Emma’s Monday morning started off as chaotic as ever. She was knee-deep in deadlines, her to-do list longer than her attention span could handle, and her boss, Gary, was in rare form, micromanaging everyone in the office. She hadn’t even had her coffee yet when Gary burst into the room, waving a piece of paper in the air like it held the secrets of the universe.
“Team! We’ve got a last-minute project on our hands. The website revamp we discussed last quarter is finally happening. And we’re on a tight deadline,” he announced, his voice filled with the kind of urgency only he could muster.
Emma sighed internally. The website redesign had been a running joke among the team—it was something Gary brought up every quarter, only to have it pushed off every time. But this time, it seemed real.
“To speed things up,” Gary continued, “we’re bringing in a consultant. He’s a freelancer who specializes in web development, and he’ll be here later today. I need you all on board with this. Especially you, Emma—you’ll be working closely with him.”
Emma nodded, already mentally adding it to her list. “Got it, Gary. Just let me know when he gets here.”
As the morning passed, she found herself reaching for her phone, tempted to tell Captain Marvel about her chaotic day. But just as she was about to type out a message, she paused, hesitating. She wasn’t even sure why. Maybe it was because she liked keeping her texting life separate from her real life. Captain Marvel was her escape, her secret little world of laughter and late-night confessions.
With a sigh, she put her phone away, deciding to save her Captain Marvel updates for later.
Around noon, Emma was deep into designing mock-ups for a client when she heard footsteps approaching. She looked up to see Gary walking toward her with a tall, dark-haired guy in tow
“Emma, this is Liam. He’ll be handling the technical side of the website revamp,” Gary introduced with his usual briskness. “Liam, this is Emma, our lead designer. She’ll be your main
point of contact on the project.”
Emma stood up, reaching out to shake Liam’s hand. He had an easy smile, a little stubble on his jaw, and a quiet confidence that made her feel like he knew exactly what he was doing. He looked just a bit familiar, but she brushed it off as déjà vu.
“Nice to meet you, Emma,” he said, his voice warm. There was a spark in his eyes, and for a split second, she felt… something. She quickly shook off the thought, focusing on keeping things professional.
“Nice to meet you too, Liam,” she replied, offering a polite smile. “I’m sure you’ll have your hands full with this project, but I’ll do my best to make it a little easier.”
He chuckled, and there was a hint of amusement in his gaze. “Appreciate it. Looking forward to working together.”
Gary clapped his hands, effectively snapping them both back to reality. “Great! I’ll let you two get to it. Let’s make this website something we’re all proud of.”
As Gary walked off, Emma turned back to Liam, feeling a bit of tension easing. He seemed friendly enough, and she was always game to work with someone who didn’t add to her stress.
“Alright, let’s jump in,” she said, pulling up her designs on her laptop. “I’ve got a few ideas, but I’m open to suggestions.”
For the next hour, they discussed layouts, colors, and user experience strategies, each bringing ideas to the table. Liam was a natural at blending creativity with practicality, and Emma found herself genuinely enjoying his input. She appreciated his humor, too—a subtle, dry wit that made her smile despite the stressful project.
YOU ARE READING
Texting The Wrong Number
Short Story"It all started with one wrong text..." Emma Carson's life takes a surprising twist when a breakup rant accidentally lands in the inbox of a complete stranger. But instead of ignoring her, the stranger-a witty, sarcastic guy who calls himself "Capta...
