C - 2
702 Words
Dylan hadn't really noticed you until that exact moment. He saw the shift in your eyes—the way they lit up even before you realized it was Martin tapping you on the shoulder. Interesting, he thought. Martin noticed Dylan watching with a raised eyebrow and quickly moved to introduce the two of you.
Only then do you realize someone else is there. Knowing he’s Martin’s friend, you make an effort to be polite. you offer a small smile as you reach out to shake his hand, though the gesture feels unusually formal and a bit strange to you.
You find him... interesting. You quickly shake the thought away, telling yourself it’s probably just because you’ve been single for so long that your hormones are reacting to a handsome stranger. Martin is handsome too, your mind briefly points out, but with Martin, it’s a completely different feeling—settled and safe. This stranger feels like something else entirely.
"I thought you went home with Sunny and Sally," Martin says. He glances around the cafe, which has started to empty out as the dinner rush fades, and pulls out a chair to join you.
"I stayed late to finish some work, and then I realized it was pouring," you explain, gesturing to the rain-streaked window. "So, I ended up here."
"I see. Well, it’s nice to see you after such a long time!"
"What are you talking about? We saw each other three days ago," you say, playfully rolling your eyes at him.
Martin laughs loudly, the sound echoing slightly in the now-quiet space. "That’s long enough for me to miss getting a free massage from you."
Dylan sits back, watching the exchange. He knows Sunny well—they move in the same circles—but he’s never seen you before. He wonders about the history between the two of you. Martin rarely mentions his family beyond Sunny, and while Martin is usually surrounded by women, he treats you with a rare kind of tenderness. Dylan doesn't sense a romantic spark, yet the easy, familiar way you talk is far more intimate than just "normal" friends.
"Free massage?" Dylan asks, c*****g an eyebrow.
"It’s not that kind of massage," you say, turning to address Dylan’s curiosity. "This gentleman here just doesn't know how to speak like a normal human being."
Your comment earns a wide, mischievous grin from Martin.
"He doesn't have a brain to begin with," Dylan says with a shrug.
You let out a genuine laugh at that, and Dylan feels a flicker of surprise. Your laughter sounds... perfect. It’s honest and free, unlike the girls he usually meets who try so hard to make their laughs sound elegant or pretty.
"That’s true," you say, the words slipping out before you can think. "But you’re friends with him, aren't you? Doesn't that make you the same?"
You surprise even yourself with your boldness.
"We balance each other out," Dylan replies smoothly. "One with a brain, and one without."
Martin watches the exchange, smiling internally. He notices how easily you’ve accepted Dylan’s presence. Usually, when he sees you with the girls, you’re polite but guarded—keeping everyone at a distance and the conversation strictly on the surface. But with Dylan, the walls seem just a little bit lower.
"Well, I didn't expect you two to team up against me the very first time you met," Martin says, shaking his head.
His words snap you back to reality. A wave of shyness and awkwardness washes over you, but you’re a master at putting on an act. Instead of showing it, you simply stick your tongue out at Martin.
Martin then introduces Dylan properly, and then introduces you in return. Dylan feels a strange sense of relief when Martin refers to you as his sister—even though Dylan knows you aren't related by blood.
You, on the other hand, are battling a sudden inner confusion. There’s a spark of excitement and curiosity about this handsome stranger that you can’t quite shake. It’s an unfamiliar feeling, and it makes you deeply uncomfortable.
- Writer
