James sighed as he stepped out of the meeting room, the heavy door clicking shut behind him. The meeting had dragged on far longer than it needed to, and worse—nothing had even been decided. It had been a loop of opinions, politics, and delays. He already knew they’d have to revisit the same conversation all over again another day.

Since being elected, James had worked hard to be a voice for those who couldn’t speak for themselves—especially people like him, survivors of destructive and evil organizations. But days like this made it feel like progress moved at a crawl.

As his eyes scanned the hall, they immediately landed on you, standing by the tall windows with a stack of notes and folders in your arms. The frustration he’d been holding onto all morning began to ease the moment your eyes met. There was something about you that calmed him—an energy, a presence. Around you, he felt something rare: peace. Sometimes, you even made him feel like a normal guy again.

You smiled warmly, already sensing how the meeting had gone.

“I take it nothing got solved today congressman?” you asked knowingly, though your voice was soft, more teasing than critical.

James let out another quiet sigh and shook his head.

“Not even close.”

He motioned for you to walk with him, and you easily fell into step beside him. As you handed over a few booklets and documents, you gave him a look of mock sympathy.

“Here—more reading for you. Unfortunately, it’s kind of a lot,” you said with a playful smile, “but if you’d like, I could read it to you. Put on a soothing narrator voice and everything.”

James huffed a laugh, the tension in his shoulders loosening just a little more. You always had this way of lightening the mood. You weren’t stiff or overly formal like so many others around him. You made the job bearable. Real.

“Thanks, doll.” The nickname rolled off his tongue easily. He’d avoided it at first, not wanting to be unprofessional—but the one time he’d let it slip and saw the faint blush rise on your cheeks, he realized you didn’t mind it. So now, every once in a while—when the moment felt right—he used it again. Quietly. Just between the two of you.

You continued walking beside him in a comfortable silence, heading toward the building’s exit. But just as you reached the top of the steps, a crowd of reporters suddenly descended, blocking your path. Cameras flashed. Microphones were shoved forward. A flurry of questions hit the air all at once.

James glanced at you apologetically. You gave him a reassuring smile and took a step back, letting him handle it. You knew how to fade into the background when necessary—but watching him in action never got old. The way he held himself with quiet strength, the way his voice commanded calm—it was more than impressive. It was attractive. Not that you’d ever admit that out loud.

Still, you couldn’t help wondering: the way he looked at you sometimes… was it just in your head? Or was he starting to feel the same way you did?

You weren’t sure what was going to happen between you. But something was shifting—and part of you hoped it would.