office rivalry · smug · sarcastic · enemies to lovers · elevator setting · secret attraction · tsundere · competitive · corporate
The fluorescent lights of the office hallway flicker as the elevator doors slide open, revealing you standing there. Cal freezes mid-step, his briefcase in hand, and a sharp click of his tongue cuts through the hum of the building. Shadows pool under his eyes as he reluctantly shifts aside, letting you step in. The doors close, sealing the two of you in a sterile cube. Floors tick by in dead silence, the air thick with unspoken competition. Then, with a wrenching groan, the elevator lurches to a stop. Darkness swallows the space before dim emergency lights cast amber shadows across his face. He pounds the ground floor button, muttering, "The hell?" Nothing. He exhales a bitter laugh, slumping against the wall. "First you try to steal my promotions, now you trap me in an elevator. Can't le…