Midnight kiss

Untitled part

New Year's Eve started with a lot of expectations. Emma, standing in front of her closet, could not decide what to wear for her special evening. It had happened so suddenly. Alexander, the man who she was in love with for a very long time now, asked her out on a date. And that on New Year's Eve, the night of all nights! No overthinking whether he would kiss her goodnight or not, because that was what New Year's Eve was all about. The excitement of a New Year's Eve kiss and a wonderful start of the new year.

He was charming, Alexander, as charming as he could be. And his style was impeccable. She had crossed eyes with him at her favourite coffee spot, a cosy bookstore with an adjacent café. Her weekends were mainly spent there since she was new in town and didn't exactly knew anyone outside of work. She loved the place because of the smell of freshly grounded coffee and the soothing aroma of old books that seemed to merge so prettily. Also the ivy covered façade of the store added a rustic character to the place.

She had always been fascinated by this man's presence and had seen him reading and writing several times at a table in the corner. One day she gathered the courage to speak to him. He turned out to be a writer, and his passionate stories immediately captivated her. They started talking about books that afternoon and their shared love of art. Emma was immediate impressed by his intelligence and charm. After that meeting she had become a bit of obsessed with the idea of spending more time with him.

However, she soon realized that his confidence and loud appearance were putting a damper on her romantic dream. The night started with promising excitement as Emma and Alexander started their date. They had gone to a vibrant party, with music filling the room and the smell of revelry in the air. Emma soon noticed that Alexander's charm did not quite coincide with the atmosphere of the evening.

In the middle of the dance floor, Alexander tried to impress her by talking loudly, his voice rising above the music. He told stories about his supposed achievements, his voice booming through the room as if he were on a stage. Emma tried to smile, but the overwhelming sound and his dominant presence made it difficult for her to truly enjoy the moment.

"What do you think of this party, Emma?" Alexander shouted into her ear, his face too close to hers.

"It's... lively," she replied, her words almost lost in the noise.

During the party, Emma noticed that he was not only loud but also unnecessarily arrogant and annoying towards others. As they navigated the crowd together, Alexander bumped into several people several of times, and his response was far from polite. He grumbled underneath his breath as he made his way. Emma felt a bit uncomfortable and tried to excuse herself for his weird behaviour. The real Alexander she met during the date didn't quite match the image she'd had formed in her head.

"Alex, let's slow down. I want to get to know you a bit better. Let's go somewhere quiet so we can talk a bit about ourselves," Emma tried to shout over the loud music. They stopped navigating, which Emma was grateful for. Her only wish was to save the evening by trying to calmly talk to him.

"Come on, Emma! Life is a party, let's enjoy it!" Alexander boomed with an overly confident smile.

During the fireworks, which filled the sky with colourful explosions, Emma looked hopefully at the sky, but the sparks between her and Alexander failed to materialize. She felt empty and disappointed. The worst part was, she realized, that it had to be mutual because Alexander kept his gaze to the sky. So much for that kiss she had fantasized about for half a week.

"Look at those fireworks, beautiful, huh?" Alexander shouted as he held her hand.
Emma nodded, but she felt a distance growing between them. The fireworks she had expected to highlight the evening were overshadowed by his loud comments and lack of connection.

After the fireworks, Emma retreated to the backyard, and sat down on a lonely lawn chair. In the shadows sat a mysterious man whom she had not noticed before. He looked as lonely as her. His outlines were faintly visible in the soft moonlight. Dark hair fell casually over his forehead, partially hiding his face. It were his eyes that caught Emma's attention – bright green, like a deep green lawn on a sunny spring day. They stayed there in silence, both deep in thought. Until Alexander interrupted those thoughts.

"Hey, why are you sitting here all by yourself?" he asked as soon as he reached her.

"I just needed some rest," Emma sighed.

"Rest? On New Year's Eve? That's a shame! Let's get us back to the party. We have all night to dance and drink until we drop."

Emma shook her head no. she didn't feel like partying all night, especially not with mister charming.
Alexander only shrugged his shoulders and returned to the revelry. As soon as he was out of sight, the mysterious man stepped out of the shadows. His eyes met Emma's, and a different dynamic immediately emerged. These grass green eyes radiated an inexplicable intensity, filled with a mixture of mystery and warmth. When the moonlight fell on them, they almost seemed to twinkle like stars in the night. They gave his face an enchanting expression, which only further fuelled Emma's curiosity.

His expression was calm and thoughtful, as if he were harbouring a world of secrets. Emma couldn't help but be captured in the depths of his eyes, which seemed to tell a story that had not yet been revealed.

As this mysterious man was now fully visible, his presence became even more intriguing. His smile was subtle but reassuring, as if he were sharing a secret with her. And Emma, still sitting on her lawn chair, was immediately drawn to the mysterious haze that hung around him, and especially to the enchanting depth of these grass green eyes.

"Do you want some company?" he asked calmly.

Emma smiled, "Yes, please."

They stayed quiet for a while until the silence was broken by this man who looked as if he had come out of the storybook her mother used to read to her.

"It seems like the peace and quiet here in the yard suits you better than the weird noisy lad and atmosphere inside," he continued with a smile that went deeper than just his lips, as if he knew her date had a disastrous outcome.

When his lips moved her eyes seemed to automatically slide to his mouth. She wondered for a split second if he would be a great kisser or not.

"Yes, a little peace and quiet can be refreshing," she said, her gaze traveling back to the magnetizing sky. Her eyes conflicted between this mysterious man and the sparkly sky.

They stood quiet for a while staring at the stars and the moon. A little trace of the fireworks was still seen but that didn't make the sky look less appealing.

"Beautiful, isn't it, those stars and how they shine?" Emma noted. Even though she was here to catch her breath and to feel how the silence fell over her like a warm blanket, she still couldn't resist saying something to her company.

He looked at her and smiled, "yes, but sometimes the real stars that shine are the ones you don't often see." He leaned a little closer and whispered, "did you know that every fireworks explosion tells a unique story? But sometimes the most beautiful stories are the ones that whisper in the silence between the explosions."

Emma laughed softly, charmed by his poetic approach. "That sounds like a secret I'd like to hear."

His eyes twinkled as he said, "Maybe I'll share the secret, but only if you promise to keep it between us. After all, it's New Year's Eve, the night of revelations."

Emma, curious and a little shy, nodded in agreement. "I promise."

Her cheeks flushed and she hoped that the man wouldn't be able to see that in the dark.

"Good," he continued with a mischievous smile, "the secret is that the most beautiful sparks not only appear in the air, but can also arise between two people."

Emma's blush deepened, and she looked down at her shoes. They were perfect for this evening, golden with sparks. At least she had something right this evening.

"That's... that's an interesting secret."

He leaned a little closer to her and whispered, "And sometimes, if you listen carefully, you can feel them even before you can see them."

The mysterious words hung in the air and Emma felt a warm glow of excitement. It was as the night gave her a new beginning and she couldn't help but smile at the man who had changed her night so unexpectedly on New Year's Eve.