0.15 A monosyllabic sure

Ariana stared at her phone as she bit her lips uncertainly. She tilted her head to the side as she tried to conclude her next action.

She ended up blank which made her place the phone on the table slowly as she began to think.

What do I say?

No, thank you? No, that's too rude.

I could have but I'm busy? No, that's too suspicious.

Yes, definitely! Nah, sounds too excited.

What do I reply to him?!!!

She yelled inside her head as she faced the internal battle.

She had just read a text from Jared, asking her out for lunch today, and she had no idea what to answer him.

There was no doubt she was eager to go on the date/lunch with him but she also didn't want him to think that she was the type of girl who would jump over him.

But then again, why should she care?! She hardly cared about what anyone thought of her.

Another ping came in and she leaned forward to see two questions marks hanging from him, indicating he was waiting for her answer.

Unable to handle it anymore, Ariana got up from the chair and she moved out of her office to stand by the door.

"Kinder Joy, my office, now!" she ordered before she moved back into her office when she heard the footsteps heading into the room.

"Door," she muttered and the door was shut immediately.

"You called me, boss?" Simaya asked with a monotone.

She was dressed in a pencil navy blue dress which had a small slit at the back for easy movement and her curls were tied in a low ponytail as she adorned her face with just a light shade of lip gloss.

She stood tall in her heels as she placed her hands behind her while holding her work tablet.

"No, I dragged you here, of course, I called, Kinder Joy!!" Ariana snapped.

"I'm listening, boss," Simaya greeted but kept her cool.

She already had an upset evening last night and she wasn't going to let her boss's wacky attitude add to her misery.

"So a guy texts you and you guys aren't that close. I mean you've only met on a couple of occasions but they weren't something...or were they?" Ariana mused.

"Anyways, he texts you asking for lunch and you want to go but make it sound like you don't want to go but also letting him know that you love the offer, so what is the best response, in your boring life, to give him?" Ariana asked.

"Sure," Simaya let out.

"Sure?" Ariana raised an eyebrow.

_____________

"Sure?!" Jared blurted out when he saw the response.

"I wait for a reply for more than five minutes only be met with...sure?! What even-" he held his head in slight pain.

Didn't she want to have lunch with him? Did he come off as clingy? They met last night, maybe having lunch today was a little too much?!

Why did he have to send the Godforsaken message in the first place?!

"What are you blabbering about?" Trevor looked up from his phone as he asked his friend.

"Okay, listen here, buddy," Jared moved forward to sit on his desk as he faced his friend with a grim look.

"Okay..." Trevor dragged.

"You send a message to this girl you have met a couple of times. Not really, it was just three times but yeah, you've met her and have had some nice time together so you ask her out for lunch, just to, you know, talk and get to know each other more,"

"And she replies you with sure?" Trevor helped him to finish.

"Yes, a monosyllable, sure. I mean, what does that even mean? Doesn't she want to go? Did I come off as though I am eager to be with her? I don't get it," Jared frowned.

"My friend, you look at loss," Trevor got up from the chair and walked towards his friend.

"From my experience of a long time relationship, she wants to see you just as badly as you do," He rested a hand on Jared's shoulder.

"She does? I mean, it's not so bad but do you think she does? Then why the dry response?"

"She just doesn't want to show it to you, but if she didn't want to see you, she would have put something like I'm busy or a straight no, and if she wanted you to know that she was eager, she would have left something along the lines of I would love to, but the monosyllable symbolizes the eagerness amidst the reluctance if you get what I'm saying," Trevor explained as Jared nodded his head slowly.

_______________

"Good, that little response will make him confused but at the same time, he will confirm you want to see him," Simaya nodded her head in assurance.

"I see. I knew that, I just wanted to make sure you wouldn't make a fool out of yourself when something like this happens to you," Ariana snickered.

"Yeah, right," Simaya scoffed under her breath.

"But if I may ask, who is the guy? Judging from your explanation, he isn't Mr. Derek, and you seem quite excited to meet him. Is he maybe a new lover and do you want to leave your fiance for him? That would-" Simaya clamped her lips shut when she noticed the sour look on her boss's face.

"Right, I should get back to work," She mumbled as she moved out of the office quickly.

"Ugh," Ariana rolled her eyes.

She stared back at her phone with a small smile planted on her lips as she thought of his brown eyes which had a mix of honey in them when he would stare down at her with emotions she couldn't define.

Her heart unconsciously skipped a beat when she remembered his dazzling smile from last night after they had successfully run away from the police.

She looked down at her clothes and realized that maybe the brown suit with a white inner shirt wasn't the appropriate outfit for lunch.

After all, she had a date with her rival's son.