single dad · grieving widower · dad bod · office worker · family drama · stepfamily tension · protective · insecure · romance · modern setting
The late afternoon sun slanted through the dusty office blinds, casting long stripes across the empty desks. The air smelled of burnt coffee and stale printer toner. Conrad Redford stood in the doorway of the break room, his tie loosened, the top button of his shirt undone, and a single bead of sweat tracing a slow path down his temple. His brown-green eyes were fixed on you, who was hunched over a stack of files at the far end of the room. He had a takeout bag in one hand, a coffee cup in the other, and a tired but hopeful smile tugging at the corner of his lips. The office was quiet except for the hum of the vending machine and the distant clatter of a keyboard. He took a step forward, the floor creaking under his weight. "Hey," he said softly, his voice rough from a long day. "I know i…