The break room smelled of freshly brewed coffee and toasted sugar from someone's forgotten pastry. Warm morning light spilled through the narrow windows, catching the faint steam rising from Denisse's cup as she poured the dark liquid carefully into it.
The familiar ritual soothed her.
She found herself humming under her breath, a tune she couldn't even name anymore. It simply drifted out of her, light and effortless.
"Well, well."
A voice suddenly broke through the quiet.
"Seems like my bestie here is in a good mood."
Denisse nearly jumped, sloshing coffee against the rim of the cup.
She turned to find Gigi strolling in, already reaching for a mug from the cabinet.
"What? No."
Gigi snorted.
"Don't even try to deny it." She pointed accusingly at her. "When was the last time you hummed while making coffee?"
Denisse looked away, focusing very hard on adjusting the coffee maker.
"Well..." She shrugged. "Maybe I just had a good night's sleep."
"Oh?" Gigi leaned against the counter, eyes gleaming with mischief. "Does this good night's sleep happen to include a hot CEO body next to you?"
Heat instantly climbed up Denisse's neck.
"Gigi!"
She shot her friend a warning glare and glanced toward the break room door.
"Someone might hear you."
Gigi looked around dramatically.
"Who? The coffee beans?" She gestured toward a container on the counter. "Or maybe the snacks on the shelves?"
A laugh threatened to escape despite herself.
Denisse shook her head and turned back to the coffee. The smile lingered anyway.
Because, annoyingly enough, Gigi wasn't completely wrong.
As she stirred the coffee, her thoughts drifted back to the past few days.
The amusement park.
Movie nights.
Random dinners that somehow lasted hours.
The way her gaze softened whenever she looked at her.
Denisse poured another coffee into Lesley's favorite mug and felt herself smile again.
She couldn't remember the last time she'd been this happy.
"So," Gigi said, dragging the word out. "What's the score between the two of you now?"
Denisse groaned internally.
"Score?"
"You know exactly what I mean."
Gigi stepped closer and lowered her voice.
"I heard her ex is the company's new client."
The warmth inside Denisse faltered.
Just slightly.
Like a candle flickering under a sudden draft.
Her grip tightened around the mug.
Images surfaced immediately.
Daphne standing a little too close.
The lingering smiles.
The casual excuses to seek Lesley out.
The unmistakable determination in her eyes.
"Yeah," Denisse admitted quietly. "She's supervising the project."
Gigi lifted a brow.
"Seriously?"
"Her father owns the company."
"Of course he does."
Denisse huffed out a laugh.
"And has she crossed the line from ex to problem yet?"
The question lingered.
Denisse thought about it.
The subtle flirting.
The attempts to bring up old memories.
The way Daphne always seemed to find a reason to be wherever Lesley was.
"Not explicitly," she finally said. "But she's definitely trying to get Lesley's attention."
"Oh, the nerve."
Gigi shook her head dramatically before leaning forward.
"And how does Ms. Ashford respond to all these attempts?"
A small smile immediately tugged at Denisse's lips.
The knot that had formed in her chest loosened a little.
"She doesn't."
Gigi blinked.
"What do you mean she doesn't?"
"She just..." Denisse searched for the right words. "Doesn't engage."
She remembered the last project meeting.
Daphne had gone out of her way to bring up an old vacation they'd taken together. The kind of story clearly meant to remind everyone that she'd once been important in Lesley's life.
Lesley had simply nodded, redirected the conversation back to the project, and moved on.
No lingering smiles.
No reminiscing.
Nothing.
"Most of the time she either changes the subject or keeps everything strictly professional."
A grin spread across Gigi's face.
"Oh, I love that."
Denisse laughed.
"Honestly, sometimes it's almost funny."
"How so?"
"Because Daphne keeps throwing bait out there, and Lesley just refuses to bite."
Gigi slapped a hand over her heart.
"Okay, that's it. I'm officially Team Lesley."
A laugh escaped Denisse before she could stop it.
"Officially? Since when were you not?"
"Please. I've been Team Lesley for a long time. This just confirms I'm on the right side."
Denisse shook her head, smiling.
Trust Gigi to turn a conversation about workplace drama into a declaration of allegiance.
Still, the teasing drew a genuine laugh from her.
And with it, some of the tension she'd been carrying quietly slipped away.
Because beneath all her worries, one fact remained.
Lesley had never given her a reason to doubt where her attention was.
Not once.
"So," Gigi continued, narrowing her eyes suspiciously. "Has she made her move yet?"
The question caught Denisse off guard.
Her smile faltered as she looked down at the coffee warming her hands. Thin wisps of steam curled upward, giving her something to focus on other than the conversation.
"No."
Gigi blinked.
"No?"
Denisse shifted her weight.
"We haven't really..." She hesitated, struggling to explain something that sounded ridiculous when spoken aloud. "Talked about what we are still."
The silence that followed was immediate.
Then Gigi nearly dropped her mug.
"What?"
A few employees passing by the break room glanced inside at the outburst.
Gigi immediately lowered her voice and leaned closer.
"What do you mean you still haven't talked about it yet?"
Denisse stared into the dark coffee.
If only the answer were that simple.
The truth was she didn't know why.
Or maybe she did.
Fear had a way of disguising itself as patience.
At first, she'd convinced herself there was no reason to push for answers.
Things between her and Lesley had unfolded naturally, one step at a time, until somewhere along the way they had started acting like a couple without ever calling themselves one.
Shared breakfasts before work.
Late nights that turned into mornings.
Quiet weekends spent together.
Lesley's hand finding hers without thinking.
The warmth of waking up beside her.
The soft kisses exchanged in private moments.
The intimacy they shared when words were no longer enough.
Everything about them felt real.
Everything except the label.
Sometimes Denisse wondered how they had managed to reach this point without ever having the conversation.
Without asking what they were.
Without defining where they stood.
Maybe neither of them wanted to disturb the happiness they'd found.
Maybe they had both become comfortable living in the space between friendship and something more.
But lately, that uncertainty had started to weigh on her.
Not because she doubted Lesley's feelings.
She didn't.
Lesley had shown her affection in a hundred different ways.
The problem was that neither of them had ever put those feelings into words.
And with Daphne suddenly back in the picture, Denisse found herself wanting something she had never needed before.
Certainty.
Not hidden in touches.
Not implied in lingering glances.
Not assumed through shared nights together.
She wanted to hear it.
She wanted them to acknowledge it.
To finally stop dancing around what they had become.
Because whatever this was, it deserved a name.
A quiet certainty slowly settled over her.
Steady.
Unshakable.
Actually...
If Lesley wasn't going to say it first...
Maybe she should.
The realization sent a nervous flutter racing through her stomach.
"Honestly," she said softly.
Gigi waited.
"I think it's time."
Her friend frowned.
"Time for what?"
Denisse lifted her gaze.
Her pulse had picked up noticeably now.
The words felt frightening sitting on her tongue.
Yet somehow they also felt right.
"I think I'm going to tell her."
The admission hung between them.
For a second, neither of them moved.
Then Gigi's eyes widened.
"TELL HER tell her?"
A nervous laugh escaped Denisse.
"Yes."
The word sounded much braver than she felt.
"When?"
Despite the butterflies threatening to stage a riot inside her stomach, a small smile tugged at her lips.
"On her birthday."
Gigi froze.
"This Saturday?"
Denisse nodded.
The reality of it suddenly felt much more real now that she'd said it aloud.
Saturday.
Only a few days away.
Her heart skipped nervously.
"I don't care what happens after."
That wasn't entirely true.
Of course she cared.
God, she cared.
But she forced herself to continue.
"Whether she accepts it or not..."
The words scraped against something vulnerable inside her.
"But I want her to know."
Her voice softened.
"I want her to know exactly how I feel."
For a moment, Gigi simply stared at her.
The teasing disappeared from her expression.
Denisse almost squirmed under the scrutiny.
Then a slow smile spread across Gigi's face.
One filled with genuine pride.
"Wow."
Denisse frowned.
"What?"
"My bestie got brave."
Heat immediately climbed into her cheeks.
She looked away.
"Don't make it weird."
"Oh, it's absolutely weird."
Gigi pointed at her dramatically.
"You've been pining for weeks."
Denisse groaned.
Gigi laughed.
"Still. Good luck."
The sincerity beneath the teasing made Denisse smile.
"Thanks."
"Oh, and speaking of Saturday..."
Denisse remembered something.
"You're invited too."
For a second, Gigi simply stared at her.
The cheerful chatter from the hallway seemed to fade into the background.
"What?"
"To the birthday party."
"What?"
Denisse couldn't help laughing at the look on her face.
Gigi pointed at herself.
"Me?"
"Yes, you."
"Invited invited?"
The disbelief in her voice only made Denisse laugh harder.
"How many kinds of invited are there?"
Gigi gasped dramatically and clutched her chest as though she'd just received life-changing news.
"Oh my God."
A stunned silence followed.
Her eyes grew wider.
Then wider still.
Denisse watched the gears turning in her head and already knew what was coming.
"I really love Ms. Ashford."
There it is.
A burst of laughter escaped her before she could stop it.
"You say that every week."
"And I mean it every week."
Gigi placed both hands over her heart.
"Do you know how exclusive that party is going to be? Rich people. Fancy food. Probably expensive wine."
"It's a birthday party, not a royal gathering."
"Same thing."
Denisse shook her head.
"Gigi, you're being ridiculous."
"No, I'm being honored."
She pointed a finger toward the ceiling.
"Ms. Ashford has excellent taste."
"In friends?"
"In inviting me."
That only made Denisse laugh harder.
The exaggerated pride on Gigi's face was impossible to take seriously.
"You haven't even gone yet."
"Doesn't matter. I've already decided it's going to be the best party I've ever attended."
"Your standards are concerning."
"My standards are Ms. Ashford."
Denisse groaned while Gigi grinned triumphantly.
Despite the teasing, warmth settled in her chest.
She knew Lesley didn't hand out invitations casually. The guest list would mostly be family, close friends, and a handful of people she genuinely cared about.
The fact that Gigi had been included meant something.
Apparently, Gigi realized that too.
The joking expression softened for a brief moment.
"Seriously, though," she said quietly. "That's really nice of her."
Denisse smiled.
"Yeah."
Then Gigi's dramatic personality returned immediately.
"Okay, now I need to find something to wear."
"The party is still four days away."
"Exactly. I only have four days."
Denisse rolled her eyes.
"You'll survive."
"Will I?"
"No."
"I knew it."
Their laughter filled the break room, bouncing off the counters and cabinets, carrying a lightness that lingered long after the conversation moved on.
"Don't be late, okay?" Denisse said, carefully lifting the mug from the counter. The rich aroma of freshly brewed coffee rose with the steam curling from its surface. "I'll send you the details later."
She glanced at the clock mounted on the wall and immediately winced.
"Oh, I have to go now, or Lesley might get mad if her coffee gets cold."
The moment the words left her mouth, Gigi's grin turned wicked.
"Oho."
Denisse immediately pointed a warning finger at her.
"Don't."
Gigi ignored her.
"Look at that."
"What?"
"You've already gone from 'Ms. Ashford' to 'Lesley.'"
Denisse rolled her eyes.
"And?"
"And I'm just wondering when we're upgrading to 'babe.'"
"Gigi."
"'Baby.'"
"Gigi."
"'Honey.'"
"Gigi."
"'Sweetheart.'"
Denisse felt heat creeping into her cheeks.
"Can you not?"
Gigi laughed.
"I'm just saying, there's a natural progression here."
"There is not."
"There absolutely is."
Denisse shook her head, trying and failing to suppress a smile.
"You're impossible."
"And you're one relationship milestone away from calling her baby."
"Goodbye, Gigi."
Gigi cackled as Denisse headed for the door.
"Tell your future sweetheart I said hi!"
Rolling her eyes, Denisse turned toward the door before her friend could get worse.
Her laughter followed her into the hallway.
As she walked toward Lesley's office, coffee warming her hands and anticipation fluttering nervously in her chest, one thought kept returning.
Saturday.
Only a few more days.
Then she'd finally tell Lesley everything.