Midnight Canary

“…Erica, are you listening?”

Erica blinked as Jasper’s whisper reached her. His brown eyes locked onto hers, the shadow of a dimple in his right cheek betraying the smile trying to win out over his serious expression.

How she loved that dimple. That playful smile. The short, well-trimmed beard that emphasized the strength of his jaw.

Quickly, she cleared her throat, trying to stop her thoughts from wandering. There was plenty of time to swoon over her husband later. Right now, she needed to focus on the meeting.

Usually, when a company hired them for marketing, they gave them enough freedom to actually do their job. But this client had no such intention. They had a vision—rigid, inflexible, and unquestionable.

They weren’t looking for marketing specialists. They were looking for secretaries.

“Yes, of course… I just feel like we’re going in circles. How about we change our approach? Instead of deciding now, let’s work out both ideas—”

“There’s no need for that.”

Erica raised her eyebrows in surprise as the man across the table didn’t even bother letting her finish.

“We know what we want the campaign to look like. Just do as we ask.”

A sigh threatened to escape her, held back only by the last shred of her patience. Clients like these were the worst. But at least she wasn’t alone.

“Of course. We’ll get straight to work and update you with a first draft as soon as possible,” Jasper said smoothly.

With a forced smile, Erica watched as Jasper wrapped up the meeting. Relief loosened the tension in her shoulders the moment they stepped out of the office.

“…These are going to be a horrible few weeks.”

“You can say that again. What were you thinking when you accepted this job? What are future clients going to think when they see the piece of crap these guys are requesting?”

Jasper gave her a long look before opening his mouth.

“Careful, darling. I’m still your boss…”

“Oh really? Well then… why don’t you tell me exactly what you want me to do next, boss?”

A teasing smile made its way across her face as she turned to him, placing her hands on his chest, pressing close, standing on her tiptoes in an attempt to steal a kiss.

His hand cupped her face, halting her mid-motion, forcing her to look into his eyes.

“How about you use that amazing mind of yours to come up with a way to convince them our ideas are better?”

He smiled and pressed a quick kiss to her forehead before stepping back.

“Let’s get to work, darling. There’s still a lot to do.”

He threw her a playful wink as he turned to leave. She returned it, but disappointment immediately began to cloud her mind. Darkness, insecurity creeping in.

Jasper had barely touched her lately. He was never in the mood. Always tired or too busy with something else. Was she doing something wrong? Was the talk about babies putting pressure on him?

He’d agreed to try. Maybe he’d changed his mind. Maybe she was pushing too hard.

“Oh, how I wish I could find myself a husband like that. You two are so perfect together…”

Danisha’s voice behind her pulled Erica from her thoughts, yanking her back to reality.

“Anyway, do you have a moment? I need to pick your brain on another assignment.”

Her colleague’s eyes lingered on the hallway Jasper had just disappeared into. Clearly more interested in him than the work. Not that Erica could blame her. Even after six years of marriage, she still couldn’t take her eyes off him.

Danisha was right. She was lucky. Her husband was the most handsome man she’d ever met. And he treated her well. Always kind. Always caring…

She was overthinking it. Just nerves. Just insecurity. That’s all.

That had to be all.

“All right. But can we make it quick? I need to leave early today.”

Danisha followed her toward her desk, still throwing glances toward the hallway. Erica pretended not to notice. Pretended not to care.

“So, I’m thinking about that client from last week,” Danisha began, laying a stack of printed slides on the desk. “The eco-friendly skincare startup? They want a bigger push on social media. Do you think we should—”

Erica tried to focus. She really did. But her mind kept tugging her backward—back to Jasper, back to the distance in his eyes.

Sex had never been a problem before. They used to be all over each other. But now... Now he flinched at the mention of ovulating. Maybe the problem was her desire to start a family.

It would be okay. She just needed to give him time. She was only thirty-three. There was still time.

“Erica? Are you okay?”

Erica blinked. Danisha was watching her, concern written clearly across her face.

She forced a smile. “Sorry. Yeah. I’m just distracted. Doctor’s appointment in a bit.”

Danisha softened. “Everything okay?”

Erica flipped through the papers absently. “They’re targeting Gen Z, right? So… definitely more short-form content. Maybe a few quick beauty hacks, some behind-the-scenes footage—something authentic. Let’s get the design team to mock up a few story formats. Keep things cohesive.”

Danisha tapped her pen against the desk, nodding. “Love that. Okay. I’ll loop in design and get some mood boards going.”

Erica nodded. “Thanks. I’ll look at the draft tomorrow morning. Just email me anything you want feedback on.”

“Will do.” Danisha paused. “Seriously though… everything okay?”

Erica hesitated. “Just a check-up,” she said quietly. “Routine. I’ll be fine.”

Danisha didn’t press. She just offered a small smile, mouthing a soft “good luck” before walking off with the folder in hand.

Alone again, Erica sat still a few moments longer. Until her phone buzzed. A reminder that it was time to leave.

With a deep breath, she gathered her things and headed out.