.
Jenna smirked. “Well, lucky for you, I’m coming over. I have something important to discuss.”
Aria raised a brow. “Important? That sounds serious.”
“Relax, nothing of that sort,” Jenna reassured her. “Just something to lighten up your weekend.”
Before Aria could press further, a familiar presence entered the cafeteria.
Adrian.
As he strode past, his towering presence made Aria’s heart do an involuntary flip. She hated that. Jenna must have noticed because she stopped talking, her eyes flickering between Adrian and Aria.
Aria exhaled slowly, shaking off the effect as Adrian disappeared from sight. “Anyway,” she said, trying to sound unaffected, “you sure you want to spend your weekend at my place?”
“Of course! It’s been a while since I last visited.”
Aria nodded, but the conversation felt unfinished. Something about Adrian’s passing left her unsettled.
End of the Workweek
Later that evening, as Aria packed up her laptop, her phone buzzed.
SMS: Have a lovely weekend. – Adrian
She froze.
Her fingers hovered over the screen. Why did he do this? Every time she tried to maintain distance, Adrian found a way to crawl back into her thoughts. He was married. He had a wife. Kids. So why did he keep playing with her mind?
Aria tapped her fingers against the desk, debating whether to reply. If she ignored him, would he notice? Would he text again?
After a moment, she typed:
You too, sir. Enjoy your weekend.
Simple. Polite. Distant.
She hit send.
“Ready to go?” Jenna’s voice cut into her thoughts.
“Yeah, let’s go.”
They took a cab back to Aria’s place, the cool night air wrapping around them as they stepped into the apartment.
“What do you have for us to eat?” Jenna asked, kicking off her shoes.
“Oh girl, I just got home. You need to relax and let me fix you something,” Aria said, shaking her head.
Jenna plopped onto the couch with a dramatic sigh. “You know, it’s been a while since I came over.”
“I know,” Aria replied, rummaging through the fridge. “But you’ve been busy.”
Jenna nodded. “Yeah, my sister always wants me around.”
Aria knew this already. Jenna lived with her older sister, a stay-at-home mom with one kid. She helped with homework, errands, and sometimes kept her sister company. And, of course, she made time for Victor.
Aria smirked. “Spending time with Victor again, huh?”
Jenna grinned, not even denying it. “Speaking of Victor, we’re going to a birthday party this weekend.”
Aria frowned. “Birthday? You know I don’t do birthdays.”
“It doesn’t matter,” Jenna said firmly. “That’s why I’m here—to get you out of your shell and into the real world. No more excuses.”
Aria sighed, already feeling cornered.
This wasn’t over.
Aria barely looked up from her laptop when Jenna plopped onto the couch beside her, tossing a pillow onto her lap.
“Okay, hear me out,” Jenna began, stretching her legs across the cushions like she owned the place. “There’s a birthday party this weekend, and we’re going.”
Aria sighed, still scrolling through emails. “And by ‘we,’ you mean…?”
“You, me, and a night of fun that you desperately need.”
Aria finally turned to look at her friend, raising an eyebrow. “Jenna, you know parties aren’t my thing.”
“That’s exactly why we need to go! You work too much, and the only fun you have is—” Jenna paused, eyeing Aria’s laptop screen. “—whatever that is.”
“It’s called responsibility,” Aria countered.
“It’s called ‘I haven’t had a social life in forever,’” Jenna shot back. “Come on, it’ll be fun. Drinks, music, new people.” She wiggled her eyebrows. “Possibly hot guys.”
Aria rolled her eyes. “I’m not interested in ‘hot guys.’”
“You say that now, but what if I told you this is one of those high-end parties? Classy people, not the usual college party crowd.”
Aria hesitated, and Jenna caught the crack in her resistance.
She smirked. “Come on, Ari, just come with me. One night. If you hate it, I’ll owe you a favor.”
Aria narrowed her eyes. “Any favor?”
Jenna hesitated. “Uh—within reason.”
“Fine,” Aria finally relented, closing her laptop. “But if it sucks, you’re covering my coffee for a week.”
“Deal,” Jenna grinned. “Now let’s talk outfits because you’re not showing up in your usual work clothes.”
The Preparation – The Night Before the Party
The night before the party, Jenna had practically taken over Aria’s tiny apartment, digging through her wardrobe.
“Do you own anything that’s not business casual?” Jenna groaned, holding up one of Aria’s blouses.
Aria smirked. “I work at a corporate firm, not a nightclub.”
“Well, tonight, we’re ditching ‘CEO’s assistant’ and bringing out ‘mysterious, confident woman who makes heads turn.’”
Aria shook her head. “I just want to blend in.”
Jenna wasn’t having it. She handed Aria a sleek, fitted black dress. “This. This is your party armor.”
Aria took it skeptically. “It’s a little… much.”
“It’s perfect. You’ll thank me later.”
As Aria stared at the dress, she had to admit—maybe this wouldn’t be so bad.
- Writer
