LOVE BETWEEN CUBICLES

Chapter 5

For a moment, they both froze, their eyes locked in a silent exchange. Neither of them knew what to say or do as they continued to look at each other. The office around them seemed to fade into the background, and all they could see was each other. After a few tense seconds, Kayla quickly looked away, breaking the eye contact. Luca, on the other hand, couldn't help but feel a strange mixture of surprise and attraction to her.Kayla fumbled with some papers on her desk, trying to look busy. She could feel her heart racing in her chest and her cheeks burning. Why was she so affected by that brief eye contact? She didn't even like him. Or at least she told herself she didn't. 
Luca, meanwhile, leaned back in his chair, pretending to check his phone while still stealing glances at Kayla. He couldn't deny that there was something about her that drew him in, despite their previous encounter.As Kayla busied herself with work, she tried to push the thoughts of Luca out of her mind. But every time she looked up, she could feel his gaze on her. She tried to focus on her work, but her mind kept going back to his intense eyes and sharp features. 
Luca, meanwhile, was in a similar state. He couldn't concentrate on his tasks, his mind preoccupied with the girl across from him. He found himself watching her every move and noticing little things he hadn't before, like the way she chewed on her pen when concentrating. The manager entered the office, walking up to Kayla's cubicle. He leaned in close, putting a hand on her desk as he spoke. Kayla felt a mixture of irritation and discomfort as the manager got too close to her. 
Luca, from his cubicle, noticed Kayla's awkward expression and the way the manager was invading her space. A frown crossed his face, and he found himself clenching his jaw in annoyance.The manager continued his conversation with Kayla, completely oblivious to her discomfort. He leaned in even closer, and his hand moved from her desk to her shoulder, giving it a firm squeeze. Kayla forced a smile, trying to maintain a professional demeanor despite feeling uncomfortable. 
Luca, who was watching from his cubicle, couldn't help but feel a protectiveness rise up inside him. He watched the manager's hand on Kayla's shoulder and found himself resenting the man for touching her in such a casual manner.The manager finally finished his conversation and moved away from Kayla's cubicle, leaving her feeling relieved. As he walked away, she let out a soft sigh and shook her head slightly, trying to shake off the feeling of his touch. 
Across from her, Luca watched as the manager left, his attention returning to her. He noticed the tension in her body relax as the manager walked away, and he couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction at seeing her discomfort end.As the day progressed, the manager gathered all the interns together for a task assignment. He paired Kayla and Luca together on a project, much to their surprise and annoyance. They exchanged a glance, silently cursing the manager for putting them together.
Kayla's pov
Kayla listened to the manager listing off the project assignments, trying to hide her surprise and irritation when she heard her name paired with Luca's name. She let out a soft sigh, silently cursing the manager for putting them together. Of all the people in the office, why had she been paired with him? 
She glanced over at Luca, who looked just as surprised and annoyed as she was, and she couldn't help but feel a mix of irritation and curiosity.
Luca's pov
Luca listened to the manager listing off the project assignments, his heart sinking a little when he heard Kayla's name paired with his. He clenched his jaw, silently cursing the manager for putting them together. Of all the girls in the office, why did it have to be her? 
He glanced over at Kayla, who looked just as annoyed and surprised as he did, and he couldn't help but feel a strange mix of irritation and attraction.
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Kayla and Luca sat at a small table in the office, going over the initial details of the project. The atmosphere was a bit tense, both of them silently resenting the situation they were in. Kayla glanced up from the paperwork, taking in his handsome face and intense eyes. She tried to ignore the fluttering in her stomach, forcing herself to focus on the task at hand.As Kayla and Luca continued to work on the project, Kayla's stomach suddenly let out a loud grumble. She let out a soft gasp, embarrassed, and muttered in embarrassment, "Ignore that, please." 
Luca couldn't help but chuckle at her embarrassment. "Hungry, are we?" he teased, a smirk playing on his lips. 
Kayla rolled her eyes, trying to maintain her composure. "Shut up. I haven't had lunch yet," she retorted.Luca chuckled again, enjoying the banter. "Well then, let's take a lunch break." 
Kayla wanted to protest, feeling the need to prove she could focus on work despite her hunger, but her stomach had other ideas. It grumbled again, even louder this time. 
Luca couldn't help but laugh out loud, pointing at her stomach. "I think your stomach is trying to tell you something."Kayla grumbled in annoyance, her cheeks flushing slightly in embarrassment. "All right, all right. I get it. Let's go get food." 
Luca grins, clearly enjoying her reaction. "Great, because I'm hungry too." 
As they grab their things and head towards the office cafeteria, the tension from before has lessened, replaced by a light, playful banter.As they sit down in the cafeteria with their food, Kayla and Luca share a table. They start eating in silence, the earlier tension from their project work faded. After a few bites, Kayla decides to break the silence. 
"So...this project is going to be a lot of work," she says awkwardly, trying to start a conversation. 
Luca looks up from his food, surprised at her attempt to talk. "Yeah," he agrees. "But we can handle it.As they continue to eat, Kayla decides to bring up the awkwardness between them, finally acknowledging the elephant in the room. 
"You know," she begins, "I don't think we ever really cleared the air from our first meeting." 
Luca pauses, looking up from his food. He understands where she's going. "You mean the spilled coffee incident?"Luca sighs, knowing he has to confront it. "Yeah, I guess I was a bit grouchy that day," he admits. 
Kayla raises an eyebrow, a hint of disbelief in her eyes. "A 'bit' grouchy? You were downright rude."Luca scratches the back of his neck, feeling a little sheepish. "Okay, yeah. I was more than grouchy. I was an ass." 
Kayla's taken aback by his unexpected apology. She hadn't expected him to admit it so easily.Kayla takes a deep breath, realizing it's her turn to own up to her part. "I guess I wasn't exactly innocent either," she admits grudgingly. 
Luca looks up, surprised that she's willing to acknowledge her own mistakes. "How so?" he asks, curious.Kayla sighs, a hint of annoyance in her voice. "Well, I could have been more understanding. I was in a bad mood that day, and I took it out on you." 
Luca nods, appreciating her honesty. "Yeah, I could tell you were not in a good mood. I guess neither of us were at our best that day."Kayla and Luca chuckle awkwardly, realizing they still haven't formally introduced themselves. 
"I think we got off on the wrong foot," Kayla smirks. 
Luca smiles sheepishly. "Yeah, I was a bit of a jerk. I'm Luca, by the way." 
Kayla responds with a small smile. "I'm Kayla. Nice to officially meet you."As they shake hands, they're aware of the slight awkwardness still lingering between them, but also a newfound sense of understanding. 
Luca takes a moment to look at Kayla, his eyes lingering on her face. "You know, you don't look as grumpy now as you did in the office." 
Kayla raises an eyebrow, a hint of a smile playing on her lips. "Yeah, and you're not acting like a jerk now."