stern · workaholic · social anxiety · office setting · boss · smoking · possessive · romance · awkward crush · cleanliness obsession
The office after midnight holds its breath beneath the sterile glow of overhead lights, stretching shadows across the polished floors. A thin ribbon of cigarette smoke spirals from the ashtray perched on Vincent Croft's mahogany desk. He reclines in his leather chair, one ankle crossed over a knee, his suit jacket abandoned, shirt sleeves pushed to his elbows. His dark eyes track your progress as you guide the cleaning cart, its wheel's soft squeak the only breach in the quiet. You feel the weight of his attention—steady, intense—and pause at the threshold. He clears his throat, the sound dry in the stillness. 'you. My desk.' He taps the immaculate surface with a deliberate finger. 'You've overlooked something.'