"The best preparation for tomorrow is doing your best today." - H. Jackson Brown Jr.

  Ethan

  Thursday. Finally. The week had dragged, each meeting, each phone call, a slow, deliberate march towards this afternoon. I'd cleared my schedule, a rare luxury, opting for a half-day at the office. My team knew better than to bother me unless it was an absolute fire. Today was about clearing my head and finding a semblance of calm before my coffee date with Katerina.

  The office was quiet, the usual buzz of activity muted. I leaned back in my chair, the city skyline spread out before me like a glittering tapestry. A sense of anticipation, a feeling I hadn't experienced in years, settled in my gut. Katerina. Her voice, soft and melodic, still echoed in my mind from our late-night phone call. The way she'd read to me, the gentle cadence of her words, had been… unexpected. Intimate. Comforting.

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  I wasn't a man prone to sentimentality. My life was structured and precise, a series of calculated moves and strategic decisions. But Katerina… she was different. She was a breath of fresh air, a splash of color in my otherwise monochrome world.

  I glanced at my watch. Two hours. Just enough time to grab a quick lunch with Phoebe and squeeze in a run. I shot her a text, "Lunch and a run at Eden Park? Need to clear my head before tonight."

  Her response was almost instantaneous, "On my way! Meet you at the overlook in 30?"

  Perfect. I needed the exercise, the endorphin rush, to burn off some of this nervous energy. And Phoebe's company, her easy banter, was always a welcome distraction.

  An hour later, sweat-soaked and invigorated, I was back in my apartment. The shower was hot, and the water pressure was strong, washing away the grime and the lingering stress of the day. As I dressed, I found myself lingering over the choice of clothes. This wasn't a board meeting. It wasn't a networking event. This was… different." I opted for a casual but stylish ensemble, something that reflected my personality without being overly formal.

  Looking in the mirror, I saw a man on the cusp of something new. A man stepping outside his comfort zone, embracing the unknown. For the first time in a long time, I felt a flicker of excitement, a sense of anticipation that had nothing to do with profit margins or quarterly reports. Tonight was about Katerina. And that, I realized, was enough.