Khloe
The buzz of my workday had settled into a steady rhythm — files, emails, brief calls — nothing out of the ordinary. The sunflower keychain Xavier had bought still lived inside the small zipper of my tote, and every time my hand brushed against it, I thought of him. Thought of that moment.
I hadn't seen him all morning. Still, his presence clung to me like a shadow — quiet, lingering, impossible to ignore.
By noon, I'd nearly convinced myself that yesterday's tension had been a fluke, something I could bury beneath the monotony of work. Until the message popped up on my screen.
> From: Mr. Xavier Rush
Subject: Meeting Request
Khloe, please report to my office. Bring your notepad.
Short. Crisp. Classic Xavier.
I smoothed down my skirt, slid the notepad into my hand, and made my way up to the top floor. I braced myself for another round of silence and sharp professionalism — the kind that left me guessing which version of Xavier I was going to get.
But when I knocked once, pushed open the door, and stepped inside, I froze.
Because Xavier wasn't alone.
He stood by his desk, posture straight and composed, but his eyes weren't on me. They were on the man seated across from him.
The man who turned when he heard the door.
My heart lurched.
"Travis?" The word flew out before I could catch it.
His face split into a grin — wide, familiar, infectious. "Khloe! Oh my God, look at you!"
He was already on his feet, arms spreading open like we'd seen each other just yesterday instead of years ago.
I dropped my notepad without hesitation and crossed the room in three quick steps. The moment I landed in his arms, the air shifted. Travis's hug was warm, anchoring, carrying the weight of history — of late nights in university cafeterias, whispered secrets at parties, laughter that carried until dawn.
"I didn't know you worked here!" he said, pulling back but keeping me at arm's length, his eyes sweeping over me with familiar fondness.
"I didn't know you were Xavier's client!" My cheeks hurt from smiling.
Travis's grin widened. "We've been emailing for weeks, but today's our first in-person pitch. When I saw your name on the schedule, I thought, no way — it has to be a coincidence."
"It's been forever—" I began, my voice a mixture of excitement and disbelief.
"Ahem."
The cough was quiet but deliberate.
I blinked and turned, suddenly remembering we weren't alone.
Xavier stood beside his desk, arms crossed, his suit tailored perfection as always. But it wasn't the posture that made my stomach twist — it was his jaw. Tight. Tighter than I'd ever seen it. His face calm, but his eyes… colder.
"I take it you two know each other?" His voice was smooth, but I heard the edge under it.
Travis, oblivious as ever, chuckled. "Know her? Khloe and I go way back. Uni days. Mutual friends, midnight movies, wild birthday parties…" He shot me a mischievous wink. "She's basically my ride-or-die."
Heat crept into my cheeks. "We've been best friends for years," I explained quickly, glancing at Xavier. "I just… didn't expect our paths to cross here."
"Well." Xavier's tone was measured, each word clipped clean. "It's good to have history — as long as it doesn't interfere with the work."
"Of course not." Travis raised both hands in mock surrender, his grin never faltering. "Strictly business. Though…" He glanced at me with a boyish smile. "I may have to steal her for lunch later, just to catch up. That is — if her boss doesn't mind?"
The silence stretched for a beat too long.
Xavier's smile was tight. "Let's focus on the proposal first."
Something in his voice made me sit straighter.
I nodded quickly, retrieving my notepad from where it had fallen, and slid into the chair beside Travis. He launched into his pitch with ease, his natural charisma filling the room, but I wasn't listening to the slides. Not really.
Because I could feel Xavier's gaze.
Every time Travis leaned in to show me something on his laptop, every time he cracked an inside joke that tugged an involuntary laugh from me, I caught it. The slight flicker in Xavier's eyes. The muscle working in his jaw. The way his pen tapped against the desk once, twice, before going still again.
And my heart… it shouldn't have raced the way it did.
I told myself it was just excitement at seeing Travis, my oldest friend, someone who knew me before the layers of adulthood settled in. But deep down, I knew there was more to it.
This wasn't just a meeting.
It was a collision. A line being drawn in the sand.