Ethan Grayson had seen it all during his years at the company. He had joined as an intern in his early twenties, working his way up until he became head secretary to the managing director. The job had become second nature to him: every paper in its place, every email sent with perfect grammar, every meeting scheduled down to the minute. Ethan was the company’s bedrock of order, and he liked it that way.

When the previous head secretary was transferred to another branch, it was unsettling—but nothing he couldn't handle. That was, until she arrived.

Ava Matthews blew into the office on a gust of chaos. She was the new secretary, young and energetic, but with an air of unpolished enthusiasm that made Ethan immediately wary. The moment she stepped into the office, he felt a shift in the balance. She wasn’t late, but she had the air of someone who had just sprinted out of a moving bus.

“Hi! I’m Ava!” she chirped, thrusting her hand out to Ethan. Her messy hair had a mind of its own, curling and flaring as if it had been in a battle with the wind—and lost.

Ethan looked at her hand as if it were a foreign object, then back at her face, his expression a mask of neutrality. “Ethan Grayson,” he said, shaking her hand briefly. “Let’s go over your responsibilities.” Without waiting for a response, he turned and walked briskly toward his desk, expecting her to follow.

Ava blinked, taken aback, but she quickly fell into step behind him. The first day at a new job was always nerve-wracking, but she had no idea she’d be working with Mr. Robot. Ethan immediately launched into a rapid-fire explanation of tasks and office protocols, barely pausing to check if she was keeping up.

“The filing system is color-coded by department,” he said, his tone matter-of-fact. “Green for marketing, blue for sales, yellow for—”

“Wait, yellow for what?” Ava interrupted, squinting at the stack of papers in front of her.

“Operations,” Ethan said with the patience of a man dealing with a particularly slow computer. He looked over at her and noticed her disorganized papers. “You need to sort those before we move on,” he added.

Ava gave him a sidelong glance and muttered, “Sure, because I’ve got time to learn the entire rainbow today.”

Ethan stiffened. “If you want to keep things efficient, you’ll have to follow the system. I’ve worked here for years—trust me. It’s better this way.”

Ava raised an eyebrow. “Better for you, maybe. I have my own methods, you know. Things could be a little more... streamlined.” She offered a tentative smile, hoping to lighten the mood.

Ethan frowned, his brow furrowing in a way that screamed disapproval. “Streamlined doesn’t always mean effective. There’s a reason we do things this way.”

And so, their dynamic was established—Ava, the bright-eyed new hire with too many ideas, and Ethan, the seasoned pro who wasn’t about to let her reorganize his meticulously managed kingdom. By the end of the day, they had already disagreed on how to arrange client files, the proper way to brew coffee, and whether or not the air conditioning was set too low.

That evening, when Ava collapsed onto her couch, she couldn’t help but replay the day in her mind. Ethan had barely smiled, and she couldn’t remember seeing him laugh once. She had tried to be friendly, but it was like trying to make conversation with a brick wall. She groaned, burying her face in a cushion.

Meanwhile, Ethan sat at his desk, meticulously arranging his pencils before packing up for the night. He had to admit, despite Ava’s chaotic methods and complete disregard for the office’s established order, she wasn’t entirely incompetent. If she could just stick to the system, maybe things would be fine. Still, he found himself gritting his teeth every time she suggested another improvement.

It didn’t take long for the rest of the office to pick up on their constant bickering. The managing director, Mr. Lawson loved to point it out whenever he could. By the end of their first month working together, it had become a running joke.

“You two argue like you’ve been married for years,” Mr. Lawson laughed one afternoon after watching them spar over the best way to format an Excel spreadsheet. “Seriously, you’re like an old married couple!”

Ava rolled her eyes, but secretly, the comment stung a little. “We are not married,” she muttered under her breath.

“Thank God for that,” Ethan said dryly.

Two years. Two long years had passed since that first chaotic day, and somehow, Ava and Ethan had learned to coexist in their own odd way. They still argued daily, over everything from office supplies to who got to use the coffee machine first in the mornings, but it had become routine. Their back-and-forth was almost... comfortable. And no matter how much Ethan tried to deny it, he had grown used to Ava’s presence.

The office had long ago started referring to them as the “office married couple,” a nickname that was both annoying and oddly fitting. Sarah from HR never missed an opportunity to chime in with a cheeky comment whenever Ethan and Ava were mid-argument.

“Seriously, you two should just get a couple’s therapist,” she said one morning as Ethan and Ava argued over the best filing system again. “I can give you a great recommendation.”

Ava shot her a look. “Very funny, Sarah.”

Ethan, as usual, said nothing, though he did flush slightly and immediately pretended to be deeply engrossed in his paperwork.

On one particularly quiet Friday, Ava walked into the office, looking completely different. Normally, she was all about comfort—blazers, flats, and minimal makeup. But today, she was wearing a black dress that hugged her figure, paired with heels, and her makeup was flawless. Her hair, which was usually tied up in a messy bun, was styled into loose waves that framed her face. She was a vision, and the entire office noticed.

Even Ethan.

Sarah was the first to pounce. “Whoa, Ava, who are you all dressed up for?” she asked with a grin.

Ava blushed, fiddling with the strap of her purse. “No one. Just a blind date tonight.”

“A date?!” Sarah’s voice went up several notches, drawing attention from across the room. “Oh my God, this is huge!”

“Relax, it’s nothing serious,” Ava said, laughing nervously. “My mom’s friend set it up. You know how that goes.”

By this time, Ethan had looked up from his desk. His gaze lingered on her for a moment longer than usual, taking in the dress, the makeup, the heels. He cleared his throat, trying to play it cool. “A blind date, huh?”

Ava turned to him, surprised by his interest. “Yeah, why?”

“No reason,” Ethan said, his voice a little too casual. He forced his attention back to his computer screen, though he could feel his jaw tightening.

“What’s the big deal?” Sarah teased, nudging Ethan with a grin. “Jealous much?”

Ethan shot her a glare. “I don’t see why I would be,” he said flatly, but the way he quickly returned to his work spoke volumes.

Ava watched the exchange with amusement. Was Ethan... jealous? No way. He barely showed emotion on a good day. Still, something about his reaction made her smile as she walked over to her desk.

Throughout the day, Ethan kept stealing glances at Ava, unable to help himself. She looked incredible, and while he had no right to care who she was going out with, the idea of some stranger taking her out didn’t sit well with him. He found himself wondering what kind of guy it was—probably someone charming, someone who would compliment her dress and make her laugh. Ethan felt a strange, uncomfortable twist in his stomach at the thought.

By the end of the day, the whole office was buzzing about Ava’s date. Sarah, ever the instigator, walked by Ethan’s desk as she was leaving, a wicked smile on her face.

“So, Ethan,” she said slyly, “think you’re going to survive the weekend without your ‘office wife’ around?”

Ethan glared at her, his cheeks reddening. “I think I’ll manage, Sarah.”

“Sure you will,” she said with a laugh. “Don’t worry, she’ll be back on Monday. I’ll bet the date’s a disaster.”

Ethan didn’t say anything, but the truth was, he couldn’t stop thinking about Ava and her date for the rest of the evening. It was ridiculous—he had no reason to care. They were colleagues, nothing more. But as he sat alone in his apartment that night, eating dinner in silence, the thought of Ava smiling at someone else kept playing in his mind.

And he hated it.

Monday arrived, and Ava walked into the office with her usual bright smile, though Ethan couldn’t help but notice the slight bags under her eyes. She looked tired, but she seemed to be doing her best to act as if everything was fine. Her date from the weekend was on everyone’s mind, and the whole office was buzzing, waiting for the juicy details.

Sarah, of course, wasted no time. “So, Ava, how did it go? Was he tall, dark, and handsome? Did you two hit it off?”

Ava laughed, waving her off. “It was fine. Nothing special. Just... a date.” She was clearly brushing the topic aside, but Sarah wasn’t about to let it go.

“Fine? Come on, that’s it?” Sarah pouted. “You got all dolled up for fine?”

Ava shrugged, forcing a smile. “Yeah, sometimes things just don’t click, you know?”

From across the room, Ethan was pretending to focus on his computer screen, but his ears were finely tuned to the conversation. He wasn’t exactly sure why he cared, but something about the mystery of her date was gnawing at him. If the date had gone well, would Ava start seeing this guy regularly? And if she did, would their strange little dynamic change?

Before he could think too much about it, the office receptionist appeared, holding a massive bouquet of flowers. Bright red roses, artfully arranged in a glass vase, caught everyone’s attention as she made her way toward Ava’s desk.

“These just came for you, Ava,” the receptionist said with a grin, placing the bouquet down with a flourish.

The office immediately exploded with excitement. Sarah clapped her hands together. “Ooooh, someone’s got a secret admirer! Is it the guy from your date?”

Ava blinked, clearly surprised by the flowers, her face flushing with sudden confusion. “Flowers? For me?” She reached for the little card attached to the bouquet, her expression quickly shifting from surprise to suspicion. As she read the card, her face turned from pink to beet red, her expression darkening.

Without a word, Ava stood up, picked up the entire vase of flowers, and—with more force than anyone expected—tossed them straight into the trash can beside her desk. The roses hit the bin with a dramatic thud, and the water splashed everywhere. The entire office went dead silent, mouths hanging open in shock. Even Ethan, who had been watching the scene unfold, was stunned into silence.

Ava, now flushed with both anger and embarrassment, muttered under her breath, “Unbelievable.”

Sarah was the first to break the silence. “Ava! What the heck? Who were they from?”

Ava waved her off, clearly fuming. “I don’t want to talk about it,” she said tersely, her hands trembling slightly as she returned to her desk. The rest of the office exchanged bewildered glances but knew better than to press her on the subject. Ava had gone from cheerful to stormy in a matter of seconds, and it was clear she wasn’t in the mood for questions.

As the day dragged on, Ava’s mood didn’t improve. She snapped at her computer, huffed in frustration at every little thing, and gave short, clipped responses to anyone who dared to speak to her. Even Sarah, usually bold with her teasing, avoided Ava for the rest of the day.

Ethan, however, couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy for her, despite the fact that he had no idea what had set her off. He found himself glancing at her more often than usual, wondering what had really happened with those flowers and why she was so upset.

By the time 6 p.m. rolled around, most of the office had cleared out, but Ava and Ethan both remained, working overtime as usual. Ava was still typing away, her fingers aggressively tapping the keys of her keyboard, while Ethan sat across from her, finishing up his reports.

After a few moments of silence, Ethan cleared his throat. “You okay?”

Ava paused, her hands hovering over the keyboard. She sighed and leaned back in her chair, rubbing her temples. “I’ve had better Mondays,” she said with a half-hearted laugh.

Ethan leaned back in his chair as well, keeping his tone light. “Was it the flowers? They didn’t seem to go over too well.”

Ava let out a dry laugh, shaking her head. “Yeah, you could say that. They were from the guy I went out with on Saturday.”

Ethan raised an eyebrow. “The same guy you said the date was ‘fine’ with?”

Ava rolled her eyes. “Yeah, well, I was trying to be nice. The date was actually awful.”

Ethan frowned, curiosity piqued. “What happened?”

Ava took a deep breath, clearly debating whether or not to spill the details. But after a long pause, she seemed to decide it was worth sharing. “Okay, first of all, this guy—let’s call him Greg—shows up twenty minutes late. No apology, no explanation, just acts like I’m the one who should be grateful he even showed up at all.”

Ethan grimaced. “Not a great start.”

“Oh, it gets better,” Ava continued, her tone dripping with sarcasm. “Throughout the entire date, he wouldn’t stop talking about himself. And not in the ‘I’m sharing interesting facts about my life’ way. More like, ‘let me tell you why I’m so much better than everyone else, including you.’”

Ethan raised an eyebrow. “Seriously?”

“Yep,” Ava said, her voice rising with irritation as she recalled the evening. “And that’s not even the worst part. Halfway through the date, while I’m mid-sentence, he starts openly checking out other women in the restaurant. Like, actually turning his head and leering at them.”

Ethan’s expression turned incredulous. “What? On a date? With you?”

Ava nodded, her arms crossed. “Oh yeah. But wait, there’s more. When the bill came, he didn’t even pretend to offer to pay. He just pushed it toward me and said something about how women these days should be more independent.”

Ethan let out a short laugh, though there was no humor in it. “Wow. That’s... something.”

“Right?” Ava groaned, her face a mix of frustration and disbelief. “So I ended up paying for the whole meal. And then—because apparently, the universe loves to mock me—he sends me flowers today with a note saying how much he ‘enjoyed’ our time together and hopes we can do it again.”

Ethan shook his head, leaning forward slightly. “That’s ridiculous. You don’t deserve to be treated like that.”

Ava sighed, leaning back and rubbing her temples again. “Yeah, well, I guess I’m just really good at picking the wrong guys.”

For a moment, they both sat in silence, the office dimly lit by the glow of their computers. It felt strange, almost intimate, sharing this side of themselves after so much time spent bickering. Ethan found himself speaking without thinking.

“So, why are you still single, then? You’re obviously not the problem.”

Ava blinked, clearly caught off guard by the question. She chuckled, shaking her head. “I don’t know. Haven’t found the right guy, I guess. Someone who actually listens. Someone who isn’t a walking ego.” She looked at him curiously. “What about you? Why are you still single?”

Ethan shrugged, his usual stoic expression softening just a little. “Maybe I’m just picky. Or maybe I’ve been too focused on work to think about it much.”

Ava smirked. “That sounds like something you would say.”

Ethan gave her a small smile in return. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

For the first time all day, Ava felt a bit of the tension ease from her shoulders. Maybe it was the shared experience of working late, or maybe it was the rare, softer side of Ethan she was seeing, but something about the moment felt... nice. Relaxed, even.

“Well, thanks for letting me rant,” Ava said with a sheepish smile. “I guess it helped a little.”

Ethan nodded. “Anytime.”

And with that, they returned to their work, the silence between them now much more comfortable.