When Stef Met 'Lena
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“Here is the fifth coffee of the day for you Mr. Salvatore,” announced Elena as she entered Stefan’s office bringing him the coffee that he requested her to bring.
It was pretty late on a Friday night, and the clock suggested 9 p.m. Almost all the employees of The Salvatore Industries had wrapped up their work and left already but Stefan was still working late in his office which meant that Elena also had to stay up late.
Today has been a busy day for Stefan, he had three meetings with some of their most important clients and also had to review the company's new policies. Elena has been observing him the whole day, how he barely had time to get lunch, and has been surviving on caffeine all day.
“Thank you so much Elena, and are you calling me out for consuming coffee?”
“No, Mr. Salvatore, I didn’t mean it like that. It’s just that you have barely eaten anything today and this much caffeine can be harmful for you. I think you should take a break and at least eat something.”
“I truly appreciate the concern ‘Lena but I can’t take a break, we have a deadline to meet for this new project and apparently as a boss, I have to go through everything in detail and find loopholes, if any,” said Stefan adding softness in his tone.
Elena nodded in acknowledgment and asked, “Can I help?”
“It’s a Friday night Elena, I wouldn’t want you to work overtime and waste a Friday night for something that’s my job. You should go home and relax. I will stay up late and get this done, but thank you so much for offering your help,” said Stefan flashing a grateful smile toward Elena.
“Well, taking care of your job is my job, Mr. Salvatore, so whether you like it or not, I am helping you and before continuing with work, I’ll grab something for us to eat from the café downstairs.”
Stefan walked closer to Elena and leaned himself against his table, “I thought I was the boss,” said Stefan sarcastically and added, “but honestly Elena you don’t have to go through all this trouble for me. I would understand if you wanted to go home.”
Elena placed her hands over Stefan’s in reassurance and said, “It’s okay Mr. Salvatore, I am more than happy to help,” saying that she left the office to get something for both of them to eat.
-
They both settled themselves on the couch inside Stefan’s office and kept the food on the coffee table. They had too much work to take a separate break for eating so they had to multitask and eat while working.
The silence spread through the office as both of them were busy working on their individual assigned tasks. Only the sound of scratching pens and ruffling papers was audible. The clock suggested 11.14 pm, and they were the only ones left in the office by that time. Elena was cross-checking a memo and once she was confident about it, she passed it over to her boss for him to glance at it.
Stefan sat beside Elena in his work suit with his messy locks hovering over his forehead, his brows knitted as he was focused on reading the memo given to him by Elena. The light coming from the lamp beside revealed his sharp jawline. His lips were murmuring the words written in the document while his eyes moved with concentration.
Elena caught herself staring at the sight in front of her. She soon snapped out of the bubble of thoughts forming inside her head realizing that the man she was staring at so irresistibly was her boss.
Stefan cleared his throat before he said, “Elena, this is perfect. Thank you.”
Elena simply smiled accepting his gratitude toward her and went back to proofreading another document.
“‘Lena?” called Stefan.
Elena hummed in response and turned her attention towards Stefan, “Yes, Mr. Salvatore?”
“Can I say something?” he asked her with a hint of calmness in his voice. Elena nodded with a subtle smile on her face.
“I meant it when I said that you don’t strike me as someone who would be a receptionist. Because of the kind of help you have provided me tonight, I’m pretty sure none of my other employees would have been able to accomplish that too in such a short time. I hope I am not overstepping but I think you should give your life another shot and do something that defines who you are. In my opinion, you can bring so much to the table instead of just coffee” he chuckled softly, “No but jokes apart, I mean it. You have so much more potential.”
Elena was startled to hear these words from her boss. Not many people have seen Elena or rather have known her to her full potential, she felt nice hearing those words from Stefan.
“Well, that honestly means a lot, Mr. Salvatore, and thank you for having so much faith in me, and I will surely take your advice into consideration and find something that truly defines me as I am,” she paused for a second and continued, “I got one question though…would I still retain my position as your receptionist if I go on and look for other options for myself?”
Stefan chuckled admiring Elena’s sense of humor, it was in a long time that he had felt this lively in someone else’s company, “Yes ‘Lena, you will always have a place here at The Salvatore Industries, you are a part of the family now.”
Elena giggled and both of them returned to their respective tasks.
It was almost midnight when Stefan was picking up the last file to check the girl sitting beside him stole his attention. He stopped for a while to admire the dedication with which Elena was working. Her hands were moving non-stop highlighting the key points, her eyes focused on analyzing the piece of information in front of her. When Stefan looked at her, he found serenity and a sense of calmness. Like the kind of sight that brings natural peace, and you can just stare at it as long as you want to, and it will never cease to bring calmness to you.
Elena was a beautiful person both inside and out. Her compassion, kind heart, and caring nature made her even more attractive. Stefan found it difficult to resist thinking about her in this way, despite knowing it was not appropriate. These feelings were sparked by Elena's recent arrival in his life, and he couldn't ignore them.
Stefan leaned in towards Elena without realizing it, and to his surprise, Elena leaned in closer too. They paused for a moment, making deep eye contact. Elena leaned in even further, and Stefan understood her hint. As they got closer, Elena closed her eyes. However, as their lips touched, Elena suddenly panicked and opened her eyes, realizing something.
Elena felt overwhelmed with regret and worry. She couldn't help but think about the consequences of her actions, especially how Mr. Salvatore would perceive her. She wished she had more control over herself and hadn't jeopardized their professional relationship. Without hesitation, she stood up and wished to return home as soon as possible.
“Um…I…” Elena felt short of words, “I think we are done with most of the work Mr. Salvatore. I will see you on Monday. Have a good night,” she said as she left the building in haste.
Stefan stood in silence, consumed by guilt for his actions. He blamed himself for making Elena uncomfortable. However, a part of him wished he had acted differently. He regretted letting go of Elena and wished he had held her hand, kissed her with passion and care, and expressed his true feelings. Now, all he could do was wonder what could have been if he hadn't let her go.
@wiidestdrearms / @queenofstelena
