Written in the Stars

Chapter Two - First Impressions

Sometimes, the people who are meant to change your life don't arrive with a warning.

Sometimes, you literally walk right into them.

And sometimes, you meet them twice before realizing the universe might be trying to tell you something.

At the time, I didn't know any of that.

All I knew was that I had a new job, a first day to survive, and a desperate need to convince everyone—including myself—that I belonged there.

Asher wasn't supposed to be part of any of it.

But apparently, the universe had other plans.

I stood in front of my closet that morning, staring at the clothes hanging in front of me as though one of them might magically tell me what to wear. It was my first day. First impressions mattered. And apparently, I had decided that choosing an outfit was now a life-or-death situation.

I pulled one outfit from the closet and held it up. "Professional." I studied it for another second. "Safe. Can't go wrong with safe."

I put it aside and reached for another. "Okay... cute." I turned toward the mirror, holding it against myself. "But still professional." I considered it for another moment. "Definitely an option."

Then I spotted the third outfit.

I pulled it free. "Comfortable." That was tempting. If I was going to spend the entire day pretending I knew what I was doing, I might as well be comfortable while doing it.

I looked between all three outfits. "Okay. Which one makes me look like I have my life together?"

The silence that followed was unhelpful.

In the end, I chose the one that made me feel the most like myself. Maybe that was the point. I wasn't going to walk into a new job pretending to be someone else. I just needed to convince everyone that I belonged there.

Including myself.

I grabbed my bag and took one last look in the mirror. "Alright, Sienna. First day." I squared my shoulders, forcing a nervous smile. "One step at a time."

I could handle that.

Probably.

By the time I reached Sterling & Co., I'd given myself approximately twelve motivational speeches.

None of them had worked.

I stood outside the building for a moment, staring up at the familiar name displayed above the entrance. Sterling & Co.

My new workplace.

My stomach twisted with nerves.

"Okay. Don't panic." I took a deep breath. "Just go inside. Smile. Pretend you know what you're doing."

Easy.

Except it wasn't.

The second I stepped into the lobby, I realized I had absolutely no idea where I was supposed to go.

I stopped in the middle of the room and looked around. "Oh. Great."

There were hallways in every direction, doors lining the walls, signs hanging overhead, and people moving around with the confidence of those who actually knew where they were going.

I pulled out my phone and checked the information I'd been given.

Room 215.

I looked toward the hallways. "Okay. I can figure this out."