The day dragged on after Genevieve's visit.
Tina kept typing, but her focus slipped again and again to the closed door of Matthew's office. The conversation she'd overheard still echoed in her mind when the tone, the names, the tension.
By the time evening came, most of her colleagues had packed up. The office lights dimmed to a soft amber, leaving a quiet hum of printers and distant footsteps.
"Still here?" Matthew's voice came from behind her.
She turned, startled. "Oh I was just finishing up the reports you asked for."
He leaned against the doorframe, jacket off, sleeves rolled up, looking more like a man than a title.
"You've done well, Miss Morgan. I didn't expect an intern to pick up so fast."
"Thank you," she said, smiling. "I like learning."
"Good. Learning will take you far here."
There was a pause. Then his voice softened.
"You must be hungry. Have you had lunch at all?"
Tina blinked, surprised. "Lunch? Oh I grabbed something small earlier."
"Something small doesn't count," he said lightly. "Come on. Let me make it up to you. My treat."
She hesitated. "I'm not sure that"
"Professional?" He smiled. "You've been working hard all day. It's just lunch. You can even call it a 'mentorship meeting' if it helps."
After a moment, she nodded. "Okay."
They went to a quiet restaurant a few blocks from the office the kind of place with low music and dim lighting, where executives spoke in calm tones over crystal glasses.
Matthew ordered confidently; Tina stuck with something simple.
"So," he said after a while, "tell me about you. I feel like I know your résumé, but not the person behind it."
She smiled nervously. "There's not much to tell."
"Humor me."
"Well... it's just me and my mom. She's amazing works hard. My dad... I've never met him. He left before I was born."
Matthew's expression softened. "That must've been hard."
Tina shrugged. "It was life. Mom never made it feel like something was missing. She always said I could build my own future."
He nodded slowly, studying her face as she spoke. "You have that kind of strength. I noticed it the first day you walked in."
She looked down, embarrassed. "You did?"
"Yes," he said quietly. "You remind me of how people used to look at their work with fire. Not ambition for power, but... purpose."
The compliment lingered in the air, heavy and personal.
Tina tried to steer the conversation elsewhere. "What about you? You must have a family?"
Matthew smiled faintly. "i was engaged but not anymore. My life's been the company for a long time now."
"That sounds lonely."
"It is," he admitted, and then changed his tone quickly. "But enough about that. Tell me any boyfriend in the picture?"
The question caught her off guard. "Um... no. Not right now."
He tilted his head. "Really? I find that hard to believe."
"I've just been busy," she said quickly. "School, work... I haven't thought much about relationships."
He smiled. "Smart. Relationships can complicate things. Especially when you're trying to make something of yourself."
The waiter returned, and for a few moments, they ate in silence. But the air between them felt different now not quite comfortable, not entirely wrong, just charged with something unspoken.
When they finished, Matthew insisted on driving her home.
"It's late," he said when she protested. "I won't have you walking alone at this hour. No argument."
She hesitated, then nodded.
"Okay. Thank you."
The city lights slid across the windshield as they drove through the quiet streets.
"So this is where you live?" he asked, glancing at the modest building as they pulled up.
"Yes," she said. "It's small, but it's home."
He smiled. "I like that. You sound proud of it."
"I am," she said softly.
He nodded slowly, fingers drumming the steering wheel. "You know, Tina, it's rare meeting someone who actually reminds me what all this is for."
She turned to him, confused. "What do you mean?"
He sighed. "When you get to my position, everyone around you either wants something from you or wants to be you. But you... you're just real. You listen. You care. That's rare."
Tina didn't know how to respond. Her heart beat faster not because of excitement, but uncertainty.
"Thank you," she said finally. "That means a lot."
He smiled, a little too long, then said quietly,
"You know, I wasn't lying when I said There's something about the way you carry yourself grounded, yet... different."
She looked away, suddenly aware of how close they were sitting. "Sir, I"
"Matthew," he corrected softly. "Outside the office, you can call me Matthew."
Tina blinked. "I'd rather keep it professional."
For a moment, the air was still. Then he gave a quiet laugh, breaking the tension. "Fair enough."
She reached for the door handle. "Thank you again for dinner. It was really kind of you."
Before she could step out, he spoke again, voice lower. "Tina, can I say something?"
"Of course."
He hesitated, then looked at her really looked, his expression unreadable. "I like honesty, so I'll be honest with you. I enjoy your company. More than I probably should."
Her breath caught.
He leaned slightly closer, his voice almost a whisper. "There's something about you that feels... different from everyone else I've met."
Tina's heartbeat drummed in her ears. "Mr. Grant"
"Matthew," he said again, softer.
She shook her head, stepping back slightly. "I think I should go."
He stopped, realizing how tense she'd become. The charm in his face faltered for the first time. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."
"I just" she searched for words, "I don't think you really mean what you're saying. Not the way it sounds."
He exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Maybe you're right. Maybe I just forgot what genuine connection feels like."
She nodded quietly. "Good night, sir."
This time, he didn't correct her.
As she walked toward the building, he watched her go the door closing behind her like the end of something he hadn't even started.
Inside, Tina leaned against the wall of her small apartment, her heart racing. She didn't know what had just happened, only that she'd seen a side of Matthew that wasn't the mentor she thought she knew.