Ink and Heartstrings

The Redirection

It had been a few days since Maria’s interview, and the anticipation was killing her. Every time she thought about it, her stomach did little flips of both excitement and nerves. She hadn’t told Alan yet—she wanted to wait until she had something concrete, a decision from the company. Still, she couldn’t help but wonder what his reaction would be when he finally found out.

Meanwhile, Alan was completely unaware that he had missed the chance to interview his own girlfriend. He was still neck-deep in his project and hadn’t yet reviewed the notes from the interview. His team had done a thorough job, though, and Maria’s name had quickly risen to the top of the candidate list.

That Friday evening, after a long week, Alan and Maria had scheduled an online video call. Though they were miles apart, these calls had become a way to keep their connection strong. Tonight, the air between them felt different—a little more electric, like something big was just around the corner.

Maria, trying to focus on her writing, kept sneaking glances at her phone, waiting for the call. When it finally buzzed with Alan’s incoming video, she grinned, feeling a flood of warmth at the sight of his face appearing on her screen.

The Call
Maria: (smiling) “Hey, stranger! It’s good to finally see you. I feel like you’ve been in work mode for the past century.”

Alan: (chuckling) “Tell me about it. It’s been brutal, but I’m starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. How about you? How’s everything going on your end?”

Maria bit her lip. She was dying to tell him about the interview, but part of her still wanted to wait until the official offer came through. She decided to tease him instead.

Maria: “Oh, you know. Just a few things happening here and there… Nothing major.” (smirking)

Alan: (raising an eyebrow) “Oh? Just ‘nothing major’? You’re up to something, aren’t you?”

Maria: (laughing) “Maybe. Maybe not. What makes you think I’m up to something?”

Alan: “Because I know that look. You’ve got secrets, and I will find out.”

They both laughed, the easy banter a reminder of how well they knew each other. Maria leaned back in her chair, feeling more relaxed now that she was talking to Alan.

Maria: “Well, I’ve had some exciting things happen, but I don’t want to jinx anything. Let’s just say I’ve been thinking about some new opportunities.”

Alan: (playfully) “You can’t just leave it at that! New opportunities? Is it a new book project? Did some big editor finally discover how brilliant you are?”

Maria rolled her eyes, though his words made her heart flutter.

Maria: “Something like that. I’ll tell you more when the time is right.”

Alan: “Alright, fine. I’ll stop prying for now… But don’t think you’re off the hook forever.”

As they continued talking, Maria felt the tension ease. They laughed about the ridiculousness of their workweeks, shared some stories about mutual friends, and slowly the conversation drifted toward more personal topics.