Sera's day began like any other—papers sprawled across her desk, her laptop humming softly as she clicked through a slew of emails. The office buzzed quietly around her, but today, she couldn't seem to focus. Nicole's unexpected compliment from a few days ago still lingered in her mind, as did the odd shift in his demeanor.
He had always been cold, distant, yet lately, his gaze had softened—just enough to make her wonder if something had changed. She wasn't naive; she knew their relationship was still professional, but for the first time, she felt like he saw her as more than just a burden or a challenge. He saw her potential.
Still, Sera pushed the thoughts aside. There was too much work to do, and her growing feelings about Nicole only complicated things. She needed some fresh air, to clear her head, and maybe to get out of the suffocating office environment that had started to feel a little too claustrophobic.
****
As if on cue, her phone buzzed. It was Emma.
Hey! It's been forever since we did something fun. How about an impromptu road trip this weekend? Clear your mind, get away from all the stress!
Sera smiled. Emma always had a way of knowing exactly what she needed, and a road trip sounded like the perfect escape.
I'm in! Let's plan it out tonight.
Little did Sera know, this trip would turn out to be anything but ordinary.
Meanwhile at Calvin Enterprises...
Nicole, on the other hand, had no plans for a relaxing weekend. He had scheduled meetings, negotiations, and more than enough work to fill his time. However, as Friday afternoon rolled in, his brother Ethan burst into his office, unannounced as usual.
"Hey, I've got an idea," Ethan said, leaning casually against the doorframe. "You need a break."
Nicole glanced up from his computer, eyebrows raised. "I don't have time for a break."
"Bull. You've been working nonstop for months. Let's do something different this weekend. Get away from all this."
Nicole opened his mouth to protest, but Ethan cut him off. "No excuses. I've already planned everything. You're coming with me on a little trip."
Despite his instincts to stay rooted in work, something about Ethan's insistence wore him down. A few hours away from the grind wouldn't kill him, and maybe, just maybe, it would help him get a handle on the mess of emotions swirling around his mind lately. Especially where Sera was concerned.
Colliding Paths
Sera and Emma's road trip had taken them out of the city and into the rolling countryside, where wide-open roads and towering trees gave them a sense of freedom neither had felt in a long time. Laughter filled the car as Emma belted out a song on the radio, and Sera couldn't help but join in, their voices clashing off-key as they drove along a winding path.
"I can't remember the last time I laughed this much," Sera said, wiping a tear from her eye. "I really needed this."
"That's what I'm here for," Emma replied with a grin. "It's about time you stopped thinking about work for five minutes."
But just as Sera began to relax, a strange feeling prickled at the back of her neck. She sat up straighter, looking out the window as they passed a familiar black car parked at the side of the road.
"Emma… isn't that—"
"Whoa, is that Nicole Calvin?" Emma exclaimed, her eyes widening. "What are the odds?"
Sera's heart raced as she caught sight of Nicole and another man—his brother, Ethan—standing beside the car, looking frustrated.
"Pull over," Sera said instinctively.
Emma glanced at her with a smirk. "Seriously? We're on vacation, remember?"
"Just pull over," Sera insisted.
Emma obliged, and they pulled up next to the two brothers. Nicole turned around, his expression as unreadable as ever, but there was a flicker of surprise in his eyes when he saw Sera. Ethan, on the other hand, was grinning from ear to ear.
"Well, well, well," Ethan said, crossing his arms. "Look who we have here. Fate really does have a twisted sense of humor."
Nicole gave him a sharp look before focusing on Sera. "What are you doing out here?"
"We're on a road trip," Sera explained, still trying to wrap her head around the coincidence. "What about you two?"
Ethan groaned. "We're supposed to be on a relaxing getaway, but our car broke down. Lucky for us, you two happened to come along."
Emma, sensing an opportunity, leaned out of the driver's seat with a mischievous grin. "Looks like we're all heading in the same direction. You guys need a lift?"
Nicole's eyes flickered with hesitation, but before he could refuse, Ethan jumped in. "Absolutely! Thanks, ladies."
And just like that, their impromptu weekend road trip went from two to four.
****
The car ride was awkward at first. Nicole sat beside Sera in the backseat, his usual cold demeanor in full effect, while Ethan kept the conversation flowing in the front, chatting away with Emma like they'd been friends for years. Sera could feel the tension radiating off Nicole, but instead of letting it affect her, she decided to break the silence.
"Not your usual weekend plans, huh?" she said, glancing sideways at Nicole.
Nicole let out a small, humorless chuckle. "No, this wasn't how I envisioned it."
"Well, look at it this way," Sera replied, "at least you're getting a break from the office."
Nicole's lips quirked, but he said nothing, his thoughts clearly elsewhere. Sera wasn't sure if it was the proximity or the fact that they were outside of their usual professional environment, but for the first time, she noticed something different about Nicole. There was a vulnerability to him, hidden beneath the stoic exterior, and she couldn't help but feel drawn to it.
As they drove further, the conversation between Ethan and Emma faded into the background, leaving Sera and Nicole in a pocket of silence. Sera wanted to ask him more, to dig deeper into the person behind the CEO mask, but before she could muster the courage, the car came to an unexpected stop.
"Looks like we've hit a dead end," Emma announced, frowning as she stared at the dirt road ahead. "The GPS must've glitched."
"Great," Nicole muttered. "We're in the middle of nowhere."
Ethan, ever the optimist, jumped out of the car with a grin. "Well, looks like it's time for an adventure."
Sera and Nicole exchanged glances before reluctantly following suit. They had no choice but to make the best of it.
The Unexpected Detour
The group walked along the dusty path, the sun setting in the distance, casting a golden hue over the landscape. They had stumbled upon an old, seemingly abandoned village, the kind that looked like it had been frozen in time.
"I didn't know places like this still existed," Emma mused as they wandered through the cobblestone streets.
Ethan, always the curious one, disappeared into one of the nearby buildings. "Come on! There's got to be something interesting around here."
Nicole, however, remained by Sera's side, his hands shoved in his pockets as they walked in silence. The air between them crackled with tension, though neither of them knew exactly what to say.
As they ventured further into the village, they stumbled upon an old tavern, the kind of place that looked like it hadn't seen a customer in decades. Inside, they found dusty bottles of wine and old wooden tables, the perfect setting for an impromptu rest.
Ethan, ever the enthusiast, popped open one of the bottles with a grin. "Let's make the most of it, shall we?"
Sera and Emma laughed, but Nicole remained quiet, his gaze fixed on the flickering light of the old lantern hanging from the ceiling. Something about this place felt oddly familiar to him, though he couldn't quite place it.
As the night wore on, the wine flowed and the group loosened up, the tension slowly melting away. Emma and Ethan were engaged in a lively conversation, leaving Sera and Nicole once again in their own little world.
Sera took a sip of her wine before turning to Nicole. "You've been quiet."
Nicole looked at her, his usual guarded expression softening slightly. "I've been thinking."
"About?"
"Everything," he admitted. "Work, life… you."
Sera blinked, surprised by his honesty. "Me?"
Nicole nodded, his gaze piercing as it locked onto hers. "You're not what I expected."
"And what did you expect?" she asked, her heart pounding in her chest.
Nicole leaned back, his eyes never leaving hers. "I'm not sure anymore."
For a moment, the world around them seemed to fade away, leaving just the two of them in that quiet, forgotten tavern. It was the first time Nicole had let his walls down, even just a little, and Sera could feel the shift between them—a shift that was as terrifying as it was exciting.
As the night wore on and the conversation around them grew softer, Sera realized that this weekend had turned into something far more unexpected than she could have ever imagined.
And maybe, just maybe, it was the beginning of something new.