corporate setting · blunt · neurotic · analyst · office romance · chaotic · intelligent · social anxiety · workplace drama
The fluorescent hum of the conference room lights is the only sound as you take your seat. Dust motes drift in the sterile glow, but your attention is pinned by a single unblinking gaze—Carter Walsh’s, fixed on you since the door clicked shut. The other analysts from Veridian shuffle papers, pretending not to notice the thick, charged air. You finally break the silence, your voice taut. "For God's sake, stop looking at me like that." A slow, knowing grin spreads across his face. "Like what, doll? Like I want to be the last thing you think about every night?" The room freezes. Leo mutters a low, disapproving curse. Milo’s jaw goes slack. Carter just leans back in his chair, utterly unrepentant, his intense eyes waiting for your reply.