Duplicity of Hearts

Chapter 3: Monday Rush

Monday morning arrived far too quickly for Maya's liking. As she stood in front of her mirror, adjusting her blouse, she couldn't shake the knot of nerves twisting in her stomach. The events of Saturday night were still fresh in her mind, especially the part where she'd found herself sandwiched between her boss and his twin brother on the dance floor, caught in a moment that felt like both a dream and a danger. She hadn't told Tara all the details—not yet.

As she prepared for work, Maya couldn't help but feel self-conscious. What if her colleague saw her dancing with Angelo and his brother? The party had been filled with employees, and while the lights had been dimmed and the music loud, the thought of someone witnessing her tangled up between her boss and his twin gnawed at her.

She arrived at the office earlier than usual, hoping to blend into the flow of people. The sleek, modern workspace was a far cry from the chaos of the club, but the energy felt different today. The hum of Monday morning was overshadowed by whispers and glances, or maybe it was just her imagination running wild. Still, she couldn't shake the feeling that people were watching her, sizing her up.

She sighed in mild disappointment in herself. She shook her head, trying to be rational about the situation. It was a simple dance. There was nothing to it, she thought.

As she made her way into her small office and sat in her chair, her stomach tightened when she caught sight of a couple of colleagues glancing her way, their eyes lingering a little too long. A few murmurs followed, but no one said anything outright. No one acknowledged the party, or what might've happened in those dark crowded corners of the dance floor.

She sat down and tried to focus on her work, but the unease clung to her like a second skin. She had been at the company for only a few months, and already she felt like she was under the spotlight...for all the wrong reasons. Whenever a colleague walked by her small semi-opaque glass office, she fought the urge to shrink into her chair.

Tara breezed into her office that morning, still high on the excitement from Saturday night. Her best friend had stumbled into her apartment at 5 a.m. on Sunday to check in on her, still buzzing from the night, and Maya had mumbled something vague about leaving early because she had too much to drink. She hadn't pressed, too tired to notice anything off. And she was grateful for that.

"You left so early! I ended up staying until almost closing," she said, sliding into the seat across from Maya. "You missed out on so much fun. How're you feeling now?"

Maya smiled, still not ready to dive into the full story. "Better. Just needed to get out of there. It was a bit... intense, you know?" She explained.

Tara nodded, oblivious to the tension simmering under Maya's calm exterior. "Yeah, it got wild towards the end. You wouldn't believe how many people ended up pairing off." She giggled, not noticing the slight stiffness in Maya's smile. In a way, she felt a bit better to hear colleagues may have hooked up after the parting. Surely, that was way worse than dancing with the boss.

"I'll bet," Maya replied, trying to steer the conversation away from herself. "What about you? Did anything happen?"

"Me? Oh, I danced with a guy from legal for a bit, but nothing major. Anyway, gotta run to a meeting." With a quick wave, Tara disappeared, leaving Maya alone with her thoughts.

Just as Maya was starting to feel like she could survive the day, her phone pinged, reminding her of the mentorship interview for the company's personal development program. She glanced at it, and her heart skipped a beat.

Half an hour later, Maya found herself entering one of the sleek conference rooms, and from her view were two members of the upper management team. She applied to this mentorship program a month ago, thinking it would be a great opportunity to expand her skills.