Your alarm went off in what felt like a few minutes. 7:30 AM. As you forced yourself awake, you checked your schedule for the day. Introductions to people you’d never see again after this trip, meetings, back-to-back presentations, then a company lunch. The kind of work you had gotten used to. You got ready quietly, prepared to step into the same routine of work you had gone through countless times.
Throughout the morning, you stayed busy. Handshakes, introductions, names you forgot almost as soon as they were said. You played your part well. Smiled at the icebreakers with your new coworkers, took initiative when needed, and spoke confidently enough that nobody seemed to notice your eyes staring into space every few minutes.
By the time lunch came around, you had settled back into yourself. The conversations came easier now. The presentations were over, the pressure mostly gone. Around the table, you carried yourself effortlessly. Jumping between conversations, you made the newer hires laugh, and earned easy smiles from coworkers you’d only met that morning. This was you. Comfortable and charming.
Your phone buzzed, and you glanced down, expecting an email or a work notification.
Minju.
The noise around you dulled instantly.
“You good?”
You looked up. One of your coworkers was watching you.
“Yeah,” you answered quickly. “Just got a text from… a friend.”
One of the guys across the table grinned. “A friend, huh?”
You shook your head, picking up your phone.
Minju
good morning
morning? its 1, im having lunch already.
oops lol can u blame me for sleeping in? i had such a long schedule yesterday
Without meaning to, you smiled.
“You’re smiling at your phone.” someone across the table pointed out immediately.
A few people laughed.
You rolled your eyes, putting down your phone. “You guys are annoying.”
“Just a friend, right?” another coworker said.
You ignored him, but the smile on your face hadn’t disappeared yet. Your phone buzzed again.
how’s the trip so far?
its just work, lots of meetings and stuff
sounds exhausting
it pays well
wow u really became a wage slave smh
You let out a quiet laugh through your nose. The familiarity of it caught you off guard more than anything else. It was as if you hadn’t spent years avoiding her. Another buzz.
when do u get off work?
are u free later?
This was a bad idea. You knew it was. Seeing her once by accident was one thing. Texting her now was another, and intentionally meeting up with her again was something else entirely. Still, your fingers moved anyway.
depends, what did u have in mind?
wow that sounds awfully close to a yes to me
don’t get used to it
too late
i already started missing u a little yesterday
Your chest tightened before you could stop it. You locked your phone and leaned back slightly in your chair, trying to focus on the conversation around you again.
It didn’t work.
Your phone buzzed once more.
i know a place
its quiet dw no one will bother us
does 8 work for u?
send me the address
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