Hearts On The Highrise

Chapter 59 : eyes across the room

A silence filled the air, punctuated only by the soft hum of the heater. Then, Engfa broke the quietude, "Have you made any headway on the project I assigned you? We have another meeting scheduled for tomorrow to discuss it further." I couldn't help but feel a twinge of disappointment. I had hoped she might want to discuss something other than work, but evidently, that wasn't the case.

I nodded in response to Engfa's question, "Yes, I'll make sure to have everything completed and ready for tomorrow's meeting," I replied.

"Great, that's all I needed to hear," Engfa said with a smile before turning to leave.

"Engfa," I called out to her, just as she reached the door. She paused and turned back, raising an eyebrow inquisitively, "yes?" she replied.

I met her gaze, momentarily lost for words. I opened my mouth to say something, but then hesitated, stumbling over my words. "Oh, uh, no, there's nothing. Never mind." I managed to stutter out.

Engfa nodded at me. "Well, have a nice day, Charlotte," she said before walking out of the room, leaving me alone.

I let out a heavy sigh and followed her lead out of the room. As I walked, I couldn't shake a feeling of uncertainty about how to approach Engfa. I didn't know what she would say or how she would react.

Back at my desk, I plunged into the work Engfa had instructed me to finish by tomorrow, my eyebrows furrowing in concentration as I stared at my computer screen.

Strangely, the day seemed to fly by, a blur of presentations to be finalized and conversations with Heidi and Tina during coffee breaks. Back at my desk, I tackled the remaining tasks on my to-do list. At one point, I glanced over to Engfa's desk and saw her chatting on the phone, a smile on her lips as she gathered her things. I couldn't help but wonder what - or perhaps who - was causing that smile.

Shaking my head to clear the thought, I got up, turned off my computer and left my office. As I did so, a message from Davika appeared on my phone, telling me that she was waiting for me outside.

As I stepped outside, I found Davika waiting for me, her smile infectious as always. But my attention was immediately drawn to Engfa, who was walking toward her car.

Next to the vehicle stood Pichy, her ex-wife—or was she back to being her wife? What was she doing here in New York? Davika followed my gaze, then turned back to me. Her eyes fixed on me as I remained fixed on Engfa and Pichy.

Uncertainty made me feel a pain in my chest, a feeling I hadn't experienced in a long time. My heart raced and my breath quickened as I watched intently. Engfa and Pichy hugged before getting into the car together.

Their closeness revived emotions I'd thought long buried. For a moment, I lost myself in the scene, my gaze fixed on the departing car, completely oblivious to Davika's presence beside me.

Davika took me by the shoulders and steered me towards her car. "Okay, let's go," she said, her voice full of determination. "I crave a good chocolate ice cream." Her attempt to change the subject and cheer me up after what I'd just witnessed didn't go unnoticed.

As I climbed into the car with Davika and fastened my seatbelt, she glanced at me, noticing my silence.

She started driving, her eyes focused on the road ahead, but I couldn't tear my gaze away from the towering buildings of New York City passing by. It felt like the weight of the world was pressing down on me, making it hard to find the words to express what I was feeling.

"I heard chocolate ice cream has magical powers. It can cure even the worst case of the blues," Davika joked.

I couldn't help but crack a smile at her antics. "Is that so? Well, in that case, I might need a triple scoop," I replied.