The next morning began with a smile.
Before the sunlight could fully enter her room, before her mind could remember responsibilities, she reached for her phone.
And there it was.
Good morning. Did you sleep properly?
Simple words.
But they did something to her.
She read it once.
Then again.
And then one more time.
A small smile curved on her lips — the kind she would never admit was because of him.
She typed a reply, deleted it, typed again, and finally sent something normal. Not too sweet. Not too obvious.
But her day had already started differently.
She got ready with unusual lightness, humming softly while tying her hair. Even the mirror seemed kinder today.
Just as she picked up her bag and was about to leave, the doorbell rang.
She frowned.
"At this hour?"
She opened the door casually—
—and froze.
"Surprise!"
"Shrisha?!" she gasped.
Her best friend stood there with a wide grin, suitcase beside her, sunglasses dramatically perched on her head like she had just arrived from an airport runway.
Before she could process anything, Shrisha pulled her into a tight hug.
"What are you doing here?" she laughed, still half-shocked.
"I have a project in this city for three weeks," Shrisha announced proudly. "And obviously, I'm staying with you."
"For three weeks?"
"Yes. Three. Whole. Weeks." She walked inside as if she owned the place. "I hope you missed me."
She closed the door, still trying to register it.
"I did miss you. But you could have told me!"
"And ruin the surprise?" Shrisha dropped her bag dramatically on the sofa. "Never."
She looked around the apartment, observing everything with sharp eyes.
"So this is where you live now," she said, nodding slowly. "Interesting."
"Don't start analyzing," she warned.
Shrisha turned toward her suddenly.
"Okay, tell me one thing first."
"What?"
"Why are you glowing?"
She blinked. "I'm not."
"You are," Shrisha said suspiciously, stepping closer. "Either you got promoted… or there's a boy."
Her heart skipped — just slightly.
"There is no boy."
Shrisha crossed her arms. "Hmm. That smile says otherwise."
She quickly looked away, pretending to check her watch.
"I'm getting late for work." She said while heading toward the door.
Shrisha smirked knowingly.
"Relax. I'll settle in. But tonight," she pointed a finger at her dramatically, "I want full updates."
She sighed.
This was going to be exhausting.
But also… comforting.
She was still smiling at her phone when she stepped outside her apartment building.
The morning sun was soft, the air slightly cool — and she was too busy rereading his message to notice anything else.
Reached office? Or still dreaming?
She was typing a reply when she suddenly sensed something.
She looked up.
And there he was.
Leaning casually against his car. Fully ready. Watching her.
Her heart skipped.
The smile on her face widened without permission.
She walked closer, trying to act normal. "Are you going somewhere?"
He straightened, pretending to think. "Yes."
"Oh."
"For a very important service," he added seriously.
She narrowed her eyes. "What service?"
He opened the car door dramatically. "Dropping you to office, of course. While I'm here, you think my girl is going to walk? Absolutely not. Impossible."
Her cheeks warmed instantly.
"Oh really?" she folded her arms lightly. "Why don't you announce it publicly too? Tell everyone we're dating."
He shrugged casually. "Why not? I'm not a part of your office anymore. Doesn't affect me."
She gave him a look. "But I am still part of it. And I don't want unnecessary gossip."
He leaned slightly closer — not touching — just lowering his voice enough to make her pulse misbehave.
"Since we're talking about office rules," he said smoothly, "what about my pending kiss?"
Her breath hitched.
"What kiss?" she asked quickly, trying to sound confident.
"The one you never gave," he replied lazily. "It's been pending for a while."
"I never said yes to anything like that," she said, heart fluttering wildly.
He stepped back slightly and pointed at his cheek.
"I want it now."
She almost gasped. "Have you lost it? What if someone sees?"
He tilted his head innocently. "Sees what?"
"Us!" she whispered. "They'll say we're shameless. Starting anywhere."
He chuckled softly. "If I do something with my girlfriend, why should anyone care?"
Her heart thudded at the word.
"Girlfriend?" she repeated carefully.
He watched her reaction closely — enjoying every second.
He stepped closer, lowering his voice playfully. "Baby… do I need anyone's permission to touch my girlfriend? I don't think so."
Her eyes widened instantly.
He winked at her. "I have my rights on you, don't I?"
Before she could react, he stepped back and added softly, teasing, "Relax. I'm joking."
She shyly pushed his arm away. "Don't say things like that."
He laughed quietly. "Why? You know I'm just teasing you."
She tried to sound bold again. "I'm not scared of you."
His expression softened.
"You don't have to be scared of me," he said gently this time. "Just… love me."
Her heartbeat stumbled at the sudden shift in his tone.
The teasing had faded.
And for a second, it didn't feel like a joke anymore.
She looked away quickly, trying to hide the smile forming on her lips.
"You're impossible," she whispered.
"And you still didn't answer," he murmured.
She opened the car door before he could continue and slipped inside, her cheeks warm, her heart racing — knowing very well he had won this round again.
He just loved this.
The way her confident tone dissolved into nervousness. The way her ears turned pink. The way she avoided his eyes.
"Fine," he sighed dramatically. "No kiss. At least admit you thought about it."
She stared at him, scandalized. "I did not."
He smirked. "Liar."
"You know," he said casually as he began driving, "one day I'll collect all my pending things together."
She refused to look at him. "Keep waiting."
He smiled.
"I'm patient."
And she knew—
That was the dangerous part.