Jay's fingers moved across the keyboard in the same steady rhythm they always did. The office floor hummed around him, phones ringing softly in the background, the low murmur of a meeting drifting from the glass conference room down the hall. He sat at his usual desk, the shared surface facing Asher's empty chair across from him. The numbers on the screen lined up clean and sharp. He highlighted a row, made a quick note, and kept going. No extra thoughts. Just the work.
Asher arrived a few minutes later. He dropped his bag, sat down, and their eyes met once. Asher gave a small nod. Nothing more. Jay returned the nod and went back to the file. The two of them worked in silence, the space between their desks quiet and separate.
Jay's phone vibrated against his thigh.
He slipped it out under the desk. The message was short.
Come meet me in my office.
