SHE SAID "NO" TO HIS PROPOSAL

In the Midst of Madness

I tapped my badge against the card reader to enter the office. At 7 a.m., I was the first one here. Dianne, the receptionist, raised an eyebrow as I passed by, probably wondering if I'd lost my mind or forgotten what time it was. I shot her a quick smile. Yes, Dianne, it's me. Shock of the century.

After dropping my bag at my cubicle, I couldn't help but steal a glance at Greg's office. Please be empty. Please be empty.

To my relief, the office was still dark, and Richard wasn't at his usual desk either. I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. Early morning crisis averted. Before the day could officially begin, I needed a treat. Coffee. Lots of coffee.

I tapped my badge again to enter the pantry, the scent of fresh coffee welcoming me like an old friend. I loved this room—the huge window overlooking the sidewalk gave me a perfect view of people rushing by while I got to relax. It was like my own personal slice of calm before the storm.

Just as I was reaching for a mug, something—or rather someone—bumped into me hard from behind.

"Whoa!" I stumbled forward, catching myself on the counter before spinning around. "Jared!"

There he was, bent over, hands on his knees, breathing like he'd just run a marathon. I raised an eyebrow. "What happened? Did the elevator try to eat you?"

He panted, pointing at me accusingly between breaths. "When... I saw... you at the elevator... I thought... I was late!"

I chuckled, crossing my arms. "So your solution was to run me over? Classic Jared move."

He finally stood up straight, still gasping. "Well, you usually roll in late. Seeing you here this early gave me heart palpitations. I almost pressed all the buttons on the elevator just to slow you down."

"Oh, ha-ha." I rolled my eyes, smirking. "Very funny, Jared. If I didn't know better, I'd think you secretly enjoy these mornings with me."

He grinned. "You kidding? Mornings with you are the only thing that makes my day worth surviving. You know I need my daily Luna-dose of sarcasm."

"Right," I teased. "Otherwise, how would you make it through all those compliance forms without my stellar personality as a motivator?"

Jared, now the compliance officer in the legal department, had referred me here three years ago when I was desperately job hunting. We'd been practically glued together in high school, but life happened, and we drifted apart during college. Now, he was the only person who could roast me this hard without getting on my nerves.

"Well, I guess you made it on time today, what about you? Why are you so early today?" I said, grabbing my mug and pouring myself a cup.

He walks over the counter to reach for some chocolate drink . "Well, unlike other people, this is usually how early I get here so I can avoid the morning rush." he said, while smirking.

"Okay, enough, Mr. Punctuality, I'm here because I need to finish something the new VP ask to do." I give in because he could go on and on about me being always late.

He furrows his eyebrows, trying to remember something. "I've been meaning to ask you," he says, almost hesitant, "the new VP looks so familiar to me. Is he the Greg you dated in college—the one who proposed to you but you... uh... rejected?"

I raise an eyebrow, a smile creeping onto my face. "You have a good memory! Yeah, that's Greg."

His jaw drops. "Wow, Mia will be intrigued to know about this. Which reminds me, she invited us to lunch this afternoon—just at the restaurant down the street. Are you free? You can't say 'no' two times in a row, or she'll behead you this time,' he said, warning me.