Her heart pounded in her chest, each beat echoing the tremors of uncertainty. There, in the distance, stood a figure, a mysterious silhouette draped in a mask and an unusual hat. All she could discern were his eyes, which locked onto hers with an u...
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She woke up that morning feeling happy, a spark of relief that had eluded her in the past few days. The unexpected appearance of Alex had brought a new feeling to her heart – hope. As she got ready for work, she found herself humming a tune, dancing a little in front of the mirror, and wearing a genuine smile that had been absent for far too long. Emily couldn't help but anticipate the day ahead, eagerly hoping to catch another glimpse of Alex at the nursery.
However, as the day passed, her excitement slowly turned to disappointment. Marnie arrived at the nursery, brought by Mrs Kargle, but there was no sign of Alex. The whole week went by without a trace of him, leaving Emily to wonder where he had disappeared to. Despite the strong bond she had formed with Marnie, she couldn't help missing him, even though they had barely crossed paths.
How can I miss someone I barely know? Emily pondered to herself, trying to make sense of the strange feelings that had welled up inside her. At least I haven't seen any figures lately either, she thought to herself trying to look at the positives, but it did little to comfort her.
The following Monday, as she was about to leave work, she was taken aback as a silhouette of a man appeared right in front of her. She jumped and was about to start running back inside, but then she noticed a familiar grin on the man's face.
"Sweet cheese on a cracker, Alex! You need to stop appearing out of the blue!" Emily exclaimed. Marnie had already been taken home by Mrs. Kargle, but there he was, leaning casually against a tree near the nursery. His sudden approach caught her off guard, and he wasted no time in getting straight to the point.
"Sorry. You up for a drink?" Alex asked abruptly, his directness leaving Emily feeling a mix of confusion and intrigue. She couldn't help wondering where he had been all this time, showing up out of the blue and asking her out without even a simple greeting.
"I don't drink," Emily replied, instinctively rejecting his invitation, though every bone in her body was yearning to say yes, to spend time with him.
Alex smirked in response, a hint of mischief in his eyes. "Judging by your groceries the other day, I'd say you definitely drink at least milk."
His casual remark caught her off guard, and Emily looked at him, puzzled and slightly irritated. "What in the fresh hell is wrong with you? Not even a hello first..." she began to vent, not entirely sure why she felt so compelled to voice her frustration.
He cut her off with a playful tone. "Let's go, buttercups. You can tell me all about how horrible I am while we sit down and drink a cup of coffee."
His confidence and nonchalance amused her, leaving her unsure of how to respond. Part of her wanted to continue arguing, yet another part couldn't deny the pull she felt toward him. There was something about Alex that intrigued her, and despite her initial resistance, curiosity won over caution, and she decided to take a leap of faith.
