door stays open three inches

Someone snaps their fingers in front of your face. You blink a couple of times before frowning at the owner of said hand. Maria doesn’t flinch under your glare.

“Where did you go?” Noelle asked.

You take a sip of your mimosa before you answer.

“Back at L’Orage.”

“Annnnd…?” Natasha pushes.

“We—” you begin, but your gaze meets Michelle’s. 

She’s looking at you like she also wants all the tea. Your eyes lower to her empty plate, hers follow your gaze. You know what she’s thinking, and she knows what you’re thinking. 

“Mimi, you’re done eating right? Why don’t you go watch some TV inside?” you say before her little hand reaches the basket of pastries on the table.

“But—”

“Auntie Henny is right,” Noelle cuts her and you roll your eyes at the nickname. “We don’t want you to get sick, right?” she says, rubbing her belly.

“Okay, Mommy. Can I get more juice from the fridge, please?”

“Yes.”

“Thank you!”

Just like that, she’s back inside the house.

“I thought the use of that nickname was forbidden in this house,” you say.

“We’re in the backyard,” your sister gives you an innocent smile.

You throw your napkin at her but she easily catches it.

“Anyways. We kissed.”

“Huh,” Natasha crosses her arms over her chest and lays back on her chair. “But?”

“What?”

“There’s a but. There’s always a but with you,” Maria says.

“There’s no but. We kissed, that’s it. It was a very nice kiss. Then he took me home—Back here!” you add quickly when you see how big Maria and Natasha’s eyes got. “He said he’s down for a second date.”

“So how do you feel about him?” Maria asks.

“Do you want me to tell you you were right? Because that’s not gonna happen.”

Maria gives you a look. You sigh.

“It turns out he doesn’t hate me at all. He was actually kind of shocked when I talked to him about that. He thought I didn’t like him,” you take another sip of your drink. “I like him a lot. He’s nice, funny, he listens to me when I talk.”

“Annnnnd…?” this time it comes from Noelle.

“And I kinda want him to bend me over a desk some time.”

The four of you burst out laughing like madwomen.

“More seriously, I guess I should thank you guys. I had a really nice time.”

“Aw, you’re welcome, sweetie,” Natasha rubs your arm. “Personally, I think you guys are a match made in heaven. Literally.”

“Don’t jinx it, Nat!” Maria exclaims.

Natasha makes a zipping motion over her lips with a little smirk.

As Noelle refills your champagne flutes and you move on to another topic – here Noelle and Laetitia, the mother of the new kid in Mimi’s class --, you can’t help but feel grateful for this moment.

You were lucky to find people you can rely on other than your sister after so many years. After everything that happened. Sure your sister is your best friend and vice versa, but sometimes you can’t help but feel guilty about all the stuff you dump on her.

It’s not easy for you to interact with people and maintain healthy relationship. You try your best to find a nice balance between over communicating and totally isolating yourself. You’re still a work in progress though.

That’s why all this dating business was pushed aside for a few years.

Maria and Natasha end up spending the rest of the day at your house. You order takeout, drink some more – responsibly though, all while binge-watching Disney movies and playing board games with Michelle. It’s the nicest day you’ve had in a hot minute.

When the girls leave and it’s finally time for bed, you go to sleep with the ghost of today’s smiles still dancing on your lips.

*

In your opinion, Mondays are overrated. You never understood this whole thing anyway. Sure it’s the beginning of a new week, but it’s still a day like the others.

This particular Monday though, is a bit special. You’re excited to see whether or not Sam had the flowers delivered in your office. So excited that you’re walking around with a huge grin, your face beaming as you step into the elevator.

“Well good morning m’lady,” Scott from HR greets you when you step off the elevator. He’s at the front desk, talking to Rumlow.

“Morning Scott,” you say, still smiling.

“You got a secret admirer, huh?” Scott asks.

“Excuse me?”

“Your office is filled with flowers. And I mean filled. Janet walked by ten minutes ago and she hasn’t stopped sneezing since. Y’know, allergies.”

“Oh, um… I—” you stutter, not really knowing what to say.

“I’m just messing with you, kiddo. Just—If it’s a dude from around here, just make sure you stop by my office some time, ‘kay?”

Okay… You need to end this conversation now. You can feel your cheeks heat up with embarrassment. Honestly, it’s not that you don’t like Scott, everybody likes Scott. It’s just that he can be a bit too much sometimes.

“Sure thing, Scottie. You have a good day, okay?”

You don’t wait for his answer before you keep walking towards your office, climbing the stairs leading to the first floor with ease.

A woman you don’t recognize is standing in front of your office, staring at the glass wall. The cleaning crew must have left the blinds open again despite your multiple notes.

“Hello,” you greet her before you reach your office. “Can I help you?”

You can’t see the inside yet but Scott was right, the scent is strong. Just how many flowers did Sam send?

Her gaze meets yours as she whips her head towards you, her long burgundy hair following the movement. She’s wearing a green suit, a bold but beautiful contrast with her skin tone.

“Hi!” she smiles. “I’m sorry, is this your office?”

“Yes. You’re new here, right?”

“Yes, yes. My name is Gamora, I’m the new Digital Manager,” she offers her hand for you to shake.

You introduce yourself as you shake her hand. “… I take care of—”

“Events, yes. It’s written on your door. Anyways, I was just looking at the flowers in your office. Must be nice. My boyfriend… He’s not really that kind of guy.”

“Um…”

Once again, you don’t know how to talk to people.

“Sorry if I’m being weird.”

“Oh, no, it’s… Don’t worry about it. So where are you from?” you ask.

You figure you should at least try to make small talk with her. She seems nice, she has a very kind face. There’s something about her eyes though… She’s clearly been through a lot.

“I’m from New Asgard, in Norway.”

“Wow, how did you end up here?”

“My boyfriend, Peter. He lives in the US and he asked me to move in with him. I couldn’t say no.”

The name makes you flinch, but you wipe the discomfort away as soon as it appears. Peter is a common name. In this city alone there are hundreds of them. You need to get used to it, it’s been years already.

“Well, on behalf of the entire Red Wing team, I’d like to say welcome,” you give her a genuine smile.

“Thank you so much. That means a lot.” With a sigh, she throws one last glance towards your office before she starts walking away. “I better find Scott, we’re not done with the tour yet. I’ll see you around, I guess?”

“Sure. Have a good day!”

Once she turns around the corner, you take the last few steps that lead you to your office.

“Oh my God,” you whisper.

Your office is filled with flowers all right. It’s not just fifty like Sam said. At least a dozen of bouquets of red roses, tulips and peonies are scattered around your office. On your coffee table, the empty spaces on your bookshelf, the floor… everywhere but on your desk. Thank God, the scent isn’t disturbing to you.

“Oh my God,” you whisper again.

You can’t believe your eyes. You set your bag on your desk and draw the blinds over the glass walls to keep the prying eyes out of your business. Walking around a bit, you take the time to inhale and admire every single bouquet.

“Wow, he really wasn’t joking.”

You turn around to find Natasha and Maria standing in your doorway, holding huge mugs.

That’s right the morning coffee. Morning coffee is always in your office on Monday and Wednesday.

“Aw sweetie, don’t cry!” Natasha grabs a tissues from the box on your coffee table and hands it to you.

You didn’t even realize you were crying. Damn, he really had you in the palm of his hand, huh?

“It’s just, no one has ever done something like this for me before, and I feel stupid now because I’m crying for fucking flowers.”

“Hey, it’s not stupid, okay?” Maria chips in. “From what you told us, you’re not used to this kind of treatment, so it’s perfectly normal to feel overwhelmed right now. Here,” she hands you one of the mugs she’s holding. “Mantis told us you just got in so we figured you didn’t have time to make your cup of tea yet.”

“Thank you.”

You take a sip of the beverage, the hot liquid helping with the lump in your throat.

“Is… Is he here?” you ask.

Their offices are located on the floor above yours along with Sam’s, so you rarely see him during the day.

“Not yet,” Natasha replies. “He’s late. Something about getting Falcon a new cone.”

Oh yeah. He mentioned his dog’s surgery Friday night.

“Good morning, ladies. You talking about me?”

There he is.

Sam is standing in the doorway, a smirk on his lips, always handsome. A warm feeling spreads in your chest at the sight of him, and this morning’s grin is back in an instant.

“Samuel,” Maria greets him. “You’re late.”

“Ah shit. The boss wouldn’t like that, would he?”

“Whatever,” Maria rolls her eyes at him.

“Maria, come to the kitchen with me, I want to see if the pastries have been delivered already,” Natasha says, grabbing Maria’s arm.

“But shouldn’t we go with—” her sentence is cut short by Natasha’s pointed look. “Ohhh. Right.”

The girls shut the door behind them as they exit your office, you and Sam left alone.

“Morning,” he says, slowly approaching you. “Do you like the flowers?”

“I do, very much. What happened to the fifty flowers, though?”

Sam shrugs. “They were supposed to represent the number of times I wanted to kiss you. But as the weekend went by, I lost count, so…”

Goddammit.

“Come here,” you mumble.

You grab his hand and pull him closer to you, your free hand finding its place at the back of his neck. The kiss you give him is slow and sweet as you do your best to express your gratitude. You’ve been on one date, yet he has managed to make you feel more special than you’ve ever felt. He really is something. Sam kisses you back, and you can feel him smile as he does.

“Thank you,” you say when you break the kiss. “This is… wow.”

Sam keeps your body close to his, not wanting to let you go just yet.

“You’re welcome. So… about that second date. How do you feel about roller skating?”

Your eyebrows shoot up in surprise.

“I kind of like it. I haven’t skated since I was a kid, though.”

Sam nods. “Dinner and roller skating. Let’s say… Wednesday?”

“Wednesday sounds good,” you smile.

“Okay.”

Sam peppers small kisses on your lips and the corner of your mouth before letting you go. You instantly feel colder.

As he walks to the door, you seat at your desk and power up your computer, ready to start the work day.

“Wait, I need one more,” Sam says.

He rounds your desk and spins your chair so you’ll face him, before giving you another kiss. Once again, he peppers small kisses on your lips and cheeks and this time, you can’t help but giggle.

“It’s not even noon yet and I’m having the best day I’ve had in a while,” he whispers.

“Stop it. You’re gonna make me blush,” you joke.

“Now that would be my greatest achievement.”

Sam leaves shortly after that, leaving you to start working with the same dumb smile from earlier on your lips.

***

“Aw, thanks Mimi!”

“I say you look like you’re gonna order dessert twice,” Noelle says, before taking a sip of her tea.

Your jaw drops. “Noelle!”

Your sister only laughs in response and you roll your eyes playfully. She’s always making this type of jokes in front of Michelle then blames you when the same jokes come out of the little girl’s mouth at totally random and inappropriate times; like that time at a family gathering when everyone was setting up your aunt’s backyard to play dodgeball and Mimi joked that your cousin Samir would be the first person to “take that D”. The memory alone of the silence that followed makes you want to burst out laughing.

Noelle winks at you before you make your way to the foyer to put your coat on.

“Don’t forget to text us when you get to the restaurant!”

“I won’t!”

With that, you’re out the door.

The cab ride to the restaurant seems long, but since you’re lost in your thoughts for most of it, you get there soon enough.

The doorman opens the door to the establishment for you with a polite smile and you thank him with a nod. However, the hostess isn’t that polite. The way she talks to you is a bit rude, and for a minute you wonder if she’s a bitter Becky who’s about to give you a hard time but she just happens to have a stick stuck up her ass.

Instead of the main dining room, she leads you through a dimly lit corridor.

“The rest of your party is already here,” she says. “A waiter will be along in a few moments.”

With a forced smile, she slides the wooden door open and closes it behind you.

You can’t help but let your jaw drop at the sight of the man in front of you.

On the other side of the room, Sam Wilson returns your surprised stare right back at you.

Oh Lord. I will kill them. All three of them. I’ll tell Mimi her mom drowned in the Hudson.

The two of you stare at each other for what seems like hours, unsure of what to say. Your mind goes back to this morning, how you embarrassed yourself, how you shamelessly checked him out.

Speaking of checking him out, he looks absolutely delicious. He swapped this morning’s tan suit for a black suit and a burgundy turtleneck. You’ve seen him in turtlenecks before but this time feels different. Maybe Noelle was right. You might just have two desserts tonight.

“I –”

“You look—”

You both chuckle at the rather awkward situation.

“I’m sorry, you first,” Mr Wilson smiles.

“Actually… I don’t even know what I was gonna say,” you chuckle nervously.

“Well, I was gonna say that you look gorgeous. May I take your coat?”

A smile finds its way on your lips. He’s being nice. “Oh, um, sure.” Sam helps you slide the coat off your shoulders. “I think you look very handsome as well.”

It’s Mr. Wilson’s turn to smile again. He pulls a chair for you and you thank him as you sit.

“I can’t believe they set us up like this,” he chuckles, avoiding your eyes.

Oh. And here you thought every thing was going well. Okay, maybe not well, but you know, you were getting there. But he just had to ruin it. Why even compliment you if he’s going to spit in your face a second later?

Suddenly, the air in the room feels tight around you and you want to leave, get some fresh air and go home.

“You don’t have to stay, you know,” you almost whisper.

“What?”

“This must be incredibly uncomfortable for you.”

“It is.”

It’s like being slapped in the face by a frozen hand. A giant ice cream hand that leaves sticky residue all over your face. You weren’t ready for him to just flat out admit it. You hoped he would be more subtle about it.

You frown, anger, shame and frustration starting to bubble up inside you.

“In this case, I certainly won’t be the one to keep you,” you say as you stand up.

Making sure to keep your chin up, you get to the coat rack near the door in three long strides, ready to get out of here.

“Woah, wait a minute.”

Mr. Wilson’s hand grabs your wrist, giving it a gentle tug to get you to turn around. When you do so, a frown is still painted on your features.

“I don’t think we understand each other here,” he says.

“Don’t we? I mean, it’s pretty clear to me that you don’t want to spend the rest of the night with a woman who’s one, your employee, and two, someone you’re annoyed by. So please, just let me go and save the last ounce of dignity I still have in me.”

“… You think I’m annoyed by you?”

“Are you gonna make me say it again? Is this a joke to you?”

“No, of course not!” he sighs. “I just—Why would you think that?”

“Well, you’ve never held eye contact with me for more than one second, we’ve never said more than a couple sentences to each other and every time I walk in a room, you immediately get out like I have the—the plague or something!”

He stares at you for a couple of minutes, searching your face for… you don’t even know what, but you refuse to cower under his gaze if that’s what he wants.

“I apologise for my behaviour. I realise now how horrible I’ve been… I get nervous when I’m around you ‘cause I’m scared I’ll make a fool of myself.”

He what?

“You what?”

What in the name of the Lord is happening here? Are you losing your mind? Are you having a stroke? Can you still feel the left side of your body?

He gets nervous when he’s around you? Why?

“Because I like you,” he says, and you realise you thought that last bit our loud. “I’ve liked you since the first day you walked in the office.”

You blink up at him.

There’s no way any of this is real.

“I thought you hated me this whole time,” you whisper.

“I thought you hated me this whole time.”

“But… you’re my boss! Why didn’t you say anything?”

A slight shrug. “It didn’t affect your performance at work or your relationship with your colleagues.”

“Oh…”

You don’t know what to say or do, so you take a few seconds to just process everything he just said. It all makes a bit more sense now, you have to admit. But two years? You’re not that intimidating. Not at all, actually. A small part of you feels like you should apologise for your little outburst as well.

“I’m sorry for, you know, the little outburst. I was a bit rude there.”

“Don’t worry about it. Tell you what. How about, we introduce ourselves again, enjoy this free meal and be ourselves? We’re not co-workers tonight. We’re just two people enjoying their first date. Deal?”

You nod, a grin already on your lips.

“Okay. I’m Sam,” he extends his hand for you to shake. “It’s great to meet you. You look lovely.”

You giggle like a schoolgirl in front of her crush and introduce yourself as well. “You look lovely too.”

“Shall we?”

“Let’s.”

Dinner is excellent. Not only the food, but Sam as well. Turns out Maria and Natasha were right, he is a great guy. He’s the kind of person who totally gets you wrapped in whatever story he’s telling, like the one where he and his friends Steve and James once stole a car in Germany. You love every second you spend with him.

“You said you have a niece, right?”

The topic moved on family once Sam told you that his youngest sister recently became a mom.

“Yes, Michelle. She’s eight.”

“What is she like?”

“It’s gonna sound cliché but, she’s one of a kind. Very smart, kind, and surprisingly good at keeping secrets,” you say.

You can’t help but beam as you talk about Michelle, and if Sam notices, he doesn’t say anything. You tell him about how she likes cars and dinosaurs but also princesses and Bratz dolls, how blue crêpes and pizza are her favourite foods and what it’s like to live with your sister and your niece.

“I’m sorry, I’m sucking up all the air in the room,” you chuckle.

“You’re fine. I like listening to you.”

You take a sip of wine to hide your smile.

“What about your family? What are your sisters like?”

“It depends. They’re both dragons and angels.” You chuckle at that. “But they’ve always had my back and I’m very grateful for them. I couldn’t be where I am today without them.”

“It sounds like you guys are close.”

“We are,” he nods. “Our parents wanted us to know and live by the true meaning of the word ‘family’, and I think it’s the strongest thing ever, you know? And it’s not always about blood ties. Random people you meet along the way can become family as well.”

“I’ll drink to that.”

The two of you fall into a comfortable silence, eating the contents of your plates, forgotten in the heat of your conversations.

“What are you thinking about?”

“Nothing, just—” you shrug. “I feel good right now. With you. This is nice.”

Sam sets his knife down and his hand comes to cover yours on the table. Without a word, you flip your hand so you can lace your fingers with his. You both smile at each other, butterflies dancing in your belly.

You almost curse yourself. It’s too soon for that. But at the same time, why not let go for a moment?

Your friends were right, you needed this. And it looks like Sam did too.

After dessert, you stay at the restaurant for another hour, chatting around a bottle of wine, before the hostess comes around to tell you they’ll be closing house soon. You want to say something about hospitality and customers, but you decide against it. Your heart is too full right now for you to even be bothered by her.

You and Sam stand, ready to put your coats on and leave.

“So…” you break the silence. “What happens now?” you ask, almost shyly.

“Well, we go outside, we get my car from the valet,” Sam takes your hands in his. “And because my mama raised a gentleman, I’m gonna drive you back to your place. I’ll text you when I get home, tell you about what a nice time I had. Then, I’ll give you some space for the rest of the weekend, until Monday morning when you’ll find fifty roses on your desk.”

You giggle. “Why fifty?”

“One for each time I wanted to kiss you tonight,” he whispers, his forehead against yours.

Your breath hitches at his words. Here it is. It’s not like you don’t want to kiss him – you do, but there’s something inside you that tells you that this isn’t just a one time thing. You already miss him and he’s not even gone yet.

Yeah… I’m in trouble, you think.

“Sam…”

“Hm?”

“Kiss me. Please.”

It’s a slow kiss, almost timid. You let him take control as he tests the waters, taking his time to taste your lips, still sweet from the wine. When his tongue slides against your bottom lip, you let him in, and you can’t help but let out a quiet moan as his tongue brushes against yours. He pulls you closer, his arms around your waist.

You break the kiss at the same time, gazing into each other’s eyes as you catch your breath.

“That was…”

“Yeah. It was.”

*

“No, for the last time, I’ll tell you everything at brunch.”

“But I’m your sister!” Noelle almost whines, standing in the doorway of your bedroom. “I should get exclusive info.”

You throw a slipper at her that she easily dodges.

The ride home was calm. You and Sam sat in a comfortable silence the entire time as he drove through the city, the radio softly humming. More than once, you wanted to grab the hand resting on his thigh and just hold it, but you controlled yourself. You didn’t want to seem needy.

“Then you shouldn’t have teamed up with Nat and Maria. Now you guys are in the same boat,” you give her a sweet smile and she narrows her eyes at you.

“Okay fine. But if he texts you—”

As if on cue, your phone lights up with a notification. Noelle looks at you, then your phone and makes a beeline for it by jumping on your bed. Wrong move, because you’re closer to it. You grab it before she even lands on the mattress.

“You really thought you did something, huh?”

She shrugs. “At least I tried. What does he say?”

“Girl, how do you even now it’s him?!”

“I didn’t. Until you told me,” she says, a mischievous smile on her face. She looks like the model in the new Versace campaign… Loki is his name? Anyways.

You roll your eyes and finally unlock the phone, Noelle’s eyes still on you like a hawk.

Unknown: I already miss your laugh.

A giggle finds its way past your lips.

“Girlll, look at youuu!” Noelle pokes your ribs.

“How old are you?” you try your best to sound annoyed but the grin on your lips simply won’t disappear.

“When will you understand that it doesn’t matter how old I am, I will never be too old to tease my little sister?”

You shake your head at her antics and get back to your phone. You save his number immediately.

You: Well aren’t you a sweet talker…

Sam: That I am.

Sam: Seriously though, I had a great time tonight.

You: Me too. I know it’s very early but how does a second date sound?

Sam: Wait that’s my line!

Sam: Sounds great. I can’t wait to see you again.

You’re searching for the right reply when his next text appears with a soft sound. And your heart flutters.

Sam: And to kiss you again.

You shake the thoughts out of your head and push yourself away from your desk.

You need a cup of tea.

Yeah. Tea sounds good. It will calm your nerves.

Shutting your laptop, you head out of your office in direction of the large kitchen space on your floor. It’s the largest in the office, with its walls made out of glass. It’s full of plants and flowers, but not enough to make it overwhelming. The lingering smell of coffee welcomes you as you step in, making a beeline for one of the electric kettles set on the counter.

You take your time while making your cup of tea. After all, it’s to calm you down. So you waltz around the kitchen like it’s your own, humming one of the songs from The Princess and The Frog.

Your little bubble bursts when you notice it, and you stop moving.

There’s no more jasmine teabags in the teabag drawer. You open the cabinet underneath, but there’s no box either. You feel your jaw and shoulders tense up again. Damnit. You were really looking forward to that cup of tea.

“I’m sure it was Rumlow,” you mutter to yourself. “Dumb ass always hiding my st—”

“What did Rumlow do?”

Startled by the other voice, you straighten your get on your feet as fast as you can. Or at least you try. Your forehead hits the metal handle of the teabag drawer that apparently, you didn’t close properly. A slow exhale leaves your lips as you keep yourself from yelping, your fingers move on their own, checking your forehead for blood. Luckily, you avoided that.

“Are you all right?”

You finally look at the owner of the voice and—motherfucker on a pickle, it’s Mr. Wilson.

“Yes, I just—I’ll be okay, nothing too serious,” you try to smile but you’re pretty sure it comes out as a grimace.

“Are you sure?” he frowns.

You nod and duck your head, pretending to decide which kind of tea you’ll get, just to avoid his gaze and hide the embarrassment that washes over you, hot like boiling water. This is the second time this week. It’s official, to him, you’re just some kind of clumsy dumbass. How is it that you manage to embarrass yourself almost every time you interact with him, for God’s sake?

“If you’re looking for the jasmine tea, I just bought a new box.”

That’s when you realise that one, you’ve been staring at this damn drawer for way too long and two, he’s holding a grocery bag. He fishes the box from the bag and sets it on the counter, not too far from your hand.

You look at the pink packaging, then him. Your mouth suddenly goes dry.

Sam Wilson may be your boss, and he may not like you, but you can’t deny that he is one of the most handsome men you’ve met in your life. He always looks elegant and jaw-droppingly sexy, no matter what he’s wearing or the circumstances. Today’s look is a tan suit with a white button-up shirt with small hand drawn like black shapes all over it and no tie.

He looks good.

“I used the last teabag, so it only felt natural to buy a new box.”

Huh? Oh yes! Tea! Yes, he was talking about tea.

“Oh, thank you,” you say, not even attempting to smile this time.

The kettle stopped itself a couple of minutes ago, so you turn it on again. You like your water extremely hot. Kind of like your boss. Wait—no.

“So you like jasmine tea?” your voice sounds foreign.

So you like jasmine tea? That’s your attempt at making conversation with your boss? Goodness gracious. You lightly shake your head at your apparent lack of social skills. Tonight’s dinner is going to be interesting, that’s for sure.

“Uh, yeah. Especially at the end of the day. It helps me relax,” he says, hands in his pockets.

“Same here,” you smile. It’s a tight-lipped one, but at least it’s a real smile.

“Would you like a cup?” you offer when the kettle dings, signalling that the water is ready.

“Sure.”

You grab a random mug from the cupboard, put a teabag in it and pour the water inside then do the same with your own.

He thanks you when you hand him his mug and you leave without another word, afraid you’ll only embarrass yourself more if you spend one more second in that stupid kitchen.

Once you’re back in the safety and privacy of your own office, blinds drawn over the walls, your allow yourself to breathe for a moment and empty your mind.

When Maria and Natasha offered to set you up on a blind date a few days ago, you thought they were joking. Which is understandable, you know, they had a few drinks in them already and it was late. So you just laughed the absurd conversation off like a normal person.

The only issue is, they were dead serious and to this day, they’re still looking for a date. You would try to stop them, but you gave up two days ago after they got your sister Noelle involved. That traitor agreed to team up with them to find you a date because – and quote “your coochie is probably covered in spiderwebs already”. After that you decided to let them have their fun. Not because your coochie is… your coochie is fine, okay? Thank you very much.

Natasha finally takes a bite of her taco, the crunch of the tortilla making you wince slightly, and turns her attention back to the phone. You scoff at the blatant disrespect. Unfortunately, the action doesn’t pair well with the grain of rice that was apparently stuck in your throat and you start coughing like a madwoman.

This is the moment your boss chooses to sneak a peek in Maria’s office.

“Hey ladies—woah, is everything okay?” Mr. Wilson asks, slightly alarmed.

You nod as best as you can, your eyes filled with tears, and turn your back to him in hopes to preserve your last ounce of dignity as you choke on your miserable grain of rice. Maria hands you a bottle of water as Natasha reassures Mr. Wilson.

“We’re okay, Sam. She’s just enjoying her sushi a bit too much.”

“Oh. See you later, then.”

You don’t see him wave, and you don’t see the look your friends share either.

“Oh my God!” You exhale once the cough is gone. “I just saw my life flash before my eyes.”

“Oh please, would you stop being such a drama queen?”

Nat hands you a napkin and you use it to dry your tears. You’ll touch up your makeup after lunch.

You brush off the comment and take another sip of water before you speak. “I feel like the esteem he has for me is totally gone by now. Or do you think there’s still a bit left? I mean I outdid myself with the Drax event last month.”

“Sam doesn’t hate you. He’s just…”

You raise your eyebrows at Maria, waiting for her to finish her sentence but nothing comes. You throw your arms in the air in defeat.

For a reason unknown to you, Sam Wilson, CEO of the PR agency Red Wing, does not like you very much. At least that’s what you’re assuming. You’ve never done anything but a good job for the two years you’ve been working at the company and yet, every time you make eye contact with the man he averts his gaze like you’re Medusa or something. The worst thing is, he’s friendly with almost everyone else. Natasha is one of his closest friends, and in a relationship with his best friend – she practically helped him build the company. So yes, you kind of feel like the black sheep of the office.

“You know what,” you say, pouring more soy sauce in the little receptacle that came with the food. “Maybe something’s keeping him away from me, the universe—or God, and maybe that’s for the best.” You finish with a shrug.

“Believe it or not, Sam’s actually a decent person.”

“Okay.”

Natasha and Maria share another look before the three of you move onto another topic as you finish your lunch.

The rest of the afternoon at work is uneventful. All of your projects are up to date already because you like to be ahead of things, so you decide to just call it a day and head home early.

Before you do, you drop by Maria’s office to say bye. She simply nods and waves without taking the phone away from her ear. And of course Natasha’s office is the last stop.

Her blinds are always drawn over the glass walls, so you never know what happens in there. The last time you barged in her office she was making out with her boyfriend James, and God help you, you never want to know what would have happened if you’d gone in there a minute later. So naturally you knock, then go in when she answers.

And you freeze in the doorway.

Mr. Wilson is in here. That’s not uncommon. She’s his right hand lady. They’re almost always together. You know that. So why are you standing here awkwardly? Mr. Wilson smiles at you. It’s a polite smile – a professional smile – the kind that doesn’t really reach his eyes and for a moment you wonder what he looks like when he smiles from the heart.

That is before he looks away and shakes his head, like he can’t even stand the sight of you. You hold the sigh and the eye roll.

“I just wanted to say bye,” you say to Natasha. “I’m heading home early.”

“All right, sugar. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

You give her a smile then head out, finally releasing that sigh.

Home is where the heart is. And what better way to describe your eight year old niece than that?

Michelle is the light of your life. She’s the smartest, funniest little girl you’ve ever met and a gift that keeps on giving. She arrived when you were still in college, and you moved in with your sister, at her request, when Michelle was born. The three of you have been inseparable ever since.

Usually at this time of the day, Michelle would still be at school, but she’s recovering from a cold and her mom doesn’t want her near other kids during this time.

The sound of “Almost There” from The Princess and the Frog greets you as you step into the foyer of your home. You hum along quietly as you kick your heels off, get rid of your coat and leave your purse on the messy console.

“Sounds like you’re feeling better Mimi,” you tease the little girl with a smile once you get to the living room.

She immediately stops singing along and runs toward you to give you a hug.

“I am! But mommy said I can’t go to school for another couple of days,” she pouts.

“She’s right, that was a nasty cold you had there.”

Mimi throws her head back in a dramatic groan which makes you chuckle. She loves going to school and learning, which is something you’re very grateful for. Homework time always goes smoothly and she’s actually excited to go to school in the morning.

Your niece goes back to the couch and buries herself under the mountain of blankets and pillows before she turns her attention back to the movie.

“Hey Noelle,” you greet your sister when you get to the kitchen.

You’re not actually hungry but you could use a cookie or two. Maybe three.

“Hey,” Noelle lifts her eyes from her laptop. “You’re home early.”

“Yeah, I was done with today’s work. I can see you can’t say the same for yourself.”

Noelle rolls her eyes. “Elena just dumped two new manuscripts on my ass. Thank God I love my job and the pay because girl, I’m exhausted.” She takes her glasses off and rubs her eyes with the heels of her hands.

“Tea?”

“Yes, please.”

You pour water in the kettle and set it on the stove. You take out two mugs, a Tinkerbell one for Noelle and a Dumbo one for you, your favourite jasmine tea bags and honey.

“How was work?” Noelle asks as she shut her laptop and puts in on top of the pile of manuscripts next to her.

“The usual. Nat and Maria are still bothering me with this blind date business and I blame you for it.”

“Me?” Noelle feigns innocence with a hand on her chest.

It’s your turn to roll your eyes.

Seeing that you’re not buying her cheap act, Noelle straightens in her seat and starts fiddling with the Post-Its sticking out of the manuscripts. “Actually, I think we found someone.”

You nearly drop the teaspoons you’re holding.

“You what?”

“You heard me.”

You narrow your eyes at her.

You’ve always had a good relationship with your sister. She’s your best friend, she’s been by your side through every rough patch of your life, and you know she’ll always be here for you. But sometimes, she really, really gets on your goddamn nerves. Not just because of situations like these. Noelle is the kind of person who puts everyone’s needs before her own, that is why she often finds herself drowning in a sea of problems that aren’t even hers. More than once you’ve had to be the one to pull her out of the water.

The whistle of the kettle makes you stop with the murder glare and you pour the water into the mugs.

“You have to stop being so wary. Don’t you trust us?”

“Not right now, no.”

Noelle gives you a look.

“Just give it a chance.”

“Oh, like you gave a chance to Amara’s mom?” you say, eyebrows raised and voice dripping with sass.

“It’s not—She—I’m busy with the—”

“Aht aht! I don’t wanna hear it!” you raise your hand and grab your mug, heading to the living room.

You settle on the couch with Noelle and Mimi – who’s now watching some kids’ cooking show-- and the three of you  enjoy the rest of the afternoon together.

Some time during the evening, while you’re going through your skin care routine, your phone dings with a message notification. It says Natasha added you to the group chat Spider Coochie.

These girls…

Nat: So… we found someone.

Maria: This is amazing. I’m already excited.

Noelle: GIRL.

You: You can’t be serious.

Maria: Oh but we are.

Nat: Friday night, L’Orage, 8:00. “Spider” is what you’ll say to the host.

You: “Spider”? Are you fucking kidding me?

You hear Noelle cackle as you sit on the edge of you bed.

Maria: Hey, it was your sister’s idea.

You roll your eyes.

You: Can I at least get a hint?

Noelle: Hell no.

Nat: Everything’s gonna be fine. You can go to bed now.

You: Ugh. I don’t even have the strength to argue with you.

Maria: Good.

You lock your phone with a loud groan – loud enough to make sure Noelle hears it from wherever she is – and you let your body fall on the mattress.

As much as you try to pretend you’re annoyed by all of this, you can’t help but be excited by the idea. A bit curious as well. But you trust your friends. They would never put you in an embarrassing position and pair you up with some awful sewer rat.

A sigh leaves your lips.