Episode 6:close encounters
383 Words
Shaniel leaned against the railing of the rooftop bar, the city lights stretching endlessly beneath her. A quiet night, music in the background, her favorite cocktail in hand finally, some peace.
Then she felt it: that presence.
Adrian Blackwood, standing a few feet away, dark eyes fixed on her. Her pulse spiked, and she tried to act casual. “You really know how to pick your timing,” she said, voice steady.
He smirked, dangerous and magnetic as always. “I could say the same about you. Seems the city isn’t big enough to keep us apart.”
Shaniel raised an eyebrow. “Or maybe you just like making things… complicated.”
“Complicated can be fun,” he said smoothly, sliding into the space beside her without waiting for an invitation. “Especially when it’s worth it.”
Her stomach flipped. Dangerous, magnetic, unpredictable Adrian was all of that, and yet somehow… charming.
She took a sip of her drink, careful to maintain composure. “Worth it?” she asked, teasing lightly. “You make a lot of assumptions.”
He leaned closer, just enough that she felt the heat of his presence. “Assumptions are based on observation,” he said, voice low. “And I observe a lot.”
A waiter bumped into their table, spilling a bit of water. Shaniel moved instinctively to steady the tray, brushing Adrian’s hand in the process. That brief contact sparked tension she couldn’t ignore.
“Careful,” he murmured, eyes glinting. “You might get yourself into trouble.”
“I can handle trouble,” she replied, heart racing despite herself.
He laughed softly, dark and smooth. “I’ll hold you to that. But trouble seems to follow you… especially when I’m involved.”
The music played on, the city glittered below, and for a moment, nothing else existed. Just them the dangerous, unpredictable man and the woman who refused to be intimidated.
Adrian finally straightened, giving her one last lingering look. “We’ll meet again,” he said. “And next time… it won’t be so easy to ignore each other.”
Shaniel watched him disappear into the crowd, pulse racing, mind spinning. With Adrian Blackwood, ordinary nights no longer existed and she was beginning to realize she didn’t want them to.
- Writer
