Guard of heart

The spill

I poured the steaming coffee into my favorite mug, savoring the rich aroma that filled the air. This is it. Just what I need to kick this headache and bring me back to life, I thought, envisioning myself conquering the day. One sip, and I’d be unstoppable—ready to tackle the chaos that was sure to follow my meeting with Adrian.

With the coffee filled to the brim, I took a moment to relish the comforting warmth in my hands. I turned, imagining myself on a productivity high, and then—bam! My foot caught on…nothing. I stumbled, my balance betraying me, and before I knew it, the hot coffee splattered across a pristine black shirt.

“Oh no—” I gasped as I realized who it was. Aby stood there, his expression a mixture of irritation and disbelief.

“Great. Just what I needed,” he said, his voice dripping with annoyance. What a nuisance, I could almost hear his thoughts echoing in my mind.

“Oh, shit! I’m so sorry!” I blurted out, my initial instinct to apologize quickly shifted into irritation. “It’s just coffee, right? Not like it’s the end of the world.”

“What the hell are you even doing?” he snapped, eyes narrowing. “Do you not know how to do your job properly?”

I rolled my eyes, my anger bubbling up. “Excuse me? I didn’t see you standing there like a statue, did I?” I shot back, hands on my hips. “If you weren’t playing the role of the office sentinel, maybe I wouldn’t have bumped into you!”

His smirk only infuriated me more. “If you spent more time focusing on your surroundings rather than daydreaming about your coffee, maybe this wouldn’t have happened.”

Oh, great. The perfect office warrior thinks he’s some kind of superhero now, I thought, my frustration mounting. “Okay, fine! Let me help you clean it,” I huffed, spinning on my heel and marching toward the nearest restroom, my heart racing from the confrontation.

As we stepped into the cramped room, I turned to face him, crossing my arms defiantly. “Alright, if you want your shirt cleaned, you’ll have to take it off. It’s coffee, not acid, but I don’t think it’ll come out while you’re wearing it.”

He raised an eyebrow, a reluctant smirk tugging at his lips. “And why would I trust you to do that?”

“Because it’s either that or walk around with coffee stains. Your choice,” I replied, my tone challenging him. “By the way, I thought the electrician job was inside the mansion, not here at the office building.”

“Maybe everyone has their own job to get done,” he replied, shrugging. “Not everything revolves around you.”

With a resigned sigh, he began unbuttoning his shirt. As the fabric fell away, revealing his athletic build, I quickly shook my head to clear my thoughts. Focus, Elara. This is just a job, not some romantic encounter.

I took the shirt from him, trying to ignore the heat rising in my cheeks as I poured some water on the fabric. “This is your fault, you know,” I muttered, scrubbing the shirt. “Maybe if you weren’t so busy acting like a mannequin, I wouldn’t have spilled coffee on you.”

He leaned casually against the sink, watching me with an amused expression. “Right. Because it’s totally normal for you to get this close to someone you can’t stand while cleaning their shirt.”

“Shut up!” I shot back, focusing intently on the task. Just then, the restroom door swung open, and a chubby HR representative, around forty-five with a slightly twangy voice, stood frozen in the doorway, wide-eyed at the sight before him.

“Oh! I didn’t expect this,” he stammered, his face turning a bright shade of pink. “Uh, I know what you two are doing in here… just carry on, I won’t tell anyone!”

“Wait, what?” I blurted, my heart sinking. “No, it’s not what you think!”

The HR guy chuckled, leaning against the doorframe, clearly enjoying the moment. “I could stand guard outside if you want. Just give me a shout if you need me. I won’t say a word.”

“Please, no!” I exclaimed, mortified. “We’re just cleaning up a spill—”

“I see. Youngsters these days are very bold,” he replied, grinning like a mischievous child, his round tummy bouncing slightly with laughter. “But I won’t embarrass you further. You do what you want, just know I’m not staying guard!”

As he backed out of the restroom, still chuckling to himself, I turned to Aby, a mix of irritation and amusement flooding through me. “This is all your fault!”

“Oh, please. If you hadn’t spilled coffee everywhere, we wouldn’t be in this situation,” he retorted, a smug grin plastered on his face.

I huffed, returning my focus to the shirt. “Well, at least your shirt will be clean. Just don’t make it a habit to stand in my way again.”

“Maybe you should try looking where you’re going,” he replied, crossing his arms and leaning against the sink, completely unfazed by the tension simmering between us.

As I stood there, scrubbing the coffee stain, I couldn’t help but feel an odd mix of irritation and excitement.

I finished rinsing the shirt and wrung it out, my thoughts racing as I tried to block out the absurdity of our situation. With a resigned sigh, I turned to hand the now-damp shirt back to him. But as I did, I couldn’t help but let my eyes wander over his physique.

Seriously, what is with the guy? I thought, momentarily distracted. His shoulders were broad and strong, tapering down to a narrow waist. He had the kind of athletic build that made it hard to concentrate on anything else. His abs—good grief—were defined, the kind of toned body that could probably make heads turn if he weren’t being such an insufferable jerk.

“What are you staring at?” he asked, snapping his fingers in front of my face, pulling me out of my daze.

I blinked, my cheeks warming as I realized I had been caught staring. “Nothing! Just… just take your shirt.” My voice came out sharper than intended, as if I were trying to mask the embarrassment creeping into my cheeks.

“Right,” he said, a teasing glint in his eye. “Because I can totally believe that.”

I shook my head, trying to brush off the moment. “Whatever. I’ve got to go,” I said, making a quick escape for the door.

“Hey!” he called after me, but I didn’t turn back. I could feel his gaze on me, and the heat in my face wasn’t just from the embarrassment of the encounter—it was something else entirely.