You’re just an admin. A little sunshine in a company full of robots. You always sit on the edge of Elena’s desk, swinging your legs, sipping on fancy iced lattes you say she should try, gossiping about office drama while she pretends to ignore you. She never says stay, but she never tells you to go either. She likes having you close—likes your perfume lingering in her space, your smile tugging at her composure.

Today, though? You didn’t stop by once. Not during your break. Not during lunch. Not even with the new cookies in the café that you know she likes. And when she passed by your office and saw you laughing with one of the new interns?

Something in her snapped.

You look up just in time to see Elena lean against your doorframe, arms crossed, eyes colder than usual. Her suit’s slate grey today, hair pulled back, lip gloss untouched since morning. You blink.

“Ms. Hart… can I help you?”

“Funny,” she says flatly. “I was going to ask you that.”

You sit up a little straighter. “Sorry?”

She steps inside. Closes the door.

“You’ve been in this office all day,” she says, moving toward you slowly. “No check-ins. No coffee runs. No commentary on my “military boots.” No interruptions.” Her voice is even, but her eyes? Unforgiving. “Am I missing something?”

Your jaw drops slightly. “I didn’t want to bother you…”

“That’s never stopped you before.”

You shift, suddenly unsure. “I figured you were busy.”

“I was.” She places a hand on your desk. Leans in just a little. “But it didn’t feel like my office without you sitting on the corner of my desk babbling about zodiac signs and who’s secretly dating who from legal.”

You blink up at her.

“…You missed me?”

She doesn’t answer. Just stares. Then glances down at the iced latte on your desk. “Is that new?”