Sophia's eyes fluttered open.
She groaned and grabbed her head.
"Why does my skull feel like I got into a fistfight with my own pillow?" she muttered, stretching like a wounded grandmother.
Then—unfortunately—her brain decided to play a recap.
Their lips met.
Atticus and Sophia's kiss deepened.
tender, soft.
his arms tightening—
"AHHHHHH!!!!"
She let out a scream and slapped both hands over her mouth.
"What have I DONE?!" she whispered-yelled, punching her mattress like it personally betrayed her.
The door flew open.
"Ma'am Sophia! Are you okay?" Maya rushed in, panic all over her face.
Sophia spun toward her like a malfunctioning robot.
"Maya…" she stumbled forward, clutching her own face.
"Maya… DID ATTICUS KISS ME?!"
Maya blinked. Yesterday Sophia was crying into the night.
Now she looked like she had escaped from a cartoon asylum.
"Um… well… yes, ma'am."
Sophia's eyes widened to planet size.
"On my lips?" she asked, touching her mouth like it was a crime scene.
"Yes, ma'am," Maya confirmed carefully.
Sophia let out another scream.
"ON MY LIPS?!"
She started pacing in a frantic circle, biting her fingers like corn on the cob.
"How can he kiss me on my LIPS?!" she complained, frowning dramatically at the floor.
Maya just stood there, wondering if she needed to call a doctor…
Or an exorcist.
"Awww…" Sophia winced, clutching her head like it was about to fall off.
"What's wrong?" Maya asked, rushing back with the energy of someone expecting a medical emergency.
"My head hurts," Sophia groaned.
"It's because you drank so much yesterday. I'll go make you some soup—it'll help." Maya nodded and started toward the kitchen.
"It's not that!" Sophia yelled dramatically. "It's that kiss-snatcher's fault!"
Sophia tapped her foot on the floor—hard—like she was summoning anger from the earth itself. Her frown grew deeper, sharper, deadlier.
"How dare he," Sophia hissed, slamming her palm onto the desk.
BAM!
Maya jumped a whole three centimeters. "Ma'am—!"
Sophia didn't hear her. She was still replaying the scene as if the universe had personally wronged her.
"Pervert!" she suddenly screamed.
Maya choked on her own breath. "P-pervert? Pervert?? Who is the— the pervert??!"
Sophia opened her mouth, "it's that—" she
paused as she realized what she almost said.
"…No one," she whispered, clearing her throat as if that erased everything.
Her eyes darted around the room.
And only now—after all the screaming, pacing, name-calling, desk-smacking, and emotional gymnastics—did she finally notice her surroundings.
"Wait," she muttered, blinking. "Where am I?"
Maya sighed loudly, rubbing her forehead. "You are in my house, ma'am. You drank so much yesterday and I felt it was safer you stay with me, than home alone," Maya replied.
The room was cozy. It had a TV on top of a brown TV stand. The sofa, which was white, sat by the wall, and the seats were blue. The curtains were gold.
"Wow, your house is nice," Sophia said.
"So, you like it," Maya asked, her eyes sparkling.
Sophia chuckled. "Why is everyone asking me this question as if my thoughts mattered," Sophia said, looking around. Turning back to Maya.
"It's lovely anyway," Sophia continued.
Maya's eyes saddened. "Ma'am Sophia," she whispered.
"Yes," Sophia replied.
"Your opinions mean a lot to me, ma'am," Maya said.
Sophia raised her brow in suspicion. "Sure, okay," Sophia replied.
"How about we go shopping," Maya said. Sophia widened her eyes in shock.
"What the hell was going on?" Sophia mumbled underneath her breath. This was a big surprise to her, Maya had never asked for such. They both have maintained a professional employer and employee relationship all these years.
"Maya, are you okay?" Sophia asked her suspiciously as she placed her hand on Maya's forehead. "Or maybe I'm dreaming. Well alcohol causes hallucination," she continued.
"Yes ma'am, I'm fine. I just felt we can go out," Maya assured.
Sophia scoffed and she shook her head and stood up.
"Okay... this dream is creepy." Sophia muttered.
"No ma'am—"
"Are you serious," Sophia asked.
"Yes ma'am," Maya replied.
Sophia was really shocked. "I can't believe this,"
"So does that mean you are coming," Maya asked.
Sophia smiled. "No," she said. "I've to go to work," She continued.
Sophia then turned to leave but Maya wasn't ready to give up yet. She blocked Sophia's way.
"Maya what are you doing," Sophia asked.
"How about another day," Maya asked.
Sophia was dumbstruck, was she still thinking about that?
"Maya, I have work—"
"I know but another day," Maya interrupted her.
Seeing Maya's persistence, Sophia sighed.
"Fine, another day," Sophia replied. "Set the day and time on my schedule," Sophia replied.
"Really," Maya asked.
Sophia nodded.
Maya beamed as she hugged Sophia tightly, who just stood like a plank.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you," Maya said as she ran away, yepping in joy. "I will go get your dress ready,"
Sophia watched her retreating figure and scoffed.
"What the hell is going on?" she slapped her face.
Ouch!
Sophia rubbed her cheek. "That stings," she mumbled. "I guess I'm not dreaming."
#######
Sophia stepped out of the elevator, Maya walking behind her while briefing her about the day's schedule.
She suddenly halted, her breath catching as her gaze met the last person she expected to see. His golden eyes locked onto hers, intense and steady. Warmth rushed to her cheeks, her heartbeat picking up, and her lips tingled with a faint, nervous anticipation.
For a moment, they simply stood there, staring at each other as though the rest of the world had quietly faded away. Then the memory of the kiss they shared the night before flashed through her mind, and Sophia quickly pulled herself together.
She instantly slapped both palms over her lips, eyes widening as she frowned at him.
"It's you," she muttered through her hands.
Atticus paused mid-step, confused. "Me…?"
Sophia narrowed her eyes. "The kiss snatcher."
Atticus blinked. "What?!"