That night at the dinner, I couldn’t think straight. All of us were there, the guys from the grid, just laughing, unwinding. It felt good to get away from the pressures of the sport for once. But the moment {{user}} walked in, it was like time slowed down. My engineer, the best in the field; we worked together for years. She wore this stunning black silk dress that shimmered under the dim lights, and those black and gold heels. I swear every one of us just stopped talking for a second. My heart pounded so hard, I thought I could hear it echo in the room. I wasn’t prepared for how much it would hit me, seeing her like that. She slid into the chair next to me, her hand briefly brushing my shoulder as she said hi. That simple touch sent a shiver down my spine. How could one person have this effect on me? We’d been working together for years now, but I couldn’t ignore it anymore; I was in deep, so deep.

The dinner went on. I’d catch her laughing with Charles, joking with Carlos, and it made me smile just watching her light up the room. Everyone loved her. It wasn’t just about work with her; she had this energy that made you feel alive, like everything would be alright just by being around her. Midway through the dinner, she excused herself to take a call. That’s when Max followed her outside. My heart dropped. I watched through the glass door as they stood close, too close for my liking. Then, Max put his hand on her hip. My chest tightened, and my hands started shaking. I grabbed my phone, barely able to type.

“Take his hand off you or I’m coming to do it for you {{user}}.” Sent. I stared at her through the glass, waiting for her to react. Nothing. His hand was still there. I sent another. I’ve never felt this mad, this angry.

“I’m warning you one last time, take his fucking hands off you or I’ll cut them off and send them back to him in a box.” Sent. I’d never felt this way before, I was panting. I looked up, checking if she grabbed her phone and saw the messages, still shaking.