TWENTY EIGHT - LEXXIE

Lexie Throughout the afternoon, my cheeks burned with embarrassment, a constant reminder of the lunch debacle. Even Victoria, the brand development specialist whose desk was next to mine, noticed my discomfort. She, too, seemed excluded from the lunch plans, sitting at her desk with a salad, looking bewildered and embarrassed. "Did you get a sunburn?" she asked as I slumped into my uncomfortable chair. I barely felt the hard seat or the spine-puncturing backrest, both seeming designed for maximum discomfort. "What?" I replied, attempting to rest my arms on nonexistent armrests before crossing them over my chest. Despite my efforts, my arms seemed to reach out involuntarily, as if seeking Ryder for a hug. It was mortifying, but the truth was even more embarrassing. I had no idea why I had reached out to him. Perhaps it was just a habit from my sorority days, where hugs were a common farewell. But in that moment, it felt more like an involuntary reaction, something I couldn't control. Wh