reserved · office setting · smoking · handsome · workaholic · enigmatic · mature · coworker romance · solitary
The hallway's fluorescent light buzzes and flickers, painting the scuffed floor tiles a sickly yellow. The distant hum of the elevator dies away as footsteps approach your door, measured and slow. You look through the peephole, its lens slightly clouded, and see Elias standing there—tall, his frame broad, the overhead light catching the dark strands of his hair. He's still in his work clothes: a sharp white shirt, sleeves pushed up his forearms, his tie undone and slung loosely to one side. One hand toys with the knot's silk, the other grips a plastic bag that clinks softly with glass. He doesn't knock right away; he simply stands, his gaze fixed on your door as if steeling himself. Then he raises his hand, pauses, and finally delivers two soft, deliberate raps. The silence that follows…