Falling Into The Unknown.

Chapter 2: Unexpected Company

Anna’s pov

After a long day of work, I found myself sitting at this small, cozy restaurant, my mind kind of zoning out to the soft buzz of conversations around me. It was late, and I figured grabbing some food before heading home was smarter than just crashing. I ordered this pasta dish that looked warm and inviting—exactly what I needed after such a chilly day.

I was twirling the pasta around my fork, completely lost in thought, when suddenly the door opened, and in walked Michael. His eyes scanned the room, and then they landed on me. There was this quick flash of surprise before he smirked a little and made his way over.

"Mind if I sit?" he asked, motioning to the empty seat across from me.

"Not at all," I said, giving a small smile. "I was just about to dig in."

He slid into the chair with a sigh, like he'd finally allowed himself to relax. "Didn’t expect to see you here. Figured you'd be home already."

"I was going to, but then I thought, why not stop for dinner?" I shrugged, taking a bite of my pasta.

"Good idea. I could definitely use some food myself," he said, glancing at the menu before settling on a burger.

When our meals came, we just ate, talking easily like the day’s stress didn’t exist for a second. It was weird seeing him so chill. The usual tense, "all-business" Michael was gone, replaced by someone who seemed more... real.

"Thanks for agreeing to play the girlfriend role at the party," he said, smirking slightly. "I’m still not sure how this is gonna go down, but you’re making it seem less... stressful."

I laughed, shaking my head. "Glad I can help. I think we’ll be just fine."

He leaned forward, the smirk on his face growing. "As long as you can fake liking me, we’re golden."

I grinned. "That’s the easy part. You might even enjoy yourself."

"That’s a bet I’m willing to take," he chuckled, his posture relaxing even more. “You’ve got this way of making things easier."

We talked through most of our meal, and honestly, it was... nice. I wasn’t expecting to feel this comfortable around him. As he cracked jokes and told stories from work, I found myself laughing more than I had all week. It was like he was showing me this side of him I didn’t know existed.

“Did you ever think we’d be here, like this?” he asked, leaning back in his chair.

“Not really,” I admitted. “But I’m glad we are.”

After we finished, Michael looked over at me with this thoughtful expression. “Mind if I give you a ride home? I want to talk a bit more about the party.”

My heart did this weird fluttery thing. “Sure, that’d be great.”

We stepped outside, and the cool air hit us like a wake-up call, but there was something nice about it too. He opened the car door for me, and I climbed in, feeling this strange anticipation building. As he started the engine, he glanced at me.

“Alright, so the party,” he began, steering us out onto the quiet street. “It’s gonna be packed. My parents will be there, plus some colleagues. Just stick with me, and if anyone asks about us, just go along with it.”

“Sounds simple enough,” I said, nodding. Then I paused. “And if Victoria’s there?”

Michael’s expression shifted, becoming more serious. “We’ll handle it together. Just remember, we’re in this as a team.”

As we drove through the nearly empty streets, the silence between us wasn’t awkward, but filled with... potential, maybe? I could feel the energy between us, like something unspoken was simmering just beneath the surface.

“I’m actually looking forward to it,” I said, trying to keep my tone casual.

“Me too,” he replied, that mischievous glint returning to his eyes. “We’ll show them what a ‘happy couple’ really looks like.”

When we pulled up to my place, I felt both excited and nervous. It was just dinner, just a car ride, but it felt like more. “Thanks for the ride,” I said, unbuckling my seatbelt.

“Anytime,” he replied, his voice softer than usual. “You’ve helped more than you realize.”

I stepped out, feeling his eyes on me for a moment longer before I turned back and smiled. As I made my way inside, I couldn’t help but think that tonight was the beginning of something—something that could end up changing everything between us.