The cool, metallic interior of the elevator felt like a sanctuary as Sasha leaned her back against the brushed steel wall. She watched the floor numbers glow and fade, but her mind was miles away, anchored in the front seat of a luxury sedan.
A soft, unbidden smile curved her lips, a physical manifestation of a feeling she couldn't quite name yet. Her heart was a contradiction. It felt anchored and calm, settled by Luca's surprising sincerity, yet it was dancing with a frantic, rhythmic joy that made her fingertips tingle.
When the chime signaled her floor, the sound jolted her back to reality. She stepped out into the hallway, her heels clicking a sharp, happy tempo against the tile.
Reaching her door, she fumbled with her keys for a moment, her hands still a bit shaky from the lingering adrenaline of the night. Inside, the familiar scent of her apartment greeted her. She kicked off her outdoor shoes, sliding into her plush indoor slippers with a contented sigh, the smile never once wavering from her face.
She noticed the balcony door was slightly ajar, the sheer curtains fluttering in the midnight breeze. Kavya was there, a silhouette against the city lights, her voice a low murmur as she spoke to her family back home.
Sasha felt a surge of affection. She crept up behind kavya and wrapped her arms around Kavya's waist in a sudden, tight back-hug.
Kavya flinched, a small gasp escaping her, but she didn't pull away. Recognizing Sasha's touch, she simply rested one hand over Sasha's clasped ones, continuing her conversation in a soothing tone.
Sasha stayed there, leaning her head against Kavya's shoulder, staring out at the skyline and basking in the quiet warmth of friendship and the loud echoes of her date.
A few minutes later, Kavya ended the call. She didn't turn around immediately. Instead, she tapped pointedly on Sasha's hands until Sasha released her. When Kavya finally turned, her eyes were already narrowed with playful suspicion.
Sasha stepped toward the railing, her smile turning sheepish as she tried to look at the moon instead of kavya's piercing gaze.
"Well, well.." Kavya began, crossing her arms over her chest, a triumphant smirk tugging at her lips. "Someone looks like they've already fallen head over heels for their boss-turned-blind-date."
"Shut uppp... it's not like that.." Sasha protested, though the defensive whine in her voice was betrayed by the deep crimson bloom spreading across her cheeks. She tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear, her movements frantic and guilty.
Kavya laughed, the sound bright in the quiet night.
"Oh, it is exactly like that. Your face is practically glowing, Sasha. Tell me the details, girl. Every single one. How was the date?"
Kavya grabbed Sasha's hand, leading her to the two wicker chairs nestled in the corner of the balcony. They sat, knees touching, as the city hummed below them.
"It was... nice" Sasha started, her voice trailing off as she searched for the right adjectives. She pouted slightly, her brow furrowing in concentration. "Actually, it was really good. It was simple, you know? Just a walk, a bakery... but it made me feel something. Something different..."
Kavya's expression softened, her teasing tone giving way to genuine curiosity. "Sasha... are you in love?"
"No way!"
Sasha's denial was immediate, her hands flying up in a dismissive gesture.
"How could I be? It's only the second date! And besides, he's my boss. There are rules, there are boundaries, there's... logic."
But as she spoke the word 'logic' her voice lost its strength, tapering off into a whisper that suggested she didn't even believe herself.
"Stop lying to your own heart, Sasha" Kavya said gently, reaching over to poke Sasha's burning cheek. "Your mouth says 'second date' but your eyes are saying 'fairytale.'"
"I'm not lying," Sasha insisted, though her gaze dropped to the floor, her fingers tracing the jagged edges of her apartment keys. "It's just... it's only been two dates."
Kavya let out a long, dramatic sigh, leaning forward until she was squarely in Sasha's line of sight.
"Sasha, look at me. You've known this man for two years. You've worked by his side, watched him lead, watched him breathe. Tell me the truth, have you truly never once admired him as a man? Not as a boss, not as a paycheck, but as a man?"
The question hung heavy in the air. Sasha looked away, her heart thudding painfully against her ribs.
Yes, she thought. Of course I did.
She remembered the way his sleeves rolled up when he was deep in a project, the sharp intelligence in his eyes during a crisis, and the rare, fleeting moments of kindness he showed to the staff.
But she had spent two years building a fortress around those feelings. She was an interior designer, he was the sun around which the company orbited. The social divide felt like a canyon, and her own insecurities about her background and her struggle to make it in the city had acted as a guardrail. She had convinced herself he was out of her league so thoroughly that she'd eventually stopped even looking at the league.
As if reading the internal struggle written across Sasha's face, Kavya reached out and squeezed her hand firmly.
"I know that look.." Kavya said, her voice rich with sisterly wisdom.
"You're overthinking the status. You're letting that old inferiority complex tell you that you don't belong in his world. But tonight... for a few hours, you forgot all that, didn't you? He made you forget. He made that wall you built fade away. That means he isn't just in your head as a boss anymore, Sasha. He's in your heart as something else. I'm not saying it's a finished love story yet, but the first chapter is definitely written."
Sasha looked at her friend, stunned by the blunt accuracy of her words. The "calculated risk" Luca had taken with the cream bun wasn't just about calories,.it was about him stepping into her world. And she, in turn, was finally stepping into his.
"So, girl.." Kavya stood up, smoothing out her loungewear with a final, decisive nod.
"Don't clutter your head with all those 'what ifs' and corporate hierarchies. Just go with the flow. If the universe went through the trouble of having your aunt and his mom meet at a reunion to set this up, just enjoy the ride. If it's destined, these are going to be the most amazing days of your life."
Kavya walked toward the glass door but paused, looking back with a wink.
"And honestly? Who better is he going to find than a girl as talented and pretty as you? He's the lucky one, if you ask me."
Sasha laughed, a genuine, bubbling sound that chased away the last of her tension.
"Okay, okay! Go to sleep, you philosopher!"
•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•
Miles away, in a sleek penthouse that overlooked the more industrial side of the city, Ayaan was dead to the world. He was deep in a dream involving a mountain of the neighbor's sweets when a sharp, insistent ringing pierced through his consciousness.
He groaned, fumbling blindly for his phone on the nightstand. The blue light blinded him for a second. 1:00 AM.
"This better be an emergency or a fire" Ayaan croaked into the receiver, his voice thick with sleep. "Really, Luca? If you have insomnia, go count your money. Why disturb the peaceful?"
"I'm coming to your office tomorrow" Luca's voice came through, crisp and entirely too awake. "And I'm bringing Sarah."
Ayaan's eyes snapped wide open. The sleepiness vanished as if doused in ice water. He sat bolt upright, his heart racing. Sarah? Really? He bringing her along with him?
"Wait, really?" Ayaan scrambled to find his bearings. "When? Do I need to arrange anyth-.."
"Are you fully awake now?" Luca interjected, his tone as flat and calm as a stagnant pond.
Ayaan froze, his phone still pressed to his ear. He narrowed his eyes at the wall.
"Hey... hey. Don't tell me you just lied to me to wake me up."
"I lied" Luca stated simply. There wasn't even a hint of guilt in his voice.
"What sin did I commit in a past life to deserve a friend like you?" Ayaan wailed, throwing his free hand up in exasperation.
"You gave me hope for a prank?"
"I called to tell you to come to my place tomorrow. We need to talk about something" Luca said, and before Ayaan could even begin his second round of whining, the line went dead.
The silence of the room rushed back in. Ayaan stared at the "Call Ended" screen in disbelief.
"Really? You could have just sent a text!" he shouted at the empty room, before collapsing back onto his pillows with a dramatic groan. "A text, Luca! A simple, non-threatening text!"
But as he pulled the covers back up, he couldn't help but wonder. Luca sounded... different. Colder on the surface, maybe, but there was an energy there. Something had happened on that date, and Ayaan was determined to annoy the truth out of him tomorrow.
[To be continued]