A promise is a promise

Rachel glanced at the digital clock in the corner of her screen as the last chords of Jack’s playlist drifted into silence. It was the second time today she had listened to it from start to end, and it was barely lunchtime. The boost to her productivity was undeniable—she felt sharper, more focused, and tasks that usually dragged on were completed in half the time. She liked that. Jack had promised it would help her zone in, and he was right.

The numbers on the report in front of her blurred as she marveled at how effective it was. Maybe this whole experiment wasn’t as weird as she had initially thought. After all, it was just music—well, music with some sort of “focus-enhancing” tech behind it. But whatever it was, it worked. She’d already plowed through three major reports in record time, leaving her with a surprising amount of free space in her schedule. It was exhilarating.

Yet, as she got up from behind her desk, Rachel couldn’t shake an odd undercurrent in her thoughts. Lately, she had been thinking about Jack more than usual. Not in the friendly, casual way she used to, but in a way that made her feel… warm. Maybe even flattered? There were moments where she found herself wondering if he'd approve of what she was doing, not just with the experiment, but in general. She hadn’t noticed it before, but now that she was aware of it, she rationalized that it wasn’t entirely new. He had always been an important person in her life. Surely, she had always cared about what he thought of her. Right?

She brushed the thoughts aside and started ordering her desk space, messy after a morning's hard work. As she put things in place, her attention kept drifting—first to Jack, then to a strange feeling of wanting to impress him, to make him proud of her. It felt... natural, she reasoned. She trusted him, and the playlist was definitely helping her.

Her hand drifted to the expensive fabric of her pencil skirt. She'd never dressed provocatively at work—quite the opposite. But now, with no one watching, she felt an unfamiliar pull. In the past, Jack had occasionally commented on her outfits, lightheartedly, but mentioning she could look more... feminine. It was a fleeting thought, one she would have quickly dismissed in the past. But today, it lingered. She tugged her skirt up a couple inches, then a couple more, stopping just short of her high-end lace thong. She had always enjoyed wearing sexy lingerie underneath her professional outfits, drawing confidence from her secret expression of femininity. Of course, Jack probably had no idea. What would he think if he saw her now? What if he caught a glimpse of what she wore under her skirt? Her fingers lightly brushed her thigh as she stood and looked at her reflection in the window, a peculiar sense of satisfaction settling in. He'd probably appreciate it.

Before she could follow that thought any further, the door to her office opened, and Veronica strode in, papers in hand.

“Hey, Rach, quick question about the Smith account—” Veronica stopped mid-sentence, her eyes narrowing slightly at Rachel before she quickly looked away. “Oh, uh, sorry, didn’t mean to interrupt.”

Rachel snapped back to reality, immediately tugging her skirt down, feeling her cheeks flush. “No, no, it’s fine! Just, uh, taking a little break.”

Veronica looked amused, her usual confident smirk tugging at the corners of her lips. “You sure? You looked a little... preoccupied.”

Rachel **** a laugh, trying to ignore the lingering warmth in her face. “Just, you know, trying to stay focused. Been a busy day.”

Veronica placed the documents on her desk. “Yeah, well, whatever you’re doing, it’s working. You’ve been tearing through these reports. Almost makes me jealous.”

Rachel saw her opportunity. “Actually, I’ve been using something new... Jack—you remember Jack, right? He’s been working on this focus-enhancing tech. It’s like music, but with frequencies that help with concentration. I’ve been trying it out, and honestly, it’s been amazing.”

Veronica’s eyes flicked up, her expression somewhere between amused and skeptical. “Jack? You mean your... friend? The guy who’s always hanging around but never really doing anything?” She let out a soft laugh. “I didn’t think he had much going on besides following you around.”

Rachel felt a small flicker of defensiveness but pushed through. “I know it sounds weird, but it works. I’ve gotten more done in the last two days than I normally do in a week. You should give it a try. I promised Jack I’d ask if you wanted to join the experiment.”

Veronica scoffed, folding her arms. “Please. Like I’d waste my time on some half-baked experiment from the guy next door. I mean, come on, Rach, you’re way too smart to fall for that.”

Rachel, undeterred, pressed on. “Look, I get it, but it’s not about him. It’s about results. You’ve seen how productive I’ve been. You’ve got just as much on your plate, if not more, with the next quarter coming up. What’s the harm in trying it? It’s not like you’re doing it for Jack. You’re doing it for yourself.”

Veronica eyed her for a moment, her dismissive expression faltering as she considered the point. Finally, she sighed. “Okay, fine. I’ll try it, but only because I can’t argue with the results. This is for me, though, not for Jack. As you said. If it doesn’t do anything for me, I’m dropping it.”

Rachel smiled. “Fair enough. I’ll let him know you’re in.”

On her way to lunch, Rachel noticed a strange tension leaving her body. She realized it had felt uncomfortable to discuss Jack's experiment with someone else—after all, it seemed like a delicate, almost private matter, the details of which she instinctively felt she should only share with him.

Yet, as she replayed the conversation in her head, she reminded herself, Jack himself had asked her to tell Veronica, hadn’t he? That made it different. If Jack had wanted that Veronica knew, then surely it wasn’t something to feel uneasy about. Rachel smiled, feeling a faint sense of fulfillment settle in, her discomfort fading.

She had done something Jack wanted, and somehow, that felt... right.