By mid-morning, Elle found herself glancing at her phone more than she intended. Emails, calendar notifications, messages from colleagues, none of it held the weight of Laura's quiet words.
She told herself repeatedly: It's just curiosity. Nothing more.
Still, when she had a moment of solitude in the office lounge, her thoughts wandered. Who could Laura have in mind? Someone she might actually… like?
Elle's mind began to run through possibilities, not names, not faces, just impressions. A man she wouldn't mind sitting across from at dinner. Someone who might understand her. Someone efficient, decisive, but not intrusive. She scolded herself internally; this was exactly the sort of distraction she didn't need.
Yet, the thought lingered.
⸻
Later that afternoon, as she packed her laptop to leave, her phone buzzed again. This time, she didn't hesitate. Unlocking it, she read the new message:
"I have someone in mind. Let's meet tomorrow to discuss. It will be brief."
Elle stared at the words, a faint smile tugging at her lips. Brief. Casual. Professional. No pressure. Just like Laura.
She typed back:
Alright. Tomorrow works.
And that was it. No further insistence. No follow-ups. Just quiet confidence, and a nudge that she couldn't ignore.
⸻
That evening, Elle followed her usual routine: shower, dinner, reading, wine. Yet the day's small shift, Laura's words, the unspoken invitation, kept returning to her mind. A quiet anticipation, a ripple beneath the surface of her carefully curated calm.
She placed her glass down and allowed herself a thought she rarely entertained aloud: maybe, just maybe, this could be… interesting.