9. Oliver
CHAPTER 9
OLIVER
“ W ait, Nora!” There’s a note of desperation in my voice as I push through the door of the coffee shop.
But she’s gone, swallowed by the sea of people bustling down the sidewalk. My heart thumps erratically in my chest. It’s been years since I’ve seen her, and now she’s slipping through my fingers.
I weave through the crowd, searching for that familiar blond ponytail, that confident stride I remember so well. Everywhere I look, there are strangers. She could be any one of them, or none at all.
The irony isn’t lost on me. I’ve spent the last few years mastering the art of finding hidden potential in dilapidated buildings, yet I can’t spot one person on a busy street.
Maybe I should just leave her alone, let her go. I was the one who let our connection fizzle away, caught up in the world of real estate moguls and sky-high ambitions.
Except… this week her image kept creeping into my thoughts, unbidden but persistent. Now, here she is — or was — right in front of me.
“Sorry!” I mumble as I bump shoulders with a passerby.
I rub the back of my neck, frustration mounting. This can’t be a coincidence. There’s something about fate or destiny or whatever you call it when paths cross unexpectedly. If only I could find her…
At the corner, where the pedestrian traffic bottlenecks at the crosswalk, I finally catch sight of her. She stands there, her profile etched against the backdrop of impatient commuters. She’s tapping her foot, her eyes darting around as if she’s looking for an escape route.
“Nora,” I say, relief washing over me as I approach her.
“Oh. Hey.” She’s fidgety, tugging at her jacket sleeve and avoiding direct eye contact.
“Look, I didn’t mean to startle you back there. I?—”
“It’s okay,” she says, still polite despite the obvious tension. “I was just… surprised, that’s all.”
The light changes, and the crowd surges forward. We’re swept along like two leaves in a stream, but there’s an invisible thread between us that feels like it’s pulling taut.
I match Nora’s pace, my strides mirroring her own. She’s a lawyer now, sharp as ever, but why is she so guarded around me? The city hums around us, a symphony of honking cars and murmured conversations.
“You’re going this way, too?” She glances at me.
“No, actually, I want to talk to you about something. One of my top lawyers is going on maternity leave soon. We’re in dire need of someone talented to fill in — and not just temporarily.”
Her steps falter for a fraction of a second. “You want me to work for you?” There’s an edge of disbelief in her voice, laced with something else I can’t quite place.
“Yeah.” I nod, braving a hopeful smile. “You’d be an asset to the team.”
“Oliver, thank you, but I don’t think it would be right for me.”
Her refusal stings. “You just said you’re currently unemployed.”
“Yeah, but I— That doesn’t mean?—”
“Think it over, okay?” I plead, even though it’s clear that she’s already made up her mind.
Before she can respond, the sky opens up and rain begins to fall, light at first, then increasingly insistent. We dash for cover under the nearest awning, joining a small huddle of others seeking shelter from the sudden downpour.
“Come on, Nora. It’s a great opportunity. The timing is perfect,” I push, trying to keep the desperation out of my voice.
Underneath the awning’s protection, the rain’s rhythm creates a buffer from the world outside, allowing a bubble of intimacy to form between us.
Nora sighs, the sound almost lost in the drumming of the rain. “I appreciate the offer, but our past… We haven’t talked in years.”
I study her face, the set of her jaw, the determination in her eyes. She’s resolute, always has been. But there’s a flicker of something else, maybe curiosity, behind her guarded expression.
“Listen, I’m not asking you to decide right now,” I say, softer this time. “Just think about it. We could use someone like you, Nora. And maybe, just maybe, you could use us too.”
She doesn’t answer, but the way she chews on her bottom lip tells me she’s considering it — even if it’s just for a moment.
The rain lets up a bit, but the air is thick with that post-storm scent — wet asphalt, Chinese food from the shop behind us, and something floral that’s probably coming off Nora. She’s looking at me differently now, like she’s seeing not just the guy who ghosted her but someone offering a genuine opportunity. Or maybe I’m reading too much into it.
“Okay,” she finally says, the word hanging between us for a second. “I’ll take the job. It might be… interesting to see things from a real estate perspective.”
“Really?” I can’t keep the surprise out of my voice or stop the smile that spreads across my face.
She nods, a small, almost reluctant smile tugging at the corners of her lips. “Yes, really. But I have one condition. I’m not making any long-term commitments.”
“Of course,” I agree quickly, too quickly maybe, but I’m already mentally celebrating this small victory. “We can start with a trial period. See how it goes.”
Nora extends her hand, and I take it. Her shake is firm and professional, yet I feel an electric zing, a jolt right through me at the touch of her skin.
“Thank you,” she says.
“Thank you.” I pull out my phone to get her number. “I’ll text you the address and get you set up with HR.”
We exchange contact info, though it turns out she still has the same number she had in college — which hurts. At any point, I could have picked up the phone and called her.
I just never did.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, then.” She puts her phone away. “And thank you for this. I do appreciate it.”
“Tomorrow,” I echo.
We step away from the awning into the lighter rain. The city feels refreshed, vibrant in a way that only comes after a good downpour. People around us are starting to bustle again, umbrellas snapping shut, feet splashing through puddles.
“Goodbye, Oliver,” Nora says, pulling her jacket tighter around her as she turns to leave.
“Goodbye, Nora.” I watch her walk away, her figure gradually blending with the crowd until I can’t pick her out anymore. There’s a mix of emotions swirling inside me — relief, anticipation, and an old familiar flutter that I thought I’d managed to bury years ago.
I head in the opposite direction, hands buried in my pockets, replaying the conversation in my head. I hate that I lost touch with her, but at the time, it seemed the right thing to do. She was always the one thing that could distract me.
And yes, I’ve still got a crush on her. There’s no denying it now, not when my heart did a triple somersault at her smile. But I’ve learned a thing or two since college about keeping personal feelings out of the workplace, and I’m confident no problems will arise from us working together.
As I weave through the pedestrians, I can’t help feeling fortunate. Running into her today wasn’t something I had planned, but somehow, it feels like it was supposed to happen. Like all roads were meant to lead back to Nora in some form or another. As I duck into the building that houses my company, the lingering sound of rain above mixing with the rumble of trains below, I find myself looking forward to tomorrow in a way I haven’t looked forward to anything in a long time.