Sweet Encounters

Chapter 20

Adrienne

The atmosphere in my apartment was warm and intimate, illuminated by the soft glow of the lamp and the faint sounds of the romantic comedy we were watching. Colin and I had just shared another sweet kiss, and my heart was still racing, a mix of excitement and nervousness.

Suddenly, the sound of laughter and loud voices erupted from the hallway, followed by the unmistakable *bang* of my front door swinging open. I exchanged a startled glance with Colin, who looked equally confused.

"Adrienne! Are you home?" Sara's voice rang through the apartment, slurred and exuberant.

"Oh no," I muttered under my breath, shooting up from the couch. "Sara! Not now!"

Before I could make it to the door, she stumbled into the living room, followed closely by two of our other friends, Jamie and Laura, all three of them giggling uncontrollably. The sight was comical-Sara, with her hair slightly askew and a big smile plastered on her face, clearly enjoying the effects of a few too many drinks.

"Surprise!" she shouted, waving her arms dramatically, as if we were in a celebratory parade.

I stood frozen in the middle of the living room, my cheeks flushing with embarrassment as Colin quickly sat back, his expression shifting to one of bemusement. "Hey, uh... guys," he said, trying to mask his surprise.

"Hey! What's up?" Sara slurred, barely noticing Colin as she stepped further into the room, her eyes scanning the surroundings. "We were out at the bar and thought we'd stop by. What were you two doing? Looks like you were having a *moment*!"

I rushed to intervene. "We were just-uh-watching a movie!" I said quickly, hoping to steer the conversation away from what they had just walked in on.

"Right! Watching a movie," Sara said, her grin widening as she caught on. "I'll bet it was a *really* interesting movie."

Jamie and Laura burst into laughter, and I felt my face turn an even deeper shade of red. "Sara, maybe you should sit down," I suggested, trying to play it cool while my heart raced with embarrassment.

"I'm fine!" she declared, swaying slightly on her feet. "You should've come out with us! We had the best time!"

Colin chuckled, a genuine smile breaking through his earlier surprise. "Sounds like it was a wild night."

"Oh, it was!" Laura chimed in, plopping down onto the couch, completely ignoring the fact that there was an actual person sitting there. "You should've seen Sara on the dance floor-she was on fire!"

"More like a train wreck," Jamie quipped, nudging Laura playfully.

"Hey!" Sara exclaimed, mock-offended, though she was laughing along. "I was just feeling the vibe!"

As the three of them filled the room with their infectious energy, I caught Colin's eye, and despite the chaos, we both shared a smile. It felt like an oddly fitting distraction, a burst of life in our intimate moment.

"Do you want to join us for a movie, then?" I asked, half-joking but also genuinely curious about how this would play out.

"Only if you promise to watch something ridiculous!" Sara said, plopping down next to Jamie on the couch. "And I get to pick the next movie!"

"Okay, okay, you can pick," I conceded, shaking my head in amusement. "Just... keep it PG, alright?"

"PG? No way! We're going for full-on R-rated chaos!" Sara laughed, grabbing the remote and dramatically flipping through the options.

Colin leaned back, shaking his head with a grin. "This should be interesting."

The movie night quickly devolved into laughter and playful banter, the previous tension fading as we all settled into a comfortable rhythm. I found myself stealing glances at Colin, watching the way he engaged with my friends, his laughter mixing with theirs, and for a moment, everything felt perfect.