Six words. Six little words was all it took to completely change their relationship forever.

I think I’m falling in love with you.

She said as they walked together, sharing an umbrella as protection from the falling October rain. He noticed her brush a loose strand of hair behind her ear, a nervous habit she did whenever she felt like others were watching her. She had said it so carelessly that, at first, he was sure he had misheard her.

They had first met back at University. He was in his second year while she was only just starting out. She was smart, attractive, funny, and wouldn’t give him the time of day. Even when they wound up in the same classes, both marketing majors, she seemed to avoid him. He assumed they just didn’t get along, like oil and water, and left it at that. 

Then to his surprise a few years later, she walks into his PR firm as a new hire. He waved to her, and she smiled back, but for the first week or so, it was like they were back in school. She avoided him as best she could in the maze of cubicles. But after a few weeks, she suddenly showed up at his desk, asking if he knew any good lunch places around the office. From then on, they became lunch buddies. Eating together, chatting about their day, complaining about their boss or their client, slowly bonding the way you do when you see someone every week day.

“What?” he replied with a nervous laugh, having to speak up over the sound of the rain. “Sorry, I couldn’t quite hear you over the traffic.” He turned to face her, a warm smile showing off his teeth. 

Her eyes were drawn to the crooked little one in the corner. It gave his smile a sort of broken dinner plate feel. That little imperfection somehow only made the rest of his face all the more handsome. Her eyes slowly rose up to meet his light blue irises. He looked down into her eyes, still smiling, but feeling like the cool Autumn air had changed suddenly under the black umbrella.

Her lips parted and she began to speak, just as a taxi roared by honking, splashing both of them with dirty gutter water. “Fuck.” Max swore looking down the street at the rapidly fleeing yellow sedan. “I’m sorry about that, this street always fills when we get rain. Why don’t you come on up to my place? You can borrow a towel and dry off. I’m not letting you get on the train soaking wet.” He said, steering them both towards the stoop of a large brickstone apartment building. 

They were coworkers. Old friends. But with those six little words, they were about to be something more...

Thanks for reading! This is obviously a more romantic/vanilla set-up but I hope I left it open-ended enough that a creative partner doesn’t feel constrained. Our characters will start as coworkers-turned friends just as their relationship is about to take another turn. We could keep this wholesome and cozy with the two of them finally giving into the crushes they’ve harbored all year long. We could add some drama, maybe one of them is already in a relationship or there is some complication why they can’t be together. I’m open to making this one as spicy as you want, just let me know if you are interested and we can work out the details from there!