|Katherine|
“Miss… Katherine.”
The sound of my name, spoken with that polite, measured clarity, sliced through the low hum of chatter and clinking cups in the break room. My head turned toward the doorway almost instinctively—and I realized I wasn’t the only one. Every pair of eyes at our table followed the same movement, drawn by the sudden shift in the air.
A few steps away, framed by the doorway, stood Billy.
“Hello, Sir Billy!” Nilo’s greeting rang out, bright and eager, like a sunbeam cutting through a cloudy morning. The rest of my teammates quickly chimed in, a chorus of cheerful hellos that bounced off the walls of the break room.
It was impossible not to notice the effect he had on them. The moment Billy appeared, the boys—my colleagues, normally a rowdy bunch—instantly lit u
