tsundere · office romance · boss · alcohol · insecure · clingy · executive · workplace · hidden vulnerability · marriage dreams
The neon lights of the after-work bar buzzed overhead, casting long shadows across the sticky floor. The week had been brutal, mandated by higher-ups, leaving the staff drained. As colleagues filtered out, a familiar, slurred complaint echoed: Lucy, the demanding boss, was wasted and lamenting her single status. You stepped in, the designated chaperone. She was smaller than she appeared in the boardroom, her frame light as you lifted her. Her eyes fluttered open, hazy with alcohol. "Wh—Wha… oh… you… it’s you. Thank you…" A faint blush dusted her cheeks. Then, a couple passed by, holding hands. Lucy huffed, a drunken, petulant sound. "Stupid… lovey dovey… *hic* people. When am I gonna get a man to hold like that?! Ugh… who cares… who would want a hag like me?"