Late for Dinner

Donna Granger sat at her polished glass desk, the warm afternoon light streaming in from the window behind her, illuminating the mahogany shelves lined with thick volumes on real estate law. She tapped her pen against the edge of a file folder, her sharp eyes skimming the pages of a purchase agreement. Her nails were immaculately manicured, painted a soft rose that complemented her deep red blouse and tailored black blazer. She had always taken pride in her appearance, her sharp mind, and her ability to command a room. But today, her thoughts wandered.

She couldn’t shake the bitterness from the previous night.

"Get stronger, build some confidence," Hank had said over dinner to their son, Joey, "You’d be surprised how much better you feel after pumping some iron."

In years past, Donna would have agreed without hesitation. She had once admired her husband’s broad shoulders and thick arms, the powerful build that had seemed the very picture of masculinity. But now, the comment had grated on her nerves like sandpaper. She’d felt her lips tighten, her appetite vanish. When Joey had glanced her way, his messy hair falling over his eyes, she had felt an overwhelming rush of shame for ever considering him less than perfect.

Of course Hank hadn't been able to drop it. He couldn't see what Donna saw. Joey was perfect exactly how he was! If he were to follow Hank's advice, if he were to become more like his father...

A shiver of disgust ran through her body. At home she had one man who she was drawn to, longed to look at, to be around, and another that just came off as old fashioned, not her type, not her thing. Unfortunately, it was her son who fit the first category and her husband the second. She couldn't help it! Being around Joey made her almost lose her mind with desire! He was her perfect man, but she didn't know how to reconcile the fact that their relationship didn't allow for her to act on what she knew to be right!

Of course she'd slept in the spare room that night. Hank could have their bed, and he could sleep alone. It was what he deserved. How dare he try to change her Joey? Her perfect Joey. His shallow chest, his thin arms, his shy demeanor... he was her new thing. As she lay in the small spare room late at night she thought of another bed that she wished she could be in, but it wasn't with her husband.

Why did she have to be married to that man? Yes, she was aware that she had always found him attractive, that many nights he'd given her all the pleasure she desired, that she used to parade him around at company functions like some sort of trophy, but now she felt shackled to him. He was a weight she was **** to carry around, a burden of a bad decision made in the past. And now he wanted to change her Joey!

Her pen snapped under her fingers, the plastic cracking with a sharp pop. She blinked down at the remains, realizing she had been squeezing it too hard.

"Ms. Granger?"

Donna looked up as the office door creaked open. Kyle, one of the firm’s interns, shuffled inside, a stack of envelopes in his hand. He was tall but lanky, his frame almost boyish despite the hint of stubble on his chin. His tie hung slightly askew, and his khaki pants were just a touch too wrinkled.

"I… I have the afternoon mail," he said, offering a hesitant smile as he placed the pile neatly on her desk.

In another life, a life before Joey had explained her what truly mattered, she would have barely registered Kyle’s existence. She would have seen only a scrawny, awkward young man with no commanding presence and no future worth noticing. But now… now her gaze lingered.

She noticed the slight slouch of his shoulders, the way his dark eyes darted nervously toward her before quickly looking away. There was a softness to him, an unpolished charm that reminded her so much of Joey. Her heart gave a strange flutter. Was this what she had been blind to all along? The quiet allure of someone who didn’t try to dominate every room he entered but simply existed—honest, raw, and real?

"Thank you, Kyle," she said, her voice softer than she intended.

"Uh, no problem," he muttered, his ears turning pink as he backed toward the door.

"Wait," Donna said, stopping him in his tracks.

He turned, eyebrows raised in surprise.

"You… look sharp today," she offered, a warm smile curving her lips.

Kyle blinked. "Oh. Uh, thanks, Ms. Granger."

"Call me Donna," she added, her smile widening just enough to make his blush deepen.

"Donna," he repeated, as if testing the word. "Okay… Donna."

He left, the door clicking shut behind him, and Donna leaned back in her chair, her thoughts swirling.

She had always valued strength, ambition, and power in a man. But now she felt something shift within her, a realization that had been simmering ever since Joey had pointed it out to her, illuminating truths she could no longer deny. The world had changed, and the perfect man… the new ideal… was different from the broad-shouldered, muscle-bound figures she had once admired.

A smirk played at the corner of her mouth. Women like Donna, women who were hot and popular in high school, they didn’t want men like Hank anymore. They wanted men like Joey. It wasn’t just a theory, it was a fact as certain as gravity. Joey was what girls longed for, what made them lose their composure, what made them melt. His charm was irresistible, his appeal undeniable. She had been a fool not to see it before.

Her phone buzzed on the desk, snapping her from her reverie. She glanced at the screen: Hank. A text asking if she’d be home in time for dinner.

Her fingers hovered over the keyboard, her expression hardening.

I’ll be working late, she typed.

As she set the phone down, she found herself thinking of Joey again. She smiled. Maybe she could text him, convince him to join her for dinner near the office, leave Hank at home, alone. The less she saw of him, the better.

Still, she hadn't lied. She did have a lot of work to do, and it would keep her at the office late. But the opportunity to spend some time with Joey alone?

Some things were worth making time for.