Kim leaned back in her office chair, the soft glow of her computer monitor the only light in the room. Her hands idly toyed with the edge of a pen as her mind wandered, the faint hum of the building settling around her. It had been a long week—client meetings, production deys, and the relentless demands of being the company’s go-to fixer. But Ivy’s phone call earlier had struck a chord she hadn’t been prepared for.

  She gnced at the clock. The hands crept toward evening, the shadows outside stretching long and zy. A part of her considered just grabbing a company-issued bzer and heading out as she was. It would be efficient, professional. But another part of her—a more rebellious, deeply personal part—rejected the idea outright. Ivy wasn’t a business meeting or a networking opportunity. Ivy was... well, Ivy. If Kim was going to spend time with her, she didn’t want to bring the corporate world along for the ride.

  Kim stood abruptly, stretching as she walked over to the window. The city skyline glittered in the twilight, a chaotic jumble of lights and motion. She found herself thinking about how she wanted to feel this weekend: free, comfortable, untethered from the expectations that came with her role. For once, she wanted to show up as herself, no filters, no pretense.

  A small smile crept across her lips as she made up her mind. Screw the polished pantsuits and tailored skirts. She’d been craving a moment to breathe, to let her guard down. Why not take this trip as a chance to do just that?

  Twenty minutes ter, Kim stepped into her apartment, her heels clicking softly against the hardwood floor. The space was minimalist but unmistakably hers: sleek bck furniture, bold art pieces on the walls, and pnts thriving in geometric pots. She shed her work clothes like a second skin, repcing them with her true armor.

  She slipped into her favorite cargo pants, the ones with enough pockets to hold half her life, and paired them with a cropped mesh top that teased just enough skin to feel edgy without trying too hard. Over that went her beloved moto jacket, worn just enough to tell a story but still sharp as hell. She tugged on her combat boots, tightening the ces as she admired the way they added just the right weight to her look. A touch of eyeliner, dark lipstick, and a sleek braid completed the ensemble.

  Kim gnced at herself in the full-length mirror by the door and grinned. This is me. Confident, comfortable, and unapologetically her own.

  Kim then packed an overnight trip bag. She didn’t intend to stay long with Ivy, at most three days, so she only packed a few other articles of clothes as well as toiletries into a bck duffle bag, before shutting down most of the electricity in the house and checking that all the windows were locked and curtains closed.

  Grabbing her keys, she slung her bag over her shoulder and headed out the door, a renewed sense of energy propelling her. The weekend stretched out ahead, full of possibility. And while she wouldn’t say it out loud, the idea of spending uninterrupted time with Ivy had a certain... allure to it.

  As she got into her car and started the engine, Kim couldn’t help but feel a flicker of excitement. The road trip wasn’t just an escape for Ivy—it was a chance for both of them to leave their baggage behind.