The Tie

Elliot

I arrived at the office feeling particularly bold, armed with my secret weapon: a bright pink tie covered in cartoon dinosaurs. It was an absolute eyesore, clashing so violently with my tailored gray suit that it could probably be seen from space.

But I didn’t care. This tie had a purpose...it was a conversation starter, an icebreaker, and, hopefully, a surefire way to get Susan to crack. After yesterday, when I managed to get her to laugh, I was eager to push the boundary just a little further.

As I walked through the office, I could feel the eyes on me. Whispers followed my every step. Someone at the water cooler actually choked on their drink. I straightened my tie, ensuring it was prominently displayed.

When I passed Susan’s office, I slowed down just enough, glancing her way. She was seated at her desk, head bent over her laptop. She didn’t even look up.

I paused. Was she ignoring me? Surely, she noticed the tie. How could she not?

“Good morning, Susan,” I said brightly, standing in her doorway.

“Morning,” she replied without looking up, her tone professional, detached, and maddeningly unaffected.

I lingered for a moment, waiting for some sort of reaction. A double-take. A raised eyebrow. Anything.

Nothing.

With a forced smile, I moved on to my office, closing the door behind me.

The rest of the morning was a disaster.

Everywhere I went, people commented on the tie. Gerald stared at it for a full ten seconds before finally muttering something about “bold choices.” The intern delivering documents to my desk burst into laughter the moment she saw me and spent the next five minutes apologizing profusely.

But Susan? Not a word.

When I passed her office again during lunch, I saw her chatting on the phone. She glanced up briefly, her expression blank, before returning to her conversation as if I didn’t exist.

“Unbelievable,” I muttered under my breath, heading to the break room.

By mid-afternoon, I was starting to question my strategy.

“She has to have noticed,” I said aloud, pacing in my office.

“Noticed what, sir?” Gerald asked from the doorway, looking bewildered.

I gestured at the tie. “This! How could anyone not notice this?”

Gerald blinked, clearly unsure how to respond. “Well… if I may ask, who are you referring to sir?”

“what?” I repeated, scoffing. “Oh, no one you know.”

Gerald wisely decided not to comment further and backed out of the office, leaving me alone with my frustration.

By the end of the day, I was no closer to cracking Susan’s exterior. She breezed past my office once, barely sparing me a glance. During a brief team meeting, she addressed me with the same professionalism she used with everyone else.

It was infuriating.

As I packed up to leave, I caught sight of my reflection in the glass door. The tie practically glowed against the gray fabric of my suit.

Maybe she wasn’t ignoring it. Maybe she was doing this on purpose...pretending not to notice, just to drive me insane.

That had to be it.

I yanked the tie loose and stuffed it into my bag, muttering to myself as I headed for the elevator.

“She’s not going to win this,” I vowed, pressing the button. “Tomorrow, I’ll up the game.”

Because if there was one thing I knew about Susan, it was that she never made anything easy. And if she thought she could outplay me in this little game of ours, she was in for a surprise.

Let the battle continue.

****

Susan

I’d seen Elliot’s tie the moment he walked into the office that morning. How could I not? It was so bright and obnoxious that I was half convinced it glowed in the dark. Pink dinosaurs on a professional man in a tailored suit? The audacity.

But I wasn’t about to give him the satisfaction of a reaction. Oh no. That was exactly what he wanted.

When he stopped at my doorway, practically radiating smug energy, I barely looked up from my laptop.

“Good morning, Susan,” he said, his voice far too cheerful.

“Morning,” I replied, keeping my eyes firmly on the email I wasn’t even reading.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him linger, clearly waiting for something...probably for me to burst out laughing or comment on his ridiculous tie. But I wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction.

The second he walked away, though, I couldn’t help the small smirk that tugged at my lips. Oh, Elliot. Was this his grand plan? A neon pink tie? If so, I wasn’t sure whether to be amused or insulted.

By lunchtime, his tie had become the office’s main topic of conversation.

“Did you see Mr Prescott's tie?” Vivian whispered when she joined me in the break room.

“Hard to miss,” I said casually, taking a sip of my coffee.

“It’s… something.” Vivian leaned closer, lowering her voice. “Do you think he lost a bet?”

“Maybe,” I said with a shrug. “Or maybe he just has terrible taste.”

Vivian snorted, but I kept my face neutral. I wasn’t about to admit that I found his little stunt amusing.

The real test came during the team meeting that afternoon.

Elliot walked in like he owned the room, his tie swinging proudly as he took his seat. Gerald shot him a look, the kind of look you’d give someone who brought a clown to a board meeting, but Elliot didn’t seem to care.

I kept my focus on the agenda, resisting the urge to glance his way. Not that it was easy. Every time he shifted, the garish pink caught my eye. It was like having a disco ball in my peripheral vision.

“Any questions, Susan?” he asked during the meeting, his tone perfectly professional.

“No, everything’s clear,” I replied evenly, meeting his gaze without so much as a flicker of amusement.

I could see it in his eyes...the frustration, the disbelief. He wanted a reaction so badly. And I wasn’t going to give him one.

By the end of the day, I could tell he was getting desperate. He walked past my office twice, each time slower than necessary, probably hoping I’d call him out. I didn’t.

When I left for the day, I spotted him in the elevator, muttering something under his breath as he tugged at his tie.

Once I was outside, I finally let myself laugh. It wasn’t just the tie...it was the whole performance. Elliot Prescott, the suave, confident CEO, was trying so hard to get under my skin. And while I’d never admit it to him, it was sort of working.

But that didn’t mean I was going to let him win.

If he wanted to play games, fine. Let him. I wasn’t the same girl he’d left behind ten years ago. This time, I was the one in control.

Still, as I walked to my car, I couldn’t help but wonder what he’d try next. Whatever it was, I’d be ready.