Our Story

Chapter 11-First Kiss

[Eira POV]

The next day, the much-awaited email from the company arrived. I was the first to notice it, as both Sam and Arjun were engrossed in their work. They asked me to read out the names of the team members.

"Eira, Sam, Arjun, Kevin, Riya, and Elena," I announced, my voice steady.

Arjun's face lit up at the mention of Riya's name. He almost shouted, "Riya! She's on our team?" His excitement was contagious.

"Yes," I replied, laughing. "Isn't she the girl I accidentally ran into last night ?"

Both Sam and Arjun nodded. I couldn't help but feel curious about the other names on the list—Kevin and Elena. Who were they? As I continued reading the email, I realized it also detailed the project's start date. "We're starting tomorrow," I informed them, my voice tinged with excitement.

After the email about our project, I knew it was time for some serious shopping. Arjun and Sam decided to come with me, though Sam wasn't too thrilled. He claimed he already had enough clothes, but I insisted he come along anyway.

The first stop was the clothing section. As I scanned through racks of blazers, trousers, and dresses, I couldn't help but feel overwhelmed. Colors, cuts, and styles—nothing seemed to match the image I had in my mind. After about 15 minutes of me aimlessly flipping through hangers, Arjun sighed dramatically. "Eira, at this rate, the store's going to close before you pick something."

I ignored him and turned to Sam. "Sam, what do you think? This one or this one?" I held up a tailored black blazer and a deep navy suit.

Sam took a moment, inspecting both. "The navy suit. It's professional but not too formal. You'll stand out in the right way." I nodded, trusting his choice without hesitation. "You're right. I'll go with with this."

After nearly three hours of selecting dresses, blazers, and trousers, we moved to the footwear section. That's when I saw them—a sleek pair of black pointed-toe heels. They were elegant, sophisticated, and everything I wanted to wear on my first day.

"These are perfect," I said, holding them up.

"You mean perfect for spraining your ankle?" Arjun chimed in. "Eira, you can barely walk straight in sneakers. Do you really want to start your new job with crutches?"

I shot him a look. "I'll learn, okay?"

"But still, I turned to Sam. I knew he would say no to me."

Without any hesitation, Sam took the heels from me and handed them to the salesperson. "We'll take these," he said calmly. Then, as we walked to the checkout, he asked something more caring. "Eira, I'm just saying, you don't need heels to look professional or confident. You're already more than enough. But if you really want them, fine—just promise me you'll practice walking at home first. I'm not carrying you to the office if you fall."

"I'll manage," I said confidently, emboldened by his support. "By the time we finished shopping, we were all exhausted, and we went home after eating lunch outside."

[NEXT MORNING]

I dressed carefully—professional attire, minimal makeup, and my hair left loose for a polished look. I glanced at Arjun and Sam for validation.

He gave me a smirk. "Sexy."

Sam, ever the gentleman, smiled and said, "Beautiful. But don't wear the heels if you're uncomfortable." I stubbornly chose to wear them anyway. I needed to learn someday, and today felt like as good a day as any.

As usual, I delayed us a bit, and we arrived at the office later than planned. When we reached the elevator, it was packed, just as it always was during rush hour. Every time the doors opened, we found it full. Arjun suggested we take the stairs. I hesitated but agreed. By the time we reached the first floor, my feet were already protesting. The heels were unforgiving.