Lina
The break room is louder than usual.
Lina notices it the moment she pushes the door open.
Normally lunchtime is quiet here. A few people scrolling through their phones, someone heating leftovers in the microwave, the low hum of the refrigerator filling the silence.
Today it's different.
Someone is laughing.
Not just a polite chuckle.
Real laughter.
The kind that fills the room and pulls attention toward it without effort.
Lina steps inside and immediately sees why.
Daniel Carter is sitting at the small round table near the window.
And Chloe is across from him.
Of course she is.
Chloe has one elbow on the table and a hand over her mouth as she laughs, her shoulders shaking slightly.
"I'm serious," Chloe says between breaths. "If marketing ruins one more book cover, editorial is staging a quiet rebellion."
Daniel leans back in his chair, smiling.
"Quiet rebellion sounds threatening."
"It is."
"Should I be worried?"
"Very."
Lina walks toward the coffee machine, pretending she hasn't noticed them.
But the truth is she noticed him the moment she walked in.
It's strange how quickly someone can stand out in a room.
Daniel isn't doing anything dramatic.
He's just sitting there.
Talking.
Laughing.
Yet somehow the space around him feels brighter.
Lina grabs a mug from the cabinet and places it under the coffee machine.
The sound of it brewing fills the brief silence between Chloe's next words.
"So," Chloe says, leaning forward slightly, "what made you move to the city?"
Daniel shrugs casually.
"Opportunity."
"That's a boring answer."
He laughs.
"It's the honest one."
Chloe tilts her head.
"You're going to have to try harder than that. I ask questions for entertainment."
"Dangerous habit."
"I've been told."
Lina glances toward the table without meaning to.
Daniel is leaning forward now, resting his forearms on the table.
His sleeves are rolled halfway up his arms again.
It's such a small detail.
But Lina notices it anyway.
Strong forearms.
Subtle lines of muscle beneath the skin.
The kind that suggests strength without trying to show it.
His posture is relaxed, shoulders loose, body angled slightly toward Chloe as he listens.
He's good at listening.
That's something Lina notices immediately.
He isn't interrupting or checking his phone like most people do during casual conversations.
He's actually paying attention.
Chloe taps her fingers lightly against the table.
"So where did you move from?"
"Boston."
"Oh, that explains it."
"Explains what?"
"You seem suspiciously calm for someone starting a new job."
Daniel smiles again.
"I like to observe before I panic."
"That's smart," Chloe says.
Then she gestures around the room dramatically.
"You're currently observing the chaotic center of editorial."
Lina rolls her eyes slightly, though she keeps her back turned as she pours coffee into her mug.
Chloe has always enjoyed exaggerating things.
"Should I be taking notes?" Daniel asks.
"Probably."
Lina finally turns around, mug in hand.
And that's when Daniel looks up.
Their eyes meet.
Just briefly.
For half a second.
Long enough for him to recognize her.
But not long enough for the moment to feel significant.
He smiles politely.
The same easy smile he gives everyone else.
Then he looks back at Chloe as if nothing happened.
Which is… slightly annoying.
Lina tells herself she doesn't care.
She walks to the counter and leans against it casually, pretending to check something on her phone.
But her attention keeps drifting back to the table.
Daniel shifts slightly in his chair.
The movement pulls the fabric of his shirt across his shoulders.
Broad.
Comfortably athletic.
Not overly muscular like someone who spends hours in a gym mirror.
Just naturally strong.
Chloe points at him suddenly.
"Okay, serious question."
"That sounds dangerous."
"It is."
She leans closer, lowering her voice like she's about to reveal something dramatic.
"Are you one of those people who wakes up early to run through Central Park?"
Daniel laughs softly.
"Not every morning."
"Aha!"
"But sometimes."
"I knew it," Chloe says triumphantly.
"Why is that suspicious?"
"Because people who run before work are either extremely disciplined or slightly insane."
Daniel pretends to consider this.
"Probably a little of both."
Chloe laughs again.
The sound fills the room easily.
Lina takes a slow sip of her coffee.
Across the room Daniel reaches for the water bottle sitting on the table.
The simple movement catches her attention again.
His hands are large.
Strong.
The kind of hands that look like they're used to doing real things, not just typing on a laptop.
It's a strange thought.
And completely unnecessary.
She shouldn't be analyzing a coworker like this.
But something about him draws attention naturally.
Maybe it's the confidence.
Not the loud, dominating kind.
Just a quiet certainty in the way he moves.
Like he belongs wherever he happens to be.
Chloe suddenly glances toward Lina.
"Oh look," she says brightly.
"Lina survived editorial this morning."
Daniel turns slightly in his chair.
Again.
Their eyes meet.
He gives a small nod.
"Hey, Lina."
"Hey."
Her voice is calm.
Normal.
Which is good.
Because inside she feels oddly aware of the moment.
Chloe gestures between them.
"You two already met earlier, right?"
Daniel nods.
"Briefly."
Lina lifts her coffee slightly.
"Introduction tour."
"Ah," Chloe says.
"Well then, welcome to the chaos."
Daniel smiles.
"I'm starting to see what you mean."
For a moment it seems like he might continue the conversation.
Maybe ask Lina something.
Maybe include her at the table.
But instead he glances at his watch.
Then stands.
"Well," he says casually, "I should probably get back before someone notices I've been hiding in here."
Chloe groans.
"You just got interesting."
"Dangerous compliment."
"It wasn't a compliment," she says.
"It was encouragement."
Daniel laughs again.
Then he looks briefly toward Lina.
"See you around."
And just like that.
He walks out of the break room.
The door swings shut behind him.
The space suddenly feels quieter.
Chloe sighs dramatically.
"Okay."
Lina raises an eyebrow.
"What?"
"He's officially my favorite coworker."
"You met him an hour ago."
"That's enough time."
Lina takes another sip of coffee.
Trying not to glance at the door he just walked through.
Trying not to think about how easily he filled the room while he was there.
And how quickly it feels empty now that he's gone.
Chloe watches her carefully.
Then smiles slightly.
"Oh," she says softly.
"This is going to be interesting."