Denisse's Monday morning was no kinder than Lesley's.
If anything, it felt heavier.
She sat at her desk with her bag tucked neatly beneath it, her spine straight, her expression composed. From the outside, she looked like the same capable executive assistant everyone relied on. Inside, though, her thoughts refused to stay where they belonged. They kept drifting back to last night, looping relentlessly, replaying moments she wished she could edit out of existence.
The blind date.
The rain.
The restaurant.
The emergency room.
And her.
Denisse stared at her computer screen, the glow reflecting faintly off her tired eyes. She hadn't slept much. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw the way Nicole had looked at her across the table. Calm. Patient. Trying so hard not to show irritation. That alone made the embarrassment worse.
She exhaled slowly and adjusted the stack of folders beside her keyboard. Work. She needed to focus on work. She couldn't afford distractions, not when her job required precision and constant attention.
After settling in, she dove into her tasks. Answering calls for the CEO. Scheduling meetings. Running through documents with practiced efficiency. Her fingers moved automatically, muscle memory carrying her through the morning while her mind lagged behind, heavy and fogged with regret.
Hours slipped by almost unnoticed.
By the time lunchtime rolled around, Denisse felt drained. Her stomach twisted unpleasantly, though she wasn't sure whether it was hunger or leftover stress. She wasn't hungry, not really, but skipping meals had never ended well for her. She grabbed her phone and made her way to the company pantry.
The space buzzed softly with quiet conversation and clinking utensils. Fluorescent lights hummed overhead. She ordered something light, barely glancing at the menu, and carried her tray toward a table near the window. Outside, the city moved on as if nothing disastrous had happened the night before.
She had just taken a few absent-minded bites when someone slid into the seat across from her.
"I thought I was never going to get lunch," Gigi groaned, dropping her tray onto the table. "Mr. Davis buried me under a mountain of documents today. I swear that man enjoys suffering."
Denisse forced a small smile. "You know how they are. Hardworking to a fault. That's why the company's been thriving for years. And don't forget the bonuses."
Gigi scoffed dramatically. "Excuse me, I earn those bonuses. I do the work of three secretaries. He's lucky I'm loyal."
"Yeah..." Denisse murmured, pushing her food around with her fork.
Gigi paused mid-bite, narrowing her eyes. "Okay. What's with the mood? You look like you're ready to go home and cry into a pillow."
Denisse stiffened slightly. "Nothing. Just eat."
Gigi wasn't fooled. She leaned back, studying her. "Is this about yesterday? You waited forever. I told you to call me. I would've ditched my lunch date and kept you company."
Denisse hesitated, then sighed. "She showed up."
Gigi's eyes widened. "Wait. She did? The date actually happened?"
"Yes. It did."
"Then why do you look like you survived a natural disaster?" Gigi demanded. "Don't tell me she was ugly or didn't make a move."
Denisse let out a soft, incredulous laugh. "Oh, hell no. She was... stunning. Like—dangerously stunning. Like... the kind people dream about. Tall, confident, smelled incredible. Honestly? she looked like a model."
Gigi blinked. "Wow. Jackpot."
"That's what I thought," Denisse said quietly.
"Then what's the problem? Was she taken? Did she reject you?"
Denisse set her fork down, rubbing her thumb along the edge of the tray. "A lot happened. Like... a lot. We went from a blind date to an emergency room."
Gigi froze. "Emergency room?"
"Yes."
"And you're just casually saying that like it's normal?"
"I'm pissed," Denisse admitted. "Because she blamed me for ending up there."
Gigi leaned forward, interest lighting her face. "Okay. I'm invested. We've got the whole lunch break. Start from the beginning."
Denisse sighed, bracing herself. "First of all, she was late. Really late. But fine—I gave her a chance to redeem herself. She was that hot, and honestly, who wouldn't want to see how the rest of the day might turn out?"
Gigi snorted.
"And remember the matching notes? She said she'd arrive on a motorbike. She did. Then she insisted I ride with her because she didn't want to waste any more time not being together."
"You hate motorbikes."
"I told her I'd rather take a taxi," Denisse continued. "She insisted. And then it rained. Of course it rained. We were soaked. Completely drenched. If she'd let me take a taxi, none of that would've happened."
"Damn," Gigi said. "Unlucky."
"And it didn't stop there." Denisse grimaced. "At the restaurant... I admit I messed up. The steak was tough, so I cut it harder than I should've. It slipped and flew straight into her face."
Gigi burst out laughing. "Of all days to be clumsy!"
"I know," Denisse groaned. "And when I tried to help, I knocked over the wine. Soaked her too."
"You're cursed."
"I think the universe hates me," Denisse muttered.
Gigi shook her head, still amused. "So where does the emergency room come in?"
"Oh, we're not there yet." Denisse leaned back. "She asked for the bill. She'd told me to order whatever I wanted, but when it was time to pay, she conveniently forgot her wallet. Her phone was soaked too. How convenient is that?"
Gigi raised a brow. "You think she was lying?"
"I don't know. But to be fair, she made it up to me. She took me to the Eclipse VIP club, ordered more than I thought was possible, and refused to let me pay."
"Wow, she really sounds loaded," Gigi said, eyes wide. "Motorbike, hot, beautiful—probably has outrageously expensive skincare—and then Eclipse?"
"She does," Denisse said. "She owns a restaurant."
Gigi nearly choked. "Why did you let that go?!"
"Wait, okay... you'll understand in the end why," Denisse said, picking at the edge of her salad, eyes flicking to Gigi for her full attention.
"Okay, go on," Gigi prompted, leaning forward, a mischievous grin tugging at her lips.
Denisse exhaled, bracing herself as she relived the memory. "So yes, we went to Eclipse. She ordered us food—like, a ridiculous amount—and everything seemed fine at first. But then... another unfortunate thing happened." Her fingers drummed nervously on the edge of the table. "Remember Hannah? The one I went on a date few times but... you know, it never went anywhere?"
Gigi nodded slowly, eyes narrowing in curiosity. "Yes, I remember."
Denisse rolled her eyes, a mix of exasperation and disbelief coloring her tone. "Of all places and all times... she had to be there yesterday. Hannah saw us, and God... what she did was beyond embarrassing."
Gigi leaned in, eyebrows raised. "What? What did she do?"
Denisse's hands tightened around her fork as she recalled the scene. "She thought I ghosted her because I'm dating Nicole. And then—get this—she actually threw a glass of water... at Nicole's face."
Gigi nearly fell back in her chair, mouth wide. "Hell no! The audacity! And she wasn't even your girlfriend!"
Denisse let out a shaky laugh, equal parts mortification and disbelief. "Exactly. I was standing there... wanting the floor to swallow me whole."
"How does someone even think that's acceptable?" Gigi asked, incredulous.
"I know, right?" Denisse muttered, exhaling a mix of frustration and disbelief. "I was mortified in front of Nicole—but that didn't give her the right to accuse me of... what? Trying to kill her?"
Gigi leaned back slightly, eyebrow quirked. "Did you—?"
"No! Of course not!" Denisse interrupted, hands lifting in mock offense. "Do I look like a killer to you?"
Gigi smirked, tapping her fork against her tray. "Who knows? You might have motives."
Denisse rolled her eyes so hard she thought she might see her brain. "Please. I wouldn't hurt a fly."
Gigi chuckled, shaking her head. "So... why did she even accuse you of that?"
Denisse shrugged, picking at a stray piece of lettuce on her tray. "Because... when we left Eclipse, I suggested we go to the food bazaar near the park. Everything seemed fine at first. And then—bam—she suddenly doubled over in pain. We had to rush to the hospital immediately. She'd had an allergic reaction to the food I offered."
Gigi's eyes went wide. "Wait... she didn't know she had allergies?"
Denisse pursed her lips, thinking. "She did. I'm sure of it. She knew enough to get treatment right away. But somehow she still blamed me. After the doctor saw her, she accused me of causing all the chaos that led to the bazaar in the first place."
"And?" Gigi pressed, leaning closer, elbows on the table.
"So I blamed her back," Denisse admitted with a wry twist of her lips. "If she hadn't been late, maybe the date would have gone smoothly. Maybe none of this would've happened."
Gigi shook her head, laughing, covering her mouth with one hand. "Unbelievable. You two... you're literally cursed by the universe. That's all I can say."
Denisse let out a slow, rueful sigh, letting the humor and frustration mingle. "I think so too. And honestly... maybe it's a warning. That woman is chaos incarnate, a walking disaster. I would never, ever go on a date with her again."
Gigi's grin softened into a teasing smirk. "You sure about that? What if you two ran into each other again?"
Denisse shook her head decisively, a small laugh escaping her. "Oh hell no. I've seen everything. Never again. Not happening."
They laughed together, the sound easing some of the tension from Denisse's chest. For a few minutes, the world narrowed to shared amusement, the absurdity of the day, and the comforting rhythm of friendship. Plates emptied, drinks drained, and soon they pushed their trays away, returning to work with lighter hearts—both aware that even disaster could feel manageable when shared.