Hayley had always been good at avoiding people. An expert at slipping through crowds, dodging unnecessary conversations, pretending to be busy. But this... this was different.
     This was Jaxon Sloan. And somehow, no matter where she turned, he just kept showing up.

She pressed the button for the elevator, eyes locked on the glowing number above as if staring at it hard enough would make it come faster. Her heels tapped impatiently against the marble floor.
     Behind her, footsteps.
     Please not him. Anyone but him.
     "Busy day already?"
     That voice. Calm, warm. A touch amused.
     Her heart dropped—and soared at the same time.
     She didn't turn around. "It's work. What do you think?" she replied, her tone flat, but her voice a little too tight.
     He came to stand beside her, not too close, not too far. Enough that she could smell that damn cologne again. Subtle, clean. Masculine. Not overpowering.
     It made her want to lean in—and throw herself off a balcony for even thinking that.
     She cleared her throat and shifted her bag to the other shoulder. "Shouldn't you be somewhere guarding something?"
     He chuckled under his breath. "I am. Just happened to be here, that's all." He paused, then added with a smirk, "Not that I'm stalking you... yet."
     Hayley gave him a sharp look, trying not to smile. He was... teasing her. Again. Why did it make her stomach flip?
     The elevator dinged, and the doors slid open. She stepped inside quickly, expecting to be alone—but of course, he followed.
     The doors closed. Silence.
     Too much silence.
     She could feel him looking at her.
     "Weren't you supposed to be guarding something upstairs?" she murmured, feigning annoyance.
     He just laughed, ignoring the jab.
     "Are your hands better?" he asked softly, his tone suddenly serious.
     Hayley swallowed. Her throat was dry. "They're fine," she answered, eyes locked on the floor numbers.
     "So... what do you think of my new cologne?" Jaxon asked, tilting his head with a smug little grin. "You looked like you caught a whiff earlier."
     Hayley glanced up quickly, flustered.
     "It's... fine," she said, forcing a shrug. "Nothing special."
     He let out a low laugh.
     "Please, you looked like you were about to melt."
     Her cheeks flushed.
     "Did not."
     "Did too." His smile widened. "It's okay, Hayley. I wear it just for you."
     She rolled her eyes, turning back to her screen.
     "You're so full of yourself."
     "Only when I'm right. I'll come by and spray some of it for you in your office," he smirks.
     "YOU WILL NOT!" she snaps, half laughing, half pretending to be horrified.
     He leans in a little closer, mischievous grin widening.
     "Come on, I'll even bring the bandages. Double service."
     She sighs, shaking her head.
     "You're impossible."
     As he walks away, she watches him with a strange mix of irritation and fascination. How does one guy make her heart do flips and her brain go fuzzy all at once? She shakes her head, trying to focus on her work — but somehow, the subtle scent of his cologne lingers in the air, refusing to fade.

Jaxon tilted his head, watching Hayley rush away, wondering where she was going.
     He pressed the radio. "Liam, location?"
     "Security room," Liam answered.
     "All right, I'll be there soon," Jaxon replied and started walking toward their room.

He entered to see Liam eating a sandwich, feet up on the table, relaxing in the chair.
     "Man, that plant girl's got me all twisted up," he said, pretending to shrug.
     Liam laughed.
     "You? Twisted up?"
     "Yeah, well... she's funny, smart... and way more interesting than anyone else around here. I think she's still embarrassed about walking into me, which makes it even funnier. But I'm keeping it cool. Seen too many people hide more than they show, and that girl... definitely something there."
     "Oh yeah?" Liam laughed.
     Jaxon smirked, "Think she picked up on the cologne?"
     Liam snorted. "You wore it on purpose, didn't you?"
     Jaxon shrugged, "Let's just say I noticed her breathing a little differently."
     Liam laughed, "Bro, that is not science."
     Jaxon grinned, "She pretended not to like it. That's how you know it got to her. She totally liked it. Said it wasn't that good, but she couldn't even look me in the eye"
     Liam raised an eyebrow, "And you're gonna milk it, huh?"
     Jaxon leaned against the counter, arms crossed, "Maybe. Might 'accidentally' walk past her office tomorrow... just to freshen up the air."
     Liam snorted, "She's gonna kill you."
     Jaxon chuckled, "Not if she keeps pretending she doesn't like it.""
     Liam snorted again, "You're an idiot."
     Jaxon laughed, "An idiot with a plan."

Hayley sat at her desk, pretending to focus on the screen in front of her. But her mind kept drifting — not to the numbers in the report, but to that stupid smirk. That voice. The way he always seemed to show up out of nowhere like he owned the air around him.

Alysa slid into the chair across from her, sipping her coffee like she had all the time in the world.
     "Sooo..."
     "So what?" Hayley asked, eyes still on her screen.
     "Don't give me that. You've been spaced out all morning. Did a certain security guard make another unexpected appearance?"
Hayley tensed, "He's literally just doing his job."
     "Mmm, sure," Alysa grinned. "Funny though — he was in the break room earlier. Asked if you were always this intense."
     "He did not."
     "Swear on my overpriced coffee." Alysa leaned closer. "He was casual, but come on. That man is curious."
     Hayley blinked, caught off guard, "Maybe he just thinks I'm weird."
     "Oh, sweetie. If that were the case, he wouldn't be smirking like a rom-com lead every time you walk past."
     Hayley groaned and dropped her head into her hands.
     "Why are you like this?"
     "Because it's fun," Alysa said brightly. "Also, you're blushing. Again."
     "I am not."
     Alysa grinned wider, "Fine, deny it. Just don't be shocked when you accidentally run into him again later."
     Hayley muttered, "I'm gonna throw your coffee out the window."
     "Do it. You'll still be thinking about him after... Plant Girl."
     Hayley's head snapped up. "What did you just call me?!"
     Alysa shrugged, clearly enjoying herself. "That's what he called you."
     Hayley's eyes widened. "You're joking."
     "Nope. Break room convo, remember? 'That plant girl in the main office' — his exact words."
     "Oh my god," Hayley groaned, burying her face in her hands again.
     Alysa leaned back, smug. "I don't know if it's a nickname or a compliment, but it's definitely something."
     Alysa glanced at the time and grabbed her coat, "Ugh, I have that marketing check-in. Wish me luck. Don't fall too deep into fantasy-land while I'm gone."
     Hayley rolled her eyes. "Fantasy? Please."
     "Sure, sure. See ya later, Plant Girl."
     "Stop calling me that!"
     Alysa winked and disappeared out the door.

With a sigh, Hayley pushed back from her desk and headed down the hall to the break area for a coffee refill. Anything to clear her head.
     The machine hissed, the bitter scent of overbrewed office coffee hitting her nose. She stood there for a second, telling herself she wasn't thinking about him. Not his voice. Not his smile. Definitely not his stupid perfect cologne.
     By the time she returned to her desk, cup in hand—something was off.
     There, sitting perfectly in the middle of her workspace, was a small white freesia in a tiny ceramic pot.
     Hayley blinked.

Taped to it was a yellow post-it. In black ink:
     "For the office's very own Plant Girl. Thought your desk could use a little extra life."
          —J

Her heart flipped. "Oh my god," she whispered to herself, looking around. "You did not just do this."
     She picked it up slowly, unsure whether to laugh or throw it at a wall. Then she caught it—
     That scent.

     His cologne.
     On the flower.
     She immediately set the pot down like it had burned her fingers.
     "You've got to be kidding me."
     She sniffed again, cautiously.
     Yup. Definitely him. That warm, clean, subtle kind of masculine she hated herself for liking.
     Was she supposed to keep it? Was it a joke? A flirtation? Both?
     Hayley stared at the little flower like it held nuclear codes.

From behind a corner in the hallway, Liam peeked over the edge of a filing cabinet.
     "She's smelling the flower," he whispered.
     "Yup," Jaxon grinned. "Right on schedule."
     "You sprayed your cologne on it?"
     "Drenched it," Jaxon replied proudly.
     Liam shook his head, laughing. "Man, you're evil."
     Jaxon crossed his arms, eyes still on her, "Not evil. Strategic. Sentimental chaos." He smirked. "Let her overthink it."

Hayley slowly placed the flower back down.
     Then, as if it didn't matter — like she hadn't just been thrown into complete mental chaos — she picked it up again and walked across the office.
     She set the flower on the windowsill.
     Furthest corner. Out of the way.
     Out of sight.
     Not out of mind.
     She sat back down, pulled her laptop closer, and pretended to work — but her eyes kept drifting to the window.

Jaxon leaned just slightly to the side, peeking past the frosted glass again.
     "She's moving it," he murmured.
     Liam followed his gaze, smirking. "All the way to the window? Damn. That's a rejection."
     "Nah," Jaxon grinned. "That's panic. She doesn't know what to do with it."
     "She looked like it set her on fire for a second there."
     Jaxon chuckled, satisfied. "Told you. Subtle chaos."
     "You sprayed your cologne on a flower," Liam deadpanned. "That's not subtle."
     "That's science," Jaxon shot back. "Scent memory. Emotional layering. You wouldn't get it."
     Liam shook his head, laughing. "You're an absolute menace."
     "Calculated," Jaxon said, tapping the side of his head. "Just giving her something to think about while she's 'definitely not thinking about me.'"
     Liam snorted and pushed off the wall. "Alright, Romeo. You done creeping, or should I grab popcorn?"
     Jaxon gave one last glance through the glass, the corner of his mouth lifting.
     "Yeah," he said, turning. "Let's go."
     The two of them disappeared down the hall, still quietly laughing — the scent of freesia and cologne lingering behind.

Hayley sat back at her desk, fingers hovering over the keyboard, eyes flicking to the Post-it still lying beside the flower by the window. She shook her head, dragging her focus back to the screen. No more distractions. She had a presentation to finish.
     Tomorrow morning, she was expected to pitch her full website concept to Mr. Ambrose after the morning meeting.
     That meant no room for fluff — only clear, solid planning.

She pulled up her checklist.
     - A clean wireframe of the site layout — page structure, user navigation, and main sections.
     - A polished UI concept, complete with color palette, typography, and spacing principles.
     - A defined brand moodboard — a visual collection of images, textures, and tone that would guide the site's personality.
     - And finally, a short explanation of the user flow: how a first-time visitor would navigate the site from landing page to booking or contact.

She sighed, rubbing her temple. Every part needed to feel on-brand — professional, modern, and just warm enough to feel human. Not cold. Not corporate. That was the hardest part.
     Her fingers finally started moving, the tapping of keys helping to drown out the lingering scent of his cologne still trapped somewhere in the air.
     She forced herself to focus on the color palette. Muted greens, soft neutrals, and a pop of coral maybe? Or was that too bold?
     No. No second-guessing.
     She had work to do.

Time slipped by faster than Hayley realized.
     By the time she finally looked up, the office was nearly empty, the soft buzz of the overhead lights the only sound left. Most people had already gone home. Her screen glowed in the dimming light, tabs open, color swatches half-picked, the wireframe still rough. She was nowhere near done.
     She sighed, rubbing her eyes, then stood to stretch. But instead of packing up, she grabbed her water bottle and sat back down.
     She'd stay late. Just a little longer.

Jaxon walked the quiet hall, doing his usual final rounds. Liam had left nearly twenty minutes ago — he always did the closing checks himself. He was about to turn into the hallway leading to the service exit when something caught his eye.
     Light. Still on. From her office.
     He slowed down, adjusting his radio and stepping silently closer.
     Through the glass, he spotted her.
     Hayley, hunched over her desk, one hand buried in her hair, the other furiously clicking between screens. Her posture was a disaster — back rounded, shoulder almost to her ear, ankles crossed under the chair. But she didn't seem to notice. She was completely absorbed. Focused. Determined.
     Something about the way she worked — so fiercely, like she had something to prove — made him pause.
     It was different from how he usually saw her. Gone was the sarcasm, the walls, the flustered glances.
     She looked... grown. Powerful. Beautiful.
     But also tired. Worn down, even. Her eyes had that distant, over-focused glaze — the kind that came from too many hours without a break.
     There was determination in her posture, sure — but also tension, like she was trying too hard to hold herself together.
     He smiled softly to himself, the usual teasing line resting on the tip of his tongue.
     He was halfway tempted to tap the glass, make her jump, say something smug just to get a reaction.
     But something about the way she sat — hunched, tense, completely lost in her screen — made him pause.
     His smile lingered, but it was gentler now. A little uncertain. Maybe even a little worried.
     Instead, he leaned against the opposite wall for a moment, just watching her work in silence.
     Then, without a word, he turned and walked away, letting her have her moment.