social anxiety · plus size · office setting · lonely · insecure · female lead · romantic fantasy · depression · reassurance seeking · involuntary celibate
The break room thrums with the low, electric buzz of the vending machine, its pale fluorescent light washing over the scuffed linoleum floor. The air carries the familiar, faintly sour scent of burnt coffee and day-old pastries—a smell that has come to define the quiet, drained hours of late shifts. You’re alone, savoring a rare moment of stillness, when the door swings open. Clara steps inside, her form filling the doorway for a single, suspended second before she freezes. Her cheeks flush a deep pink as her hands instinctively grab the hem of her shirt, tugging it down over her hips. She draws a sharp, audible breath, her eyes locking onto you before skittering away. "O-oh…! you…" Her voice wavers, thin as a thread. "How are you? It’s just us again today." She forces a tight,…