At the start of the month, the magazine office was quiet. There wasn't much to do, so Emma spent most of the afternoon drifting through the hours in a daze.
Sunlight poured through the window, warming the floor. She propped her chin on her left hand, bored, while her right fingers tapped a steady rhythm on the desk.
Her phone sat beside her. She was thinking about dinner with Liam later. Should she call him and ask what he liked to eat?
But if she called, what if the conversation turned awkward? She'd have nothing to say.
After a long hesitation, Emma decided to send a text instead.
[Are you busy?]
Once the message was sent, she simply lay her head down on the desk, staring at her phone.
At that moment, Liam was in the conference room, holding a shareholders' meeting with all the top executives of the Pinnacle Corporation. He sat at the center of the long table, his expression serious as he listened to the others speak.
Suddenly, his phone vibrated softly on the table. The sound cut through the silence of the room.
Everyone turned to look. The conference room fell still.
Christopher Martin sat beside Liam, carefully recording the meeting's details. He looked up at Liam, startled by the sudden interruption.
Liam raised a hand and waved it casually, signaling them to continue. He picked up his phone and opened the message. It was from Emma.
He paused for a moment, then typed a reply.
[Not busy. What's up? Missing me?]
Christopher caught a glimpse of the message from the corner of his eye.
Not busy? They were in the middle of a critical meeting.
How could he say that without even flinching?
And that line—"Missing me?"
Was this the girl his boss was so taken with?
Emma's phone buzzed. She read the reply and quickly typed back.
[Just wanted to let you know I already booked dinner at The Waterfront for after work.]
Liam smiled faintly. [Good. I'll pick you up after work.]
Emma stared at her phone, giggling to herself. Wait—why did this feel like they were a couple in love?
Her bright eyes sparkled as she typed again.
[Okay. I'll wait for you at the coffee shop across from the office. Can you make it in half an hour?]
[Yes. Wait for me.]
Liam glanced at the time. The meeting was almost over. He put down his phone and returned his attention to the discussion, his expression serious once more.
But Christopher noticed him occasionally stealing glances at his phone, his mind clearly elsewhere.
Sure enough, as soon as the meeting ended, Liam stood up and walked out without a word, leaving the rest of the executives exchanging puzzled looks.