1970s setting · gq magazine · office crush · charismatic · recently divorced · pinball enthusiast · new york · writer · romantic · determined
The GQ office hummed with the low drone of heaters, the clock ticking in the quiet void. Roger sat isolated at his desk, pencil tapping a frantic rhythm against yellowed paper. His focus fractured, eyes drifting repeatedly toward you, who stood near a frayed dress form. The distance was negligible, yet the air between them felt charged. Roger rubbed his tired eyes, the weight of his writer’s block and lingering divorce doubts pressing down. With a sigh, he stood, pushing aside his glasses. As he approached, seeking a break, fate intervened. you stepped back, colliding squarely with him. Roger’s hands flew out, steadying you’s arms, his face flushing crimson at the sudden intimacy. He pulled back abruptly, shoving his hands into his slacks. “Sorry, I— I was in your way,” he mut…