My Online Crush Turned Out To Be Him!

I had a friend I'd known online for almost three years. Six months ago, we decided to start dating.

We lived eight hundred and ninety miles apart, which would take around 16 hours by car.

Originally, I thought we'd never meet in person until the day I got fired.

——

We met on a home renovation app. Back then, I had just graduated, and when I struggled to come up with ideas, I'd browse the app for inspiration. Sometimes, I even pretended to be a client to chat with the top designers, hoping to pick up some new ideas.

That's how I met Gilbert Baker, a designer, while I pretended to be a client.

Thankfully, I kept our relationship strictly professional—no romance, just renovations.

But through our chats, I began to sense that Gilbert might really like me.

I kept telling myself not to overthink it.

Until one day, I got fired.

After sending me a long message to comfort me, Gilbert boarded a plane to meet me.

Yes, he wanted to meet in person.

Naturally, I didn't want that. I was terrified that meeting in real life might ruin everything.

So, I chose not to respond.

Then, I packed my bags overnight and booked a flight to his city.

I calculated that by the time I boarded, Gilbert would have arrived in my rented apartment. My neighbor confirmed his arrival through a text, but when I landed, I still ignored his message.

After all, I had no intention of meeting him before securing my new job. So, I kept my presence in his city a secret.

With the help of a college roommate, I moved into her apartment—a cozy studio for a reasonable two thousand dollars in rent.

For the next week, I stayed there while Gilbert frantically searched for me.

Soon, my first day at the new job arrived.

I made sure to carry the Chanel pearl handbag Gilbert had gifted me, paired with the Yves Saint Laurent patent leather heels and the Gucci suit he'd bought for me.

After all, on my first day, I didn't want to give anyone the impression I was easy to push around.

As I entered the company, all eyes were on me, but I was used to such attention.

The HR manager escorted me to the general manager's office.

Though the office was empty, I decided to wait.

I glanced at the manager's desk. Surprisingly, the plants, monitor, and keyboard were exactly like the ones I'd given to Gilbert.

Soon, a guy in a gray hoodie walked in.

I instinctively stood up. Our eyes met, and I realized he was incredibly handsome—the kind of guy who'd turn heads on the street.

"Lorraine Stevenson?" he called my name.

"Yes," I replied, taking in his face. He looked even better up close.

He also scanned me from head to toe before saying, "Take a seat."

After I sat down, he continued, "I'm Edward Austen. Your desk is by the floor-to-ceiling window, number eleven. No need to rush into work today. Take your time to get familiar with the company..."

At first, I'd hoped he might be Gilbert. But clearly, he wasn't, which left me feeling oddly disappointed.

As I left the office and headed to my desk, my phone chimed with a new message on WhatsApp. It was from Gilbert.

I glanced back at Edward in his office, who was focused on his computer.

I couldn't help but smile to myself. "Why did I even think it could be him?"