Date: April 11, 2025

  I thought I had time.

  Time to figure out what I wanted.

  Time to ignore the way things were shifting.

  Time to pretend like this wasn’t turning into something real.

  But today?

  Today, I realized time’s up.

  Because Leo and Ethan started noticing each other.

  And started playing against each other.

  But I more like the game board than the prize.

  Friday: The First Real Move

  Leo didn’t act differently after our last conversation.

  He still teased me. Still deliberately annoyed me. Still acted like everything was normal—like we had all agreed to bury things under a metaphorical rug, under the floorboards, deep into the earth.

  Until today. Today, he dug everything out and proceeded to beat me over the head with the shovel.

  I was at my desk when I felt it—Leo’s presence before I even saw him.

  “Morning, Spoon Girl,” he said, dropping a coffee onto my desk.

  I blinked at it. Then at him. “…Okay. What’s happening?”

  Leo shrugged, leaning against my desk like it was nothing. “What do you mean?”

  I narrowed my eyes. “You don’t just do things. You’re a menace. This is suspicious.”

  Leo grinned. “Can’t a guy do something nice for his favorite coworker?”

  I opened my mouth and before I could even process what was happening, Ethan spoke.

  “Favorite?”

  We both turned.

  Ethan was still at his desk, hands casually resting on his keyboard, expression calm. Unbothered, but there was something sharp in his tone.

  Leo smirked, turning back to me. “See? Even Ethan agrees.”

  The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

  Ethan exhaled. “That’s not what I meant.”

  Leo tilted his head, his voice was oddly cold. “Doesn’t matter what you meant.”

  I felt like my eyes were going to fall out of my head as I stared at the two of them, looking first at one, then the other.

  What in the world—?

  Ethan just hummed. “Right. Just checking.”

  Then he went back to work.

  Like we had all just exchanged run-of-the-mill daily pleasantries.

  I could feel a knot forming in my stomach as I watched Leo regard Ethan curiously, as if Ethan had surprised him in some way, before he shrugged and slid into his own seat.

  Monday: Action

  Leo doesn’t like to be unsure.

  So when Ethan didn’t react the way Leo expected, Leo made sure I did instead.

  It was after lunch. I was heading back to my desk when, out of nowhere, Leo fell into step beside me.

  “Tell me something, Spoon Girl,” he said casually.

  I sighed, keenly aware that we scored a few curious glances from colleagues around us. “I hate when you say that.”

  He smirked. “I know. That’s why I do it.”

  I rolled my eyes. “What do you want?”

  Leo slid his hands into his pockets. “You and Ethan.”

  I froze. “Excuse me?”

  Leo kept walking. Didn’t even look at me. “You’re around him a lot.”

  I blinked. “We work together,” I said flatly. "I'm around you alot too. And Samantha. And Eric."

  Leo finally glanced at me. “Sure.”

  I hated the way he said that. Like it wasn’t a real answer.

  I scowled. “What are you even implying?”

  Leo just chuckled. “Nothing. Just an observation.”

  I was about to rip into him. Between him and Ethan, I could feel myself turning into an office joke, and that was a level of infamy I did not need.

  But before I could say anything else Leo reached out and flicked my ID badge.

  The sudden closeness knocked my brain off balance.

  “Try not to get distracted, yeah?” he said, grinning. And then he walked off.

  Like he hadn’t just sent my mind into absolute chaos.

  Tuesday: And Reaction

  Tuesday hadn’t really started well: Mochi was pissed off with me in the morning.

  Honestly, I wasn’t happy with me either.

  I had spent the night lamenting over this circus that had spontaneously erupted around me, tossing and turning so much that if Mochi could talk, she would’ve sworn at me.

  The coffee did nothing to help, and all I wanted was to get through the morning with no dramatics.

  And I was so close.

  So close.

  Then Ethan happened.

  It was quiet. Just the two of us in the break room.

  I was making another coffee, trying very hard to act normal, when he spoke.

  “You look tired.”

  That was exactly what I needed to hear. “Wow, thanks.”

  Ethan didn’t look up from his coffee. “Long night?”

  I frowned, refusing to answer. He and Leo knew exactly what would be bothering me and I wasn't going to be baited.

  Nope. Not falling for that. Won’t be dragged into this childish game of yours and Leo’s.

  Then Ethan spoke again.

  “You can ignore him, you know.” A note of concern. Soft.

  For whatever reason, it knocked my annoyance aside.

  I blinked. “What?”

  Ethan finally turned, tilting his head slightly. “Leo.”

  Ethan took a slow sip of his coffee, watching me. “You don’t owe him a reaction.”

  I scowled. “I don’t—”

  He hummed. “Mm. Sure.”

  And then, before I could get my thoughts together, he reached out and fixed the collar of my shirt.

  A tiny thing. A barely-there touch. But very, very intentional.

  And then—as if he hadn’t just done that, he grabbed his coffee and walked away.

  Leaving me very aware of one thing: They were both trying to drive me insane.

  End of Day Reflections

  Leo called me Spoon Girl multiple times today.

  Loudly.

  Once at my desk. Once in the hallway. Another time the lunch room.

  And each time, his eyes flicked to Ethan first.

  Leo isn’t just teasing anymore. He was marking his territory.

  And Ethan? Ethan wasn’t backing down.

  All I can hope is that neither of them pee on me like a fire hydrant.

  (Was that too graphic? Probably. But so is the brutal death of my reputation at work.)