On a workday, Evelyn, dressed in a black dress, fanned herself with an advertisement flyer, holding a plastic bag as she swayed into the office.
Elise was busy entering data, not noticing Evelyn's approach until a cup of iced coffee was pressed against her cheek, jolting her to attention.
"So cold! Evelyn, you didn't even let us know you were back," Elise said, placing the iced coffee on the desk as she continued checking information on the screen.
"Have you heard? Jakob, who's usually the calmest person in the whole company, seems to be in a bad mood these days. He's nothing like his usual smiling self," Evelyn whispered as she pulled up an empty chair beside her.
"Jakob? We've all been busy with our own tasks, so I haven't really talked to him these days," Elise said, sipping her drink as a memory flashed through her mind. "But I did run into him during a picnic last time, and he seemed pretty happy that day."
"A picnic? Who were you with?"
"Braden, and my parents too."
"You two are really close; you might as well just get married already."
"He only sees me as a sister, and I think of him as a brother. If we got married, I'd lose a brother, so it doesn't make much sense."
Evelyn chuckled, shaking her head with a resigned expression. "Are you being naive or just plain silly? Who would bother pretending to be your fake groom?"
"There's absolutely no way between us. If we did get together, he'd have to call his friend 'Dad.' I can't do that to him," Elise said, stealing a glance at Jakob, who was on a call with his head tilted.
Compared to his usual radiant smile, he looked like a completely different person now, as if his face were an ice cube on a permanent glacier, stiff and frozen from the cold.
He still smiled, but it seemed somewhat forced, lacking its usual warmth.
Evelyn followed her gaze. "And what if it was Jakob?"
"That's impossible too. An office romance feels restrictive; it's just a hassle if you want time off or to go out somewhere. Besides, I think of him as a good friend," Elise shot down the idea immediately, cutting off any possibility.
Evelyn gave her a look and sighed, "The guy's interested, but the girl isn't. Nothing more to be done."
Elise ignored her, withdrawing her gaze from Jakob, but inside, she couldn't help wondering who the woman at the picnic with him was.
She hadn't heard anything about him having a girlfriend, though it could be a low-key relationship, one that doesn't want too much attention.
As soon as it was time to leave, the office emptied like birds fleeing a nest. The hurried clacking of high heels and the scraping of leather shoes overlapped, accompanied by the beeping of the clock-in machine. The noise quickly faded, but Elise, intent on finishing the last bit of her work, paid no mind to the time and remained focused on her tasks.
"Elise, everyone's gone. You should clock out too. Eating dinner on time is better for your health," Jakob's gentle voice reached her ears.
Elise turned to him, smiling contentedly. "I'll be done in about ten minutes, and besides, I'm not hungry yet."
"Being dedicated to work is certainly a good thing, but don't push yourself so hard that it harms your health. You've been leaving late these days, and that's not ideal."
"I'm really fine, don't worry about me. You should take care of yourself too and get off work soon."
"Since you said it'll only take ten more minutes, why don't I stay and keep you company? We can leave the office together." Jakob pulled out a chair, sat beside Elise, and began scrolling on his phone.
Elise's fingers paused on the keyboard. "It's fine, really. I can handle it on my own."
Jakob turned to face her, his gaze firm and unyielding. "But I'll be worried about you."
This answer came so suddenly that Elise was slightly taken aback. She didn't quite understand why he would say that. After all, she was an adult, and working late alone at the office wasn't a big deal. His concern seemed a bit unnecessary.
Besides, if that woman she saw the other day was Jakob's girlfriend, wouldn't him staying with her now easily lead to misunderstandings?
However, Jakob had always been kind to her, helping her out a lot at work. She didn't feel comfortable asking him not to stay and wait for her.
After some hesitation, Elise decided to break the silence with a topic. "That girl at the picnic was really pretty. Is she your girlfriend? Why didn't you tell everyone?"
This should be fine, right? It shouldn't make him think the topic was out of place, right?
Jakob looked at her with a puzzled expression, taking a while before he responded quietly, "No, she's just a good friend. She likes joking around with everyone, she's like that with everyone."
Elise looked surprised. "Really? I thought you two looked great together, like a leading couple from a drama—handsome and beautiful, quite eye-catching."
Jakob cut straight to the point, striking at her feelings. "You and Braden seem to be pretty close too."
The question came so suddenly that Elise felt momentarily unsure of how to respond. She could only repeat what she had told Evelyn previously and explain it to Jakob once again.
"He's like an older brother, and I'm the younger sister. That's all." Elise saved the file, shut down the computer, and picked up her bag. "I'm done with work. I can leave now."
"I was thinking I might not be able to ask you to that exhibit we mentioned last time, but hearing you say that, I'm relieved." Jakob stood up and pushed his chair under the desk.
Even if she was slow, Elise could sense a hint of something here. But she wasn't sure if he truly meant it that way, or if it was just her overthinking, making her assume that was what Jakob meant.
After stepping out of the office, Jakob pressed the elevator button, waiting alongside Elise for it to arrive.
At that moment, Elise continued the previous topic. "We can still go out together. I'd like to see that exhibit too."
The elevator stopped on their floor, and when the doors opened, Jakob gestured for Elise to enter first.
Jakob pressed the floor button, then the door close button. "Shall I drive you there then?"
Elise smiled at him brightly. "I'll see about it when the time comes."
Just as she finished speaking, her phone rang from inside her bag. She glanced at it—it was an unknown caller—but she still answered the call.
The signal was poor, so she couldn't hear what the other person was saying.
Stepping out of the elevator, the deep blue car parked outside the management office on the first floor caught her attention. Her eyes narrowed in suspicion, but as the car door opened, the answer became clear.
"Elise, we're here to pick you up after work! Let's go have dinner together!" Ruth called out, waving excitedly.
"I was wondering how Braden could possibly have the time to come find me," Elise said to Jakobg beside her. "I'll head out now. If there's anything, let's discuss it tomorrow."
Jakobg nodded with a smile but didn't move. He stood there, watching her slowly disappear from his sight.
As Elise approached the car, she naturally opened the back door. "I was wondering who that unknown caller was. Turns out it was you guys?"
Ruth, who was sitting in the back seat, nodded. "Braden changed his number. This is his new one."
"Changed his number? Let me guess – too many romantic debts to pay off, so he had to switch?" Elise teased him, as they usually did. Their routine was to start with a bit of banter before anything serious.
Braden glanced at her through the rearview mirror with a mild glare. "If anyone should be changing their number because of romantic debts, it should be you."
"Me? Why would I need to change my number?" Elise retorted. She didn't have any romantic entanglements.
"Someone likes you, and you can't even feel it?" Braden hinted, almost casually. Braden casually brought up, "So, you never cooked for Graham?"
