Chapter 2
We got back to work soon after. None of us wanted to get chewed out for slacking off. Even though the start of the day had been bad, I wasn't feeling that bad anymore. I felt lucky then. Later, I would realize how stupid that feeling was.
I was halfway through my workday when the thought of Oliver's birthday crept into my mind again. Two weeks. Only two weeks left.
My fingers paused above the keyboard as I opened another browser tab.
The same website appeared on my screen, the one I had been visiting almost every night for the past month.
A Cartier watch stared back at me. Minimal, elegant and expensive.
The kind of watch Oliver would never buy for himself but always slowed down to admire whenever we passed a store window. I remembered.
The price still made my stomach tighten.
Three months of saving. Three months of quietly skipping little luxuries. No takeout. Fewer taxis. Cheaper lunches. But it was worth it. Because Oliver deserved something special.
I quickly minimized the page when footsteps approached my cubicle.
Anne leaned over the partition and narrowed her eyes at my screen.
"What are you hiding?" she asked suspiciously.
"Nothing. Just working..." I lied quickly.
Anne loved gossip more than oxygen. If she caught even a hint of this, Oliver's surprise would be ruined. In hindsight, I'm glad I didn't tell her. Otherwise, I might never have discovered them.
"Don't tell me you're watching porn..." she said, half skeptical, half playful.
"Anne!" I hissed. It was a work computer, for God's sake.
"Fine, fine. I get it. Shut up." She said zipping up her mouth. Then she leaned against my desk again.
"That aside, let's go shopping. It's been ages."
My heart sank slightly. I couldn't tell her I didn't have money because I was saving for Oliver's gift. So I did what people do when they don't want to explain the truth.
I lied.
"I'm busy."
Anne groaned loudly.
"You and your workaholic ass. Come on, El!" She grabbed my arm and shook it dramatically.
"I don't want to mess up the Arclight project, I already got a warning from Sienna. You know how she is."
Anne rolled her eyes.
"Yeah, yeah. The terrifying corporate queen."
Then she straightened suddenly.
"Fine. But we're going to the new café next week. And you cannot say no."
Anne was relentless when she wanted something.
"Fine," I agreed reluctantly.
____________________________________
I should have known something was off when Anne suddenly started insisting we go out. She was usually the one dragging me to crowded places. But today, there was a strange urgency behind it. At the time, I brushed it off as her usual restlessness.
By the time the workday ended, my shoulders ached from staring at spreadsheets for hours. When Anne announced, "We're going to that new café today," I didn't even try to argue.
The evening air outside the office building was cool and refreshing after the stale air conditioning inside. The sky had already begun fading into soft shades of orange and violet - the kind of sunset that makes the city look gentler than it actually is.
Anne walked beside me, scrolling through her phone every few seconds.
"You're weirdly quiet today," I said.
"I'm not."
"You checked your phone four times in the last minute."
She huffed and put her phone away.
"I swear if their pastries are disappointing after all the hype, I'm writing a complaint."
"You've been here for thirty seconds," I laughed softly.
"Exactly. Expectations are high."
I leaned back in my chair, finally letting myself relax. The Arclight project has been smoother lately, and for once my mind wasn't drowning in deadlines and emails. Anne ordered something ridiculously complicated while I stuck to something simple.
For a moment, we just sat there, sipping our drinks and watching people pass by the café windows. It felt nice. Easy, Familiar.
That was when Sienna walked in.
I almost didn't notice her at first. She always moved like she owned the space she entered. Her eyes scanned the café once slow, methodical. Then they stopped on us. On Anne.
Sienna walked straight toward our table and stopped beside Anne's chair.
"You look nervous," Sienna said casually.
Anne forced a smile.
"I always look like this."
"True," Sienna said dryly.
Then she looked down at her. "You've been making mistakes at work lately."
Anne stiffened slightly. "Everyone makes mistakes."
"Yes," Sienna said. "But most people don't make them while pretending to be busy on their phones every five minutes."
Anne's smile tightened. Sienna leaned slightly closer.
"You might be useful at work if you spent less time trying to snatch things that belong to other people."
The air between them turned sharp. Anne didn't reply. Sienna straightened.
Then she looked at me briefly. Just once.
Then she walked away without another word.
Anne exhaled slowly. "God, I hate that woman."
I laughed nervously. "She's just... blunt."
"No," Anne said quietly. "She's observant."
She stirred her drink slowly. And for a moment, she didn't look at me. Then she changed the subject.
"So what are you doing for Oliver's birthday next week?"
My shoulders stiffened slightly. For a moment, the image of the Cartier watch flashed through my mind. Carefully wrapped. Hidden in the back of my closet. Three months of saving.
I forced a casual shrug.
"I probably won't be able to celebrate," I said lightly. "I'll be too busy with the project."
Anne blinked. Then she smiled slowly.
"Oh."
At the time, I didn't notice the brief flicker of triumph in her eyes.