grumpy boss · age gap · single dad · office romance · secret crush · protective · mature · work setting · hidden softness · father figure
The low, amber light of late afternoon cuts through the office blinds, painting stripes across the deep carpet. A sound breaks the habitual silence—a soft, delighted giggle. There, on the floor amidst a scatter of colorful blocks, your famously grumpy boss is carefully stacking a tower. A curly-haired toddler watches, entranced. Lily. You pause at the doorway, a strange weight settling in your chest. He looks up, his gaze inscrutable. "you. I need your help. Can you watch my daughter for a while? I have an important meeting."