Sasha's entire world shrunk down to three simple letters blinking on her screen, 'Hey.'
She was utterly frozen, mouth slightly open. She never thought he'd do this. She had been totally relieved he never mixed the blind date mess with their work. She thought the CEO, The Mr perfect Luca Meyer was way too structured to ever cross that line.
But now he was.
He was standing inside his soundproof office, texting her just to get her attention. Staring.. And the biggest shock, the part that made her stomach drop was the faint, gentle and completely surprising smile on his face.
'Don't freak out. Don't look like an idiot.'
A small spike of panic shot through her. She immediately gave him an awkward, panicky smile back. A quick, tight pull of her lips that felt more like a wince. Her eyes darted around the office floor, checking frantically to make sure no one else noticed the bizarre, silent exchange happening between the CEO's glass cage and her desk. When she saw no one was watching, she quickly slumped back in her chair, ducking low so her monitor and keyboard hid her face.
'If he can't see me, he can't talk to me. Just focus on your spreadsheets.'
The heat crept up her neck. A text from the CEO. A smiling CEO! This was a fully blown emergency. She gripped her mouse, staring blankly at a document, but all she could see was that one word.. 'Hey.'
°•°•°•°••
Across the glass, completely unaware that he had just caused a near faint, Luca's dating coach was ecstatic. Ayaan was seated happily in a visitor's chair, positioned to give Luca a clear line of sight.
"Perfect man, you nailed it!" Ayaan cheered, his voice low but bubbling with triumph. "Keep smiling. She needs to see you're not just a workaholic robot, you're a guy with a romantic side"
Luca slowly looked away from the glass and turned to Ayaan.
"No! Don't turn! Keep looking at her!" Ayaan hissed, jumping up and waving his hands wildly. "Text her again while you stare. That's how you build intensity."
"No need," Luca replied simply, starting to slide back into his big chair. "She sat back. I can't see her face anymore."
Ayaan froze mid-hiss.
"What?" He scrambled to the glass wall, peering out into the office. Sure enough, Sasha was just a vague shape behind her screen.
Ayaan let out a sound of deep, dramatic frustration. He spun back to Luca, who was already flipping pages of a document.
"She… she didn't even stay smiling?" Ayaan asked, his voice thick with defeat.
"She did. Then she sat back down" Luca stated, as if reporting on a minor scientific observation.
Ayaan threw his head back, groaning. "Oh, man. This is complicated! Is she as much of a work freak as you are, Luca? Is that the issue?"
"She is efficient at her job" Luca answered, not looking up. It was the same maddeningly neutral, fact-based response he gave for everything.
"Same answer every time…" Ayaan muttered, running a hand through his hair. He walked back to his chair, pointing at Luca's phone. "Hey! Hey! Why'd you put your phone away? Text her again!"
Luca finally looked up, slightly annoyed.
"Text what? She's right there. If I need to tell her something, I can just call her." luca said.
Ayaan stared, then covered his face with his hands, collapsing into his chair.
"I know she's there! This is about love psychology! It means-.."
"Don't use words you don't understand," Luca cut in smoothly, his focus still on his work.
Ayaan dropped his hands, glaring. "What I mean is, it's a way to give her butterflies!" he exclaimed, trying to get his point across.
Luca looked genuinely confused. "Do I need to catch actual butterflies? What idiotic thing are you-.."
"Ugh, man… Giving butterflies doesn't mean catching them! It's a feeling! Come on! You know what? Just hug your file and sit here. I'm done. I'm leaving."
Ayaan stood, stomping determinedly toward the door. Just as he reached it, Luca pressed a button on his desk.
"Sara, come to my office" Luca commanded into the intercom.
Ayaan's body snapped to a stop. He stood perfectly still. The thought of leaving vanished the moment he heard the name of Sara.
"Haven't left yet?" Luca asked, leaning back in his chair with a knowing smirk. He knew exactly what he was doing.
"My dear bestfrienddd…" Ayaan ground out, turning around slowly, his smile stiff and fake. He knew Luca had called Sara just to keep him trapped here.
°•°•°•°•°•
In Sasha's cabin, the panic attack of her was successfully aborted by Rahul, a nervous intern who needed help with a report. Sasha immediately switched back to her normal, helpful professional mode, her mind efficiently locking away all thoughts of texts, smiles, and CEOs.
She spent the next fifteen minutes focused on the task at hand.
By the time she finished, the workday was ending. She checked her phone. No more messages from Luca. She felt a complicated mix of relief that the weird moment was over, and a tiny bit of letdown.
She discreetly turned her head, trying to peek at Luca's glass office. It was dark and empty.
Sighing, she gathered her things. Back to normal.
°•°•°•°••°•°
"So, you're certain? You saw her take the metro with Sameer in the past few days, right?" Ayaan asked, already plotting the next move as Luca tidied his desk.
"Yes" Luca confirmed, closing his laptop.
"Perfect. Get up. Go tell her you'll give her a ride home" Ayaan instructed.
"I can't. If anyone sees me do that, it will make her uncomfortable and look unprofessional" Luca countered. He actually sounded sensible.
"Fine! Fine!" Ayaan quickly adjusted. "Then don't ask face-to-face. Text her. Tell her to wait until everyone leaves, and you'll drop her. It keeps it quiet!"
Luca considered this. He picked up his phone, sent a quick text to Sasha, and watched the screen. The reply came back instantly.
Luca closed his eyes, let out a silent breath, and gave Ayaan a defeated, neutral look.
"What? Did she say yes?" Ayaan asked, leaning forward eagerly.
Luca silently turned his phone screen for Ayaan to see. It was a picture of a nice white car in a parking garage down in th parking spot of the company.. Sasha's car.
The text underneath read,
"Thanks, but I actually got my car back today after service. Thanks for offering though…"
Ayaan stared at the phone. Then at Luca. Then he sank onto the sofa.
"I don't think, in future my own relationship will be this hard to handle" he mumbled to himself, throwing his hands up.
"Why can't I find anything that works to connect these two, seriously?"
°•°•°•°•°•
Sasha was greeted at her apartment by Kavya, whose shift had finished early.
"Guess who has the day off tomorrow?" Kavya asked, striking a proud pose.
Sasha smiled, playfully nudging her.
"So we both get some free time tomorrow together " she said, walking toward the kitchen to pour a glass of water.
As she put the glass down, her phone rang. She looked at the screen, and a genuine, warm smile instantly lit up her face. The name on the display was.. Julian.
Sasha quickly moved to the sliding glass door and stepped out onto the balcony, the genuine, warm smile from earlier still lighting her face as she answered the call.
"Hey Julian..where were you." Her voice, usually professional and calm, was now light and Friendly. She turned slightly, leaning her back against the railing, completely engrossed in the conversation.
Inside, Kavya watched her roommate. A thoughtful confused look settling on her features. Julian? she wondered, setting her arms down. Sasha hadn't mentioned a Julian. The sight of Sasha smiling so effortlessly at her phone was jarring. Kavya felt a flicker of curiosity, but she shrugged it off, knowing Sasha would tell her later, or she'd simply ask.
Just then, a sharp insistent ring from the doorbell cut through the silence.
"Saved by the dinner bell" Kavya muttered to herself, walking over to the door.
It was the food delivery. She quickly paid and took the large bag, filled with the aroma of their weekend takeout ritual. She placed the bag on the counter and started arranging the plates and cutlery on the small dining table.
Exactly three minutes later, the sliding door rattled shut as Sasha walked back inside, tucking her phone into her pocket. The happy glow from the call was still visible, softening her features.
"Oh, the food arrived? Perfect timing" Sasha said, glancing at the clock. "Let me go take a quick shower. I'm completely drained."
"Go, go.. I'll handle the setup" Kavya replied, waving her off.
Sasha nodded and disappeared into the bedroom. Kavya was just pulling the cartons out of the bag when Sasha's phone rang from the counter.
Kavya glanced down, intending to simply call out to Sasha, but her eyes went wide with genuine surprise and curiosity when she saw the caller ID. Boldly displayed on the screen were just three letters.. CEO..
Before she could process the excitement, the bedroom door opened. Sasha emerged in a fluffy white bathrobe, toweling her hair dry.
"Hey! Hey! Attend the call!" Kavya exclaimed, grabbing the phone and practically running to hand it over to Sasha, her eyes sparkling with excitement and sheer gossip potential.
"It's Luca! He is calling"
The cheerful, relaxed expression Sasha had worn just moments ago instantly vanished. She went completely still, her eyes fixed on the screen in Kavya's hand. She took the phone, her fingers trembling slightly, and she visibly gulped.
"Hello?" she managed to say.
[To be continued]