My lover is my boss (LingOrm)

22 - Date with Bright?

Orm's pov

It was a typical day at work. I sat at my desk, reviewing expenses and running through the usual numbers. The familiar rhythm of typing, scribbling notes, and glancing at spreadsheets filled my morning, and I was focused, almost completely absorbed in the task at hand. It was one of those quiet days where everything just blended together, the hours ticking by slowly but surely.

But then, I felt a hand on my shoulder, gentle but firm enough to pull me out of my concentration. I blinked, turning slightly in my chair to see Bright standing beside me, a friendly smile on his face.

"Hey, Korn," he greeted, his voice casual, but there was something else lingering beneath his tone. Something that made me instinctively tense up.

I smiled politely back at him. "Hey, Bright. What's up?"

Bright's smile widened, and he gave my shoulder a light squeeze before speaking. "I just wanted to say thank you. Ling transferred the extra payment you talked to her about."

I relaxed a little at that, my earlier tension easing. "No problem," I said, glad to hear it. "I'm happy it worked out for you."

But Bright didn't leave like I expected him to. Instead, he lingered, his hand still resting on my shoulder, and there was a slight pause before he spoke again.

"And also..." he began, his tone shifting slightly, more casual but with a hint of something else. "I wanted to invite you out."

I felt my stomach drop slightly, knowing where this was going. I opened my mouth to refuse, to let him down gently, but before I could say anything, Bright cut me off.

"Before you say no," he said quickly, his hand giving my shoulder a small, reassuring pat, "it's not a date."

I raised an eyebrow, still skeptical. "It's not?" I asked, my tone a little more guarded now.

Bright shook his head, his expression easygoing. "No, it's just a friendly hangout," he clarified, though the way his hand lingered on my shoulder made me feel otherwise.

I glanced at him, searching his face for any hint of ulterior motives. It wasn't that I didn't like Bright—he was nice, and we got along fine—but I knew he had been harboring feelings for me. And it made things... complicated. Still, he was being insistent, and part of me didn't want to be rude.

"Okay, Bright," I said with a small sigh, relenting a little. "When?"

Bright's face lit up, clearly pleased with my response. "This Saturday," he said eagerly, his hand finally dropping from my shoulder.

I hesitated, feeling a slight pang of guilt, but I nodded anyway. "Fine," I agreed. "I'll see if I can go."

"Thanks, Korn," he said, his voice filled with gratitude as he smiled at me one last time before walking away, leaving me alone at my desk once more.

As soon as he was out of earshot, I let out a deep breath, leaning back in my chair. My mind immediately went to Ling, and I couldn't help but wonder how she'd feel about this "friendly hangout." We hadn't talked about boundaries when it came to things like this, but still... it felt strange. Like something I needed to tell her about.

I shook my head, trying to refocus on my work, but it was no use. My thoughts kept drifting back to that brief interaction, and the uneasy feeling it left behind. It wasn't that I didn't trust Bright's intentions—it's just that I wasn't sure what mine were anymore. And with Ling in the picture, I knew I needed to tread carefully.