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"𝐋𝐈𝐁𝐒, '𝐀𝐕𝐄 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐌𝐄𝐓 the new chief?" Libbie's co-worker Janet asked, handing her a mug of tea.

Libbie shook her head, taking a sip. "Didn't even know we had one."

"Geoff up and lef', all of a sudden like." Janet was known for being the office gossip, but Libbie was also known to indulge her, being the only one on staff who could listen to her without pulling a face or making up quick excuses to leave.

"Poppy says 'e won the lottery, but there'd be more news 'bout it if 'e did," she continued, tucking a loose piece of auburn hair behind her ear and pushing her glasses higher on her nose. "I 'eard he's run off with a mistress, somewhere tropical, you see, where no-one'd think to look for 'im."

"Why would anyone want to look for him?" Libbie's expression hadn't faltered, taking another sip of her tea. To Janet's credit, she did make really good tea.

"Well, I suspec' his wife'd want compensation for their kids."

Libbie gave a very slow nod. "Well, that's understandable." She had to change the subject, or Janet would go on a tangent of rumours and conspiracy theories. "What's the new guy like?"

Janet smirked, leaning in and lowering her voice. "Very 'andsome, and very single."

"Janet."

Janet threw her hands up defensively. "Jus' stating the facts, Libbie-Loo."

Libbie inwardly cringed, downing the last of her tea quickly. "Better get back to work," she shrugged, turning on her heel to head back to her desk.

"Don't get lost in 'is eyes, Libs," Janet joked. "He's dangerous."

"Yeah, sure," Libbie thought, grateful to have found an out from Janet's longwinded gossip. She threw herself into her chair and sighed, grabbing at the stack of papers in her to-do tray. Just as she was about to get a start on her ever-looming pile of tasks, there was a knock at her door. She looked up.

A well-dressed man with a sultry olive complexion and dark eyes to match smiled at her. "Elisabeth?" he asked, his hand running over his short black coils.

"Libbie," she corrected, standing quickly and wiping her hands absentmindedly on her pencil skirt.

"Leo Vaughn." He extended his hand to her and she shook it. "I suspect you've heard I've been hired as the new chief editor here at Johnson and Haytes?"

Libbie nodded. "Yes sir, I've uh, I've been informed." Janet was right, he was handsome. She cleared her throat. "I look forward to working with you, sir."

"As do I. But please, call me Leo."

"Leo," Libbie confirmed.

"Please, don't let me interrupt," he grinned, gesturing to her desk. "I've heard wonderful things about you. Keep up the good work."

"Thank you, sir," Libbie said, sitting down. "Leo!" she quickly corrected herself. "Sorry."

Leo simply smiled before tapping the open door of her office and retreating to the main area, leaving Libbie to exhale a long breath. "Oh boy," she murmured, swallowing hard. "This is gonna be a long day."

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"𝐈'𝐋𝐋 𝐒𝐄𝐄 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐋𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐑, Libbie," the youthful blonde intern beamed, a collection of files tucked under her arm. "Don't stay too late, alright?"

Libbie smiled warmly. "Thanks Poppy." She looked past the girl's shoulder to see an emptied office. Everyone had gone home for the day now, except for Libbie and Poppy. "I'm not far off," Libbie explained. "See ya later."

She watched Poppy leave through the front door after giving her a small wave, and Libbie glanced back at her computer. 6:32 was the time that flashed in the lower corner of her screen. She pondered for a moment on whether she needed to stay longer before deciding it wasn't worth it, and she could finish her research at a later time. She stood, turning off her computer before shutting down her office. She closed the door quietly before she heard two voices in one of the further offices. She glanced in the direction of the noise but the rooms were empty. Frowning, she ignored her instincts and made her way towards the sources of the voices.

"No, no contact yet," Libbie heard from Leo's office, even though the lights were off. "This isn't a small feat, Eiser. I can't finish this in a day."

Hesitantly, Libbie turned the door handle and opened the door slowly. As she did, the lights turned on and she saw Leo standing by the window, his phone to his ear. He turned to her.

"Libbie."

"I'm so sorry, sir," she apologised. "I thought everyone had gone home. I was worried you were a robber or something."

Leo chuckled. "No need to fear me, Libbie. I was just finishing up something, making a phone call." He waved his phone slightly.

"Oh, right, sorry, of course. I'll see you tomorrow, sir."

"Libbie."

"Yes?" She looked at him again.

"Call me Leo."

She closed her eyes for a moment, cursing herself. She glanced back to him. "Sorry, Leo."

He smiled the same way he did earlier that day. "Good night, Libbie. Please lock the front door when you leave; I'm parked out the back."

Libbie nodded. "Sure. Good night." She smiled politely before closing the door again. She turned to leave, grabbing her keys from her handbag before exiting through the lobby.

Looping her keyring over her finger, she pulled the main door to the building closed, giving the locked doorknob a rattle. She dropped the keys into her bag and shrugged her cardigan over her shoulders, hugging it tight around her shuddering frame. Glancing at her watch, she exhaled, stepping down the concrete steps to the footpath. She then shoved her hands in her pockets and began the short walk home.

Kicking at loose stones for the first five minutes of her walk, Libbie now sensed someone heading nearer to her, and glanced up to move in an appropriate direction to be out of their way. She stopped. Walking towards her, dressed in a mid-brown suit with a conflicting navy blue bowtie was the man who had broken into her apartment two weeks ago. Her lips parted. "You," she muttered.

He seemed surprised, looking her up and down for a moment. "Hello."

"Hi," she subconsciously mimicked herself from their first meeting. She stared at him before he spoke again.

"I'm sorry, I really have to be somewhere."

Libbie had to think quickly; she needed answers. "You were in my house."

He looked at her quizzically. "No, I wasn't."

"Yes, you were," Libbie retorted, frowning. As if she wouldn't remember the complete stranger who wandered into her house on a Wednesday evening.

"When?"

"Two weeks ago. You were sitting on my couch. You gave me this... thing. This weird metal thing," she pulled her hands out from the pockets of her cardigan, miming the size and shape of it before pointing to what would have been the top of the device, "green light on the top."

He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a device identical to the one he had given her. "This?"

Libbie blinked, frowning again. "Yes..." She looked up at him. "You said that it was your only one."

"It is my only one."

"Then why do I have an exact copy back in my flat?"

He shrugged. "Time travel, it all gets a little confusing."

"Sorry, what?"

He grinned. "You'll soon find out. Best be off." Without another word, Libbie was once again left standing alone, completely perplexed by the very strange man, who she could only assume, was clinically insane.

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REGÉ-JEAN PAGE as Leo Vaughn