Lillian Hayes had never been good with people.
Not because she didn’t want to be, but because she never really understood how to be.
People were intimidating, and years of bullying and near-constant brushes with unwanted attention had only reinforced Lillian’s distrust.
Heck, she’d only made one friend since moving here three years ago... though, to be fair, it was more like Aria had forced their friendship on her.
But Lillian appreciated it anyway.
Even her other coworkers at Best Buy called her "quiet." Others called her "socially awkward," and they weren’t exactly wrong.
Talking to customers made her nervous. Not because she didn’t know her job, she did,but because speaking to strangers was terrifying for her.
She had long learned to keep her head down, work quietly, and not draw attention to herself. Making herself as small as possible.
Until him.
That morning had started like any other. She clocked in, tied her hair back neatly, adjusted her name tag, and made her way to the laptop section.
It was her favorite spot—her little safe haven. Odd, maybe, for a business student, but this section was quiet, and less crowded since many preferred a desktop to a laptop.
A preference which she appreciated.
The day continued as any other, until a guy wearing a black hoodie and sneakers walked in.
Still, she never would’ve approached him on her own. Her instincts screamed at her to stay in her lane, let someone else handle it.
But fate—or maybe her manager’s watchful eye—had other plans.
"Lillian," her manager said before nudging her with a clipboard, "customer in your section. Go assist."
And so, she did.
She approached the stranger in a hoodie, the beating of her heart got louder as she approached the customer and said,
"Umm...D-do you need help?"
Her voice came out softer than she meant, but he turned. Looked right at her. And for a heartbeat, she forgot what she was supposed to say next.
She noticed a flash of recognition pass through his gem-like blue eyes, but it vanished almost as quickly as it appeared.
He didn’t laugh at her stutter nor did he look annoyed.
The man just calmly said, "Yeah. I need something that can handle software development and cybersecurity work without slowing down."
"I-I can help with that," she replied, and led him to the best choice she could think of, a mid-range HP EliteBook with a strong processor.
What followed was, to her surprise, one of the most natural conversations she’d ever had with a guy, something she thought impossible.
He asked thoughtful questions, actually listened to her answers, and even complimented her knowledge without sounding condescending.
Then, just as she was processing how this stranger had made her feel comfortable, he asked for her number.
This almost immediately made her retreat back into her shell, but her curiosity about him got the better of her—and before she knew it, she had ended up writing down her number on the receipt.
Lillian watched the man....no....Ethan walk out of the store with a satisfied smile on his face.
Maybe it was due to the fact that Ethan’s smile was contagious but an unknowing smile crept up her face.
"He’s definitely cute" A voice suddenly snapped her out of her thoughts.
Turning back, Lillian saw Aria standing there with a mischievous grin on her face.
Lillian’s eyes widened, and her cheeks instantly flushed a deep red.
"I–I wasn’t—! That’s not what I—!" she stammered, frantically waving her hands as if she could physically erase the thoughts Aria had somehow read from her face.
Aria just laughed. "Relax, Lils. It’s not a crime to think a customer is cute. Especially one who clearly had eyes for you."
"He didn’t," Lillian said a little too quickly, hugging the clipboard to her chest. "He just... asked for tech advice."
Aria raised a brow. "And your number."
Lillian opened her mouth, then closed it. She hated how right Aria was sometimes. "He said he might need help setting it up," she mumbled weakly.
"Mmhmm. And I might need help picking out new heels," Aria teased, tossing a wink. "So should I give the sales guy my number too?"
Lillian groaned, burying her face in her hands. "You’re the worst."
__________
Over the next two weeks, Ethan maintained contact with Lillian.
Their conversations flowed surprisingly smoothly, with Ethan never pushing past her boundaries. They talked about everything—from tech and business to casual topics.
At times, when he paused before replying, Lillian wondered if he was carefully calculating his next words or simply lost in thought.
It didn’t take long for Lillian to feel as though she’d known Ethan for years, even though they’d only met a few weeks ago. Before she realized it, she found herself looking forward to his calls.
Throughout it all, Ethan had only one thought:
’Perfect.’
Everything was falling into place. At this rate, "Midas" would be his in no time.
_______
"-ly?"
"..."
"Lily!" That finally snapped her out of her thoughts.
She turned to see Aria looking directly at her and the phone in her hand.
"Are you still waiting for his call?" She asked, but this time, there was no sign of teasing in her tone.
"Umm, he was supposed to be finishing his project today, so no" Lillian denied.
"Then why are you expectantly looking into your phone?" Aria asked with a raised brow.
"I—" Lillian couldn’t find a way to defend against that so she just decided to stay quiet.
Aria let out a long sigh before saying, "you really are hopeless."
"Why don’t you try calling him?" She suggested.
"Huh?" Lillian blinked, confused.
"You can invite him out for coffee or something" Aria explained "there’s a Sammy’s nearby, you can invite him there."
"What about work?" Lillian asked.
"Don’t worry," Aria replied "I’ll cover for you."
"U-um, w...what if he’s busy?" She tried another excuse.
Aria suddenly snatched the phone from her, immediately going to her contacts and before she could react, dialed the Ethan’s number, before handing the phone back to her.
Lillian contemplated ending the call but before she could, Ethan had already answered,
"Lillian. To what do I owe the pleasure?" His voice came through.
Lillian froze for a moment before sighing and putting the phone on her ear, "I—um, I hope I’m not interrupting anything?"