CHAPTER FIFTY–EIGHT–Can Love Survive the Fall?
Kira nodded, her face a mask of cool professionalism. “Of course, Bo. They’ll be ready for your review shortly.”
Finally, Bo reached Laura’s desk “Laura, how’s that report coming along?
Laura looked up from her computer, trying to hide her exhaustion. “I’m making good progress, Bo. Just finalizing the data visualizations.”
Bo leaned over Laura’s shoulder, her eyes scanning the screen. “Hmm. That graph doesn’t look right. The color scheme is all wrong. Change it.”
Laura blinked, caught off guard, “But I followed the company style palde-”
“Did 1 ask for excuses?” Do snapped. “I said change it. And while you’re at it, redo the executive summary. It’s not concise enough.”
Laura’s heart sank. She’d spent hours crafting that summary. “But that will take—”
“I don’t care how long it takes,” Bo interrupted. “Get it done. And I want to see a new draft in an hour.”
As Bo stalked away, Laura fought back a wave of frustration. She’d have to work through dinner to get this done, effectively undoing hours of careful work based on Bo’s arbitrary demands.
The rest of the afternoon passed in a blur of frantic typing and muttered curses. By the time 6 PM rolled around, Laura felt like she’d aged a year in a day.
She was just about to pack up when Zaya appeared at her desk, bouncing on her toes with renewed energy.
“Laura! I’m so glad I caught you,” Zaya chirped. “Listen, I was thinking… we should totally go shopping this weekend! There’s this amazing boutique I want to show you.”
Laura blinked, her tired brain struggling to process Zaya’s enthusiasm. “Oh, um, this weekend?””
Zaya nodded eagerly. “Yeah! It’ll be so much fun. We can grab lunch, do some shopping, maybe get our nails done. What do you say?”
Laura hesitated, torn between not wanting to hurt Zaya’s feelings and the overwhelming desire to spend her weekend recovering from the week. “That sounds… nice, Zaya. But I’m not sure if
“Oh, come on,” Zaya pleaded. “It’ll be a great way for us to bond outside of work. Please?”
Feeling cornered, Laura managed a weak smile. “Let me think about it, okay? I’ll let you know.”
Zaya’s face fell slightly, but she quickly recovered. “Okay, sure! Just let me know. It’s going to be great, I promise!”
As Zaya bounced away, Laura slumped in her chair, feeling utterly drained. She gathered her things and made her way to the elevator, her mind a whirlwind of the day’s events.
The drive home was a blur, the city lights smearing together as Laura navigated through traffic on autopilot. She replayed the day’s events in her mind – Kira’s hostility, Julia’s condescension, Bo’s micromanagement, Zaya’s overwhelming friendliness. It was all so much to process.
As she pulled into the parking garage of her building, Laura couldn’t help but wonder if she’d made a mistake taking this job. The work was challenging and exciting, sure, but the office dynamics were unlike anything she’d experienced before.
The elevator dinged, signaling her arrival at the penthouse floor. As Laura stepped out, tumbling for her keys, she felt a mix of relief at being home and dread at the thought of returning to Sivarra Tech tomorrow.
Laura rolled over in bed, squinting at the sunlight streaming through the curtains. She groaned and reached for her phone, silencing the alarm.
“Ugh, already?” she mumbled.
Jessie’s voice drifted in from the kitchen. “Rise and shine, sleepyhead! Coffee’s ready!”
Laura dragged herself out of bed and shuffled to the kitchen, where Jessie was bustling around making breakfast.
“Morning,” Laura yawned, accepting the steaming mug Jessie handed her.
“Big day at the office?” Jessie asked, sliding a plate of toast across the counter.
Laura shrugged, taking a sip of coffee. “Same as usual, I guess. Still trying to figure out where I tit in with this team.”
Jessie leaned against the counter. “It’s only been a couple weeks. Give it time.”
CHAPTER FIFTY EIGHT- Gin Love Survive the Fall?
“I know, I know. It’s just… complicated.”
“Office politics?”
Laura nodded. “Something like that. There’s this one coworker, Kira, who seems to have it out for me. And don’t even get me started on my boss’s girlfriend showing up all the time.”
Jessie raised an eyebrow. “Sounds juicy. Spill.‘
Laura laughed. “It’s not as exciting as it sounds. Just… a lot of personalities to navigate.”
“Well, you’ve always been good at that,” Jessie said, squeezing Laura’s shoulder. “You’ve got this.”
Laura smiled, feeling a boost of confidence. “Thanks, Jess. I needed that,”
As she finished her breakfast and got ready for work, Laura found herself actually looking forward to the day ahead. Maybe things were finally starting to fall into place.
The office was quiet when Laura arrived, most of her coworkers not due for another half hour. She made her way to her desk, planning to get a head start on some work.
To her surprise, she wasn’t the only early bird. Alden O’Connor was already at his desk, hunched over his computer with a look of
Intense concentration.
Laura hesitated, then decided to seize the opportunity. “Morning, Alden,” she said, keeping her voice low to not startle him
Aiden looked up, blinking as if coming out of a trance. “Oh, hey Laura. Didn’t hear you come in.”
“Sorry, didn’t mean to interrupt. You’re here early.”
He shrugged. “Had an idea I wanted to work on. You know how it is when inspiration strikes.”
Laura nodded, setting her bag down. “I do, actually. What are you working on?”
Aiden’s eyes lit up. “It’s this new algorithm for predictive analysis. I think it could really streamline our process for-” He stopped suddenly, looking embarrassed. “Sorry, I’m probably boring you.”
“Not at all,” Laura said, genuinely interested. “I’d love to hear more.
Aiden looked surprised, but pleased. He launched into an explanation, his usual reticence melting away as he described his ideas. Laura found herself drawn in, asking questions and offering suggestions.
“You know,” Aiden said after a while, “this reminds me of something from that old sci–fi novel… what was it called? ‘Nexus Protocol‘?
Laura’s jaw dropped. “You’ve read “Nexus Protocol‘? I thought I was the only person who knew about that book!”
Aiden grinned. “Are you kidding? It’s one of my favorites. The way they handled the concept of TECH consciousness was way ahead of
its time.”
“Exactly!” Laura exclaimed. “And the ethical dilemmas they explored-”
“Like when Dr. Sato had to choose between saving the TECH or the human crew?”
“Yes! God, I agonized over that scene for days.”
They dove into a spirited discussion about the book, debating plot points and character motivations. Laura was amazed to discover this side of Aiden. Behind his quiet exterior was a sharp, insightful mind with a wry sense of humor.
“You know,” Aiden said, “there’s this little–known sequel called ‘Quantum Shift‘ that explores some of those themes even further.”
Laura’s eyes widened. “There’s a sequel? How did I not know about this?”
“It was only released in limited markets. I’ve got a copy at home if you’d like to borrow it.”
“That would be amazing,” Laura said. “I can’t believe we’ve been working together for weeks and I had no idea we had this in common.
Aiden shrugged, looking a bit sheepish. “I’m not always great at… you know, talking to people. Especially at work. It’s easier to just focus on the tasks at hand.”
Laura nodded understanding, “I get that. But I’m glad we had this chance to chat. Maybe we could grab lunch sometime and continue our sci–fi debate?”
Aiden smiled. “I’d like that.”
