Page 80 of Their Arrangement
Just alittle.
The kind of smile they’d never expect.
The kind that looked like permission—until it was too late.
I walked back into the main office with my head higher than I’d ever dared.
Not proud.
Just enough to keep the ribbon visible.
Barron had asked for my hair up.
It wasn’t up yet.
But I wanted him to see the choice I hadn’t made.
My desk was untouched.
The spreadsheet still open. Balanced now. Perfect.
The silence shifted around me. Not obvious. But there.
Like the sound of a needle lifting from vinyl.
Soft.
Sudden.
Aware.
I sat. Crossed my legs slowly.
Straightened my blouse with one tug.
And looked up.
Right at them.
Barron stood at the far end of the floor. Talking to two board members. Not facing me.
But he glanced over his shoulder once.
Quick. Sharp.
Our eyes didn’t meet.
But I felt it.
The question.
The weight.
The heat.
He saw me sit straighter.
Saw the hair still down.
