If Not for the Mystery Book

013

ANTHONY'S PERSPECTIVE

The doorbell to Anthony's apartment rang, causing him to jump slightly. His heart was already hammering beyond repair, but this made it run even faster. Swallowing, he walked to his door. He took a deep breath to settle himself before slowly turning the handle and pulling the door open. The second he saw Sasha standing in front of him, he felt as if his lungs had failed. She looked amazing. He could hardly stand looking at her, it was so distracting. True, he had a hard time not watching her in general, but this was different.

They sat there, staring at each other for a while. When it finally hit him that she was shivering in the cold, it gave him the drive to do something.

"C-come on in," he said, opening the door wider and stepping to the side. She smiled her unbearably beautiful smile, stepping inside. He closed the door behind her, trying to collect the courage to say anything else. He walked back around her, offering the best smile he could.

"Y-you look incredible," he somehow managed to say, his heart still beating far beyond the healthy limit. He just might be on the verge of a heart attack.

"Oh, thank you," she replied quietly, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear as she looked down at the floor. She chewed on her lip, and he broke down inside. She was far too beautiful for a person like him.

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The taxi ended up coming a few minutes after Sasha arrived. They went over to a new Thai restaurant downtown that he had heard about. Luckily, she was open to the idea. The date went really well, at least, he thought it had. They had a good conversation about the most random of topics. It felt like it flowed well, like she had enjoyed her time too. He didn't want to get his hopes too high. When they made it back to her apartment, it was well into the night. Due to her schedule, they weren't able to start until around nine. They got to her house around midnight.

He walked her up to her apartment, suffering through the cold with her. He was glad it wasn't snowing, but it was definitely below freezing outside. When they got to her door, he didn't know what to do. How did he say goodbye?

"Thank you, Anthony," she said, easing his nerves in the slightest. "I had an amazing time." Her words crystallized in the air, her breath leaving steam in the frozen temperatures.

"Me too," he said lamely. He wanted to smack himself in the forehead, but managed to control himself. She smiled, leaning in close. His heart began to gallop, not sure of what she was doing. In her heels, she was the perfect height for a... She planted a light kiss on his cheek.

"I'll see you on Monday," she said quietly, still close to him. "Goodnight." She lingered for a moment before turning around and going into her apartment.

"Goodnight," he belatedly replied to her closed door. Slowly, he returned to the running cab. He didn't feel the cold anymore, just a tingling sensation that bloomed from his cheek. He wouldn't get much sleep that night.

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I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and have a great end to your day!