The city buzzed beneath a washed-gold afternoon light. Glass towers shimmered in the distance, and the sidewalks were crowded with office workers returning from lunch, cups of iced coffee sweating in their hands.
Among them, Nadine walked a few paces behind Curtis.
From this angle, she could see the way he moved now — relaxed, confident, even laughing at something one of their colleagues said. He looked lighter, freer, as if some invisible weight had been lifted off his shoulders.
It was almost disorienting.
For months, Curtis Harper had been the picture of calm detachment: the man who nodded politely but never lingered, who answered questions efficiently but never invited small talk. Seeing him smile so easily now was like catching sight of a rare animal in the wild — mesmerizing and completely unexpected.
She slowed her pace, pretending to scroll through her phone, though her eyes kept drifting back to him. When did you change? she wondered. And why does it bother me that I don't know how?
When Nadine joined KAIA Investments, she came prepared.
Every new company meant a new opportunity — to rebuild her image, to earn her reputation, to prove herself indispensable. She'd done it before, every time: master the workflow, charm the right people, stay professional, never get too close but always stay liked.
Her first day at KAIA had gone exactly to plan — at first.
She'd greeted every department head with poise, remembered names effortlessly, even made the interns laugh. Everything was on track until she'd met him.
Curtis Harper.
At first, she'd seen him as just another colleague — maybe one of those brooding types who worked too hard and socialized too little. But after five minutes of trying to engage him in conversation, she realized she'd hit a wall.
He was polite, but distant. Reserved, almost to the point of indifference. His expression never changed much, his tone even less. When she cracked a joke, he gave the faintest smile — the kind that felt like a courtesy, not amusement.
Still, Nadine wasn't one to give up easily. She'd made it her quiet mission to get through to him.
She lingered by his desk to offer help with reports, asked about the weather just to start conversation, even brought extra pastries to the break room hoping he'd take one.He never did.
The harder she tried, the more unreachable he became.
And then came the whispers."Don't bother with him.""He's cold as ice.""Guy probably thinks he's better than everyone."
At first, Nadine defended him — a little too quickly, perhaps — but after a while, she stopped. The more people talked, the harder it became to justify her curiosity. She told herself to focus on her goals: keep her head down, stay in everyone's good graces, and leave the mysterious analyst alone.
Yet even as she told herself that, something about him stuck in her mind.
There was a calmness in him that intrigued her — the kind of control she could never quite master. Weeks turned into months. And then, one day, the change began.
It started small — a "good morning" here, a nod there. But soon, he was holding real conversations, making jokes, even joining group lunches.
Nadine had been watching when it happened — the transformation. One day, he was an island. The next, he was part of the world again.
And the strangest part? No one knew why.
She caught herself wondering: What caused it? Who caused it?
That question lingered in the back of her mind like a tune she couldn't shake.
Now, walking behind him under the soft winter sun, she felt the pull again — the quiet urge to know more. Back at the office, fluorescent lights buzzed faintly above rows of glass cubicles. The air smelled faintly of coffee and printer ink. Nadine sat down at her desk, but her focus kept slipping.
Her spreadsheet blurred. Her mind was elsewhere — replaying the moment Curtis had laughed, the easy warmth in his voice, the way the afternoon light had caught the side of his face.
When she finally looked up, she saw him at the elevator, adjusting the strap of his bag. She hesitated only a second before standing.
"Hey, Curtis?"
He turned, calm as ever, brows raised in polite curiosity.
"I just realized," she said with a laugh that came out a little too airy, "you're probably the only person in this entire office whose number I don't have. I like keeping everyone's contact info — you know, in case of emergencies or last-minute project changes."
He blinked, then nodded. "Oh. Sure."
They exchanged phones, typing quickly. When she saw his name appear on her screen, it felt like a victory.
"Perfect," she said, forcing her tone casual. "Now my contact list is finally complete."
He smiled faintly — a real smile this time — before heading toward the elevator.
Nadine stood there for a moment longer, phone still in her hand, before sitting back down and letting out a quiet breath. It was nothing, really. A simple exchange. But it felt like more.
A door had opened.
The next morning, the office was still half-asleep when Nadine arrived early. Pale winter light pooled across the desks. The hum of the air conditioning filled the silence.
Inside his glass office, Mr. Rogers was pacing with his phone pressed to his ear. When he saw her, he gave a distracted wave.
"Oh," he said. "I thought that was Curtis."
Nadine smiled politely. "He's not in yet, sir."
"Hmm." Rogers frowned, flipping through a folder. "I needed to speak with him about the quarterly projections. I'll have my secretary message him when she comes in."
"I can do that," Nadine offered quickly. "I have his number."
Rogers looked up, visibly relieved. "You do? Perfect. Please tell him I'd like to see him soon. Thanks, Nadine."
"Of course," she said, already typing.
Good morning, Curtis! Are you on your way to the office? Mr. Rogers wants to talk to you about something important.
A few seconds later, her phone buzzed.
Good morning! Yes, I'll be there soon — just grabbing coffee.
She smiled before she could stop herself.
Oh, the café you mentioned before — Coppa, right? I still need to try it sometime!
After a pause, the typing bubble appeared.
If you want, I can bring you some. What do you like?
Her heart fluttered. She typed before her brain could warn her otherwise.
I'd love that! Iced macchiato with almond milk, please. Thank you!
Copy. No worries. See you soon.
The conversation ended there, but Nadine sat staring at her phone long after.
She told herself it was just a friendly gesture — coworkers helping each other out. Nothing more.
But she knew better.
Something was shifting.
Later that afternoon, she caught her reflection in the glass wall of a conference room — black hair pulled back into its usual low, messy bun, the loose strands brushing against her cheek. She looked calm. Composed. But beneath that, her pulse was racing.
Curtis Harper was bringing her coffee. He was talking to her.And he wasn't the same man she'd once written off.
She thought about the upcoming company night out — the casual bar event the entire team had been buzzing about.
That would be her moment.No spreadsheets. No reports. No distractions. Just laughter, dim lights, maybe a little liquid courage.
She could already picture it — the music low, his smile softer than usual, their conversation finally uninterrupted.
For once, she wouldn't be chasing from a distance.
She picked up her pen and opened her planner, circling the date.
Friday : Company Night Out.
In the corner, she wrote in small, careful letters — almost like a secret:
Plan: talk to Curtis.
She sat back, tapping her pen against the paper, a slow smile curving her lips.
After months of trying and retreating, she finally had momentum — a chance to get closer, to understand him, maybe even to be part of whatever new world he was building.
She didn't know how or why he'd changed. But she intended to find out.
And this time, she wouldn't let the opportunity slip away.