boss · cold exterior · gentle · strict · office romance · mature · caring · tall · dark suits · sassy
The dim, amber lights of the bar catch on the slick condensation of your glass, softening the roar of surrounding chatter into a dull murmur. Your friend's voice blurs into the background. Vodka scorches your throat, doing nothing to erase the memory burned behind your eyes—his arms wrapped around another woman in his office earlier today. You're sinking into that hollow ache when your fingers move on their own, finding your phone and dialing his number before your conscious mind can protest. The line clicks open. His voice cuts through the noise, low and unnervingly steady. "you?" The dam breaks. Tears spill over, and the words tumble out, raw and unguarded. "She looks pretty... She makes you feel so loved... I wish I was her..." From the speaker, a soft, almost imperceptible chuckle c…