A Good Day

Roy was in an excellent mood. The kind that settled warmly in his chest and refused to budge, no matter what tried to poke at it. It had been there since he woke up, and the memory of the night before only made it stronger.

Last night had been incredible.

Not just the dinner. Not just the way Michelle had laughed at his terrible jokes, or the way she had leaned against him while they talked in the kitchen, her presence warm and close. And not just the moment later, when things had turned heated and breathless, Michelle on her knees, leaving Roy weak in his own knees.

It had been the whole evening.

Being with Michelle, having her living with him, still felt unreal in the best possible way. Like he had stumbled into a dream he hadn’t even known he wanted. She made him feel young again. Not in some foolish, midlife-crisis way, but in a quieter sense. Hopeful. Alive. Like life still had wonderful things waiting around corners he hadn't noticed before.

More than that, she made him feel loved. That was the part that lingered with him the most as he moved through the office that Friday morning. The quiet certainty that someone had chosen him. That someone wanted to be with him. That he was, somehow, worthy of that kind of affection.

After the excitement in the kitchen, the evening had settled into something softer. They had curled up on the couch together, Michelle tucked comfortably against his side. They watched television for a while, though Roy couldn't remember much of the show itself. Mostly he remembered the rhythm of the evening. Talking about their days. Sharing little stories. Laughing at nothing in particular.

Later they had gotten ready for bed together, brushing their teeth side by side like a couple that had done it for years. When they finally turned out the lights, Michelle had slipped easily into his arms.

Roy had fallen asleep holding her.

If someone had shown him that moment a year ago, he wouldn't have believed it was his life.

He could imagine a future built out of evenings like that. Simple routines. Shared meals. Quiet conversations. Falling asleep beside someone who cared about him. It felt... right.

Even Tom's nonsense hadn’t managed to dent Roy's mood.

Roy had walked past Tom's desk earlier that morning, and Tom had delivered his usual smug little performance.

"Tick tock, pal."

Roy had barely slowed down.

Yes, Tom was trying to ruin his career. Yes, the man had made it painfully clear that Roy's days at the company were numbered. But that morning, somehow, it didn't feel quite as overwhelming.

Roy felt loved.

And with that tucked away in his chest, the rest of it seemed... manageable. Whatever happened with work, whatever storms Tom tried to stir up, Roy felt like he could face it.

So instead of hiding in his office, Roy had spent most of the morning out on the floor with his team. He didn't know how long he would have this job. That thought still lingered at the back of his mind. But because of that, he wanted to savour it. The work. The people. The quiet satisfaction of helping things run smoothly.

He stopped beside one of the junior analysts' desks. Debbie. She was staring intently at her monitor, brow furrowed in concentration. Roy leaned slightly closer and pointed at a column in her spreadsheet.

"I think your issue's here," he said gently. "See how this formula's referencing the wrong data range?"

Debbie blinked, then leaned forward.

"Oh! Oh wow, I didn't even notice that. Thanks, Roy!"

Roy smiled.

"It happens to everyone."

He walked her through the fix, step by step. Debbie listened carefully, nodding along as she adjusted the formula and watched the numbers settle into place.

"There you go," Roy said.

Debbie grinned. "Thank you! I was staring at that for like twenty minutes."

"You're doing good work," Roy told her. "Just needed a second pair of eyes."

She straightened a little at the praise.

Roy moved on, feeling quietly pleased.

He had a good team. They worked hard. They asked questions. They supported each other. It had always been something Roy took pride in. All of them were great.

Well.

All except Tom.

But Tom was far from Roy's mind that morning. Today he had his job. He had his coworkers. And he had his girlfriends.

Elaine.

Michelle.

And, he supposed, for now, Zara.

Roy still couldn't quite believe that what he was living was actually his life. He was the luckiest man on the planet.

His thoughts drifted briefly to Zara. He had a date with her that evening. Roy wasn't entirely sure what to expect. She was, after all, pretty much a stranger.

When he'd met her in the car the other day, she had been a lot. Not unpleasant. Not rude or bitter like Agnes had been. Just energetic. Bright. Almost overflowing with enthusiasm.

Michelle had a youthful spark too, but it was calmer somehow. Zara's energy felt quicker, more scattered. Like she had ten thoughts at once and all of them wanted to come out immediately. Roy found himself smiling faintly at the memory.

She seemed like fun.

And he knew what he had to do. When he'd mentioned the date over breakfast that morning, Michelle had simply smiled and encouraged him to enjoy himself.

"Give her a good time," she had said cheerfully. "I can't wait to meet her."

Roy had laughed at that, though a tiny part of him felt uneasy about it. He was sure the magic was involved there. Michelle had accepted the idea of Zara far too easily, just the same way that she and Elaine had accepted each other. No matter who the wish put into the girlfriend category, it seemed that the other girlfriends would accept them simply and easily, as if Roy being with them were a given.

Still, whether the magic was creating an ethical problem or not, forcing these women to accept a non-monogamous life, it didn't change Roy's responsibility. Zara had been caught up in his wish. He had no intention of letting that linger longer than necessary. The sooner he helped her break free of it, the better.

Roy still didn't fully understand the rules of how it worked. Whether the changes that brought these women into his life reversed immediately, or whether anything lingered. He didn't want to experiment with someone's life to find out. Least of all someone sweet like Zara.

The plan was simple.

He would take Zara out, make sure she had a good evening, and when the moment felt right... well, that part would take care of itself. It had every time so far. Intimacy was the key to letting her go, and so Roy would get to it as quickly as he could.

After that, the magic would break. Zara would be free to go back to her life exactly as it had been.

Roy nodded to himself slightly. Yes. That was the right thing to do.

He would text her later when he got back to his desk. Confirm the details of their evening. Zara struck him as someone who appreciated plans. Specifics. Times and places nailed down. Roy respected that.

For now, though, he was exactly where he wanted to be. Out on the floor. Talking with his people. Helping where he could.

The office hummed with the easy rhythm of a Friday morning. Keyboards clicking. Phones chiming. Quiet conversations drifting between cubicles. Roy smiled as he moved toward the next desk.

It was a good day.