All Strings Attached❤️‍🔥

he's Italian 🤭

I stood outside, blasting Samuel's phone with texts. "Where r u???" I typed, my fingers flying across the screen. "I'm starving!!!"

Just as I was about to send another text, Samuel's car pulled up. He hopped out, a sheepish grin on his face.

"Hey, Syd! Sorry I'm late," he said, giving me a light hug.

I rolled my eyes, playfully shoving him away. "You're always late, kid."

Samuel chuckled, shrugging my messy bun. "Occupational hazard, Syd. I was stuck in a meeting with my superiors. Couldn't exactly tell them to hurry it up."

I raised an eyebrow, teasing him. "Oh, sure, kid. Blame it on the meeting."

Samuel grinned, unlocking the car door. "Hey, it's true! Now let's get out of here before I waste away to nothing."

We drove home, our stomachs growling in unison. "Chinese food?" Samuel suggested, and I eagerly agreed.

We ordered takeout on the way home and devoured it as soon as we walked in the door. I was mid-story, regaling Samuel with tales of my first day, when Xander walked in.

He looked...polished. His dark hair was perfectly styled, and his bright blue eyes seemed to gleam with a quiet intensity. He wore a fitted white shirt that showcased his toned physique, and his jeans hugged his legs in all the right places.

I felt a flutter in my chest as our eyes met, but Xander's expression remained neutral. He nodded at me, his gaze flicking to Samuel before returning to me.

"Hey," he said, his deep voice sending a shiver down my spine.

I smiled, trying to play it cool. "Hey."

Samuel and Xander exchanged a brief conversation, discussing something about work. Xander mentioned he was heading to bed, but Samuel insisted he join us.

"Hey, Syd, did you make any friends today?" Samuel asked, his eyes sparkling with amusement at the thought of it.

I giggled, feeling a blush rise to my cheeks. "Well...he's Italian."

Samuel's eyes widened, and he let out a loud whoop. "Italian, huh? Syd's got a thing for pasta, Xander!"

I rolled my eyes, laughing. "Shut up, kid."

Xander stood there, a small smile playing on his lips. But his eyes...his eyes were intense, his gaze burning with a quiet intensity.

As the laughter died down, Xander spoke up. "On second thought, I think I'll just head to bed. Goodnight."

And with that, he turned and walked away.