Chapter 3: Tracy's Curiosity
1403 Words
Tracy swung open the apartment door with a sigh, the faint smell of disinfectant still clinging to her scrubs. Her entire body ached from the 24-hour shift at the hospital. She kicked off her shoes, one landing with a soft thud, while the other lazily fell over. Her purse slid to the floor beside the shoes, as if giving up on staying upright.
Yet, even tho she was overly stressed, something caught her attention the moment she stepped into the living room. There, on the special couch where they always shared countless late-night conversations, was Ella with her face glowing with a radiance Tracy could not ignore.
"Hey, girl! You look like you're walking on sunshine," Tracy teased, collapsing onto the couch with an exaggerated groan.
Ella's lips twitched into a smile, her eyes moving from the screen of her laptop to Tracy and back again. She blushed immediately but instead of acknowledging the comment, she hurriedly pulled her laptop closer, as if trying to disappear behind the screen.
"Just had a good night's sleep," Ella mumbled, her tone too casual to be believable.
Tracy peeked out from under her arm, one eyebrow arched in amusement. Sleep had nothing to do with it at all. Ella's energy was practically bouncing off the walls, strong, rare, and contagious. Tracy, no stranger to reading her best friend's moods, caught the hint of something Ella wasn’t saying.
"Uh-huh. Sure. And I'm the Queen of England. Spill the beans. What's got you glowing like that?" Tracy said, her voice playful but curious. She knew Ella too well to let her get away with dubious maneuver.
Ella hesitated, her fingers nervously tracing the edge of the laptop. The color on her cheeks deepened, and Tracy saw the moment of internal debate play across her face. Tracy could feel the tension in the air, a mixture of excitement and a reluctance to let the words out, like the thing Ella had locked inside was just waiting to be told.
"Come on, Ella," Tracy pressed, propping herself up on one elbow, her tone more insistent but still teasing. "You can't fool me. I've known you long enough to recognize that look. That's the 'I've got a secret, and I kinda want to tell, but I'm scared' look."
Ella exhaled, realizing resistance was futile. A part of her wanted to share; she was bursting to talk about Lucas, the mysterious, magnetic man who had unexpectedly come into her life. But another part of her feared that saying it out loud would make it all too real.
"Okay, okay, fine. You win," Ella said, biting her lip and glancing down at her laptop screen one last time. "I...I met someone."
Tracy's eyes lit up instantly, all traces of fatigue vanishing as if the exhaustion of her shift had never existed. She sat up straighter, leaning forward with anticipation.
"Ooooh! Dish! Who is he? Where did you meet him? What's the story?" Tracy asked, her questions flying out in rapid succession. Overly excited to know who this man was to make Ella be this way
Ella laughed nervously, her fingers playing with a loose strand of her hair. “We met at the art gallery.”
“The art gallery?” Tracy repeated, clearly impressed. “Damn, girl, that's classy. Okay, go on.”
Ella took a deep breath. “It was one of those random, unplanned things. I wasn’t even supposed to go there , but something just... pulled me there. I was wandering through one of the exhibits, you know, the one with all the abstract pieces”
“The one you dragged me to last month?” Tracy interrupted, recalling the strange, intense art Ella had been obsessed with.
“Yes! Exactly. So, I’m there, minding my own business, staring at this one painting I didn’t get at all, when this guy, Lucas comes up beside me and says something completely out of the blue.”
Tracy leaned in, eyes wide. “What did he say?”
Ella smiled, her cheeks flushing at the memory. “He said, ‘It's funny, isn't it, how something so simple can make you feel so complicated?’ I turned to him, thinking, ‘Who the hell is this guy?’ But the moment I saw him, I couldn’t stop staring.”
“Wait, hold on,” Tracy interrupted again, holding up her hands as if to stop the story for a moment. “So, this dude just randomly walks up to you and drops that line like he’s in some kind of rom-com? Is he for real?”
“I know it sounds cheesy but in the moment, it didn’t feel like that. It felt... genuine,” Ella said, her eyes softening as she remembered the encounter. “We started talking about art, and before I knew it, hours had passed. We talked about life, dreams, the universe everything and nothing all at once.”
Tracy raised an eyebrow. “And let me guess—he’s a tortured artist type who lives in a loft and wears scarves even in the summer.”
Ella rolled her eyes, laughing out really loud “No, nothing like that. He appears kind of different. He’s charming, intelligent and he talks about the world in these abstract, philosophical ways. Like how life isn’t black and white but full of shades of gray.”
“Shades of gray? What is he, a walking existential crisis?” Tracy teased, smirking.
Ella chuckled softly. “Maybe. But when I’m with him, it’s like... I see things differently. Like I’m more aware of the little details I used to overlook.”
Tracy’s expression shifted from playful to serious, her smirk softening into a genuine smile. “You’re serious about this guy, aren’t you?”
Ella shifted on the couch, unsure. Her fingers twisted the fabric of her sleeve, and she bit her lower lip again. “Maybe. I don’t know. It’s still so new.”
“But you’re into him. I can see it all over your face,” Tracy said, her tone warm and encouraging. “And honestly, Ella, I'm happy for you. You deserve someone who makes you feel that way.”
The room settled into a comfortable silence, the kind that only long-time friends can share. Tracy stretched her legs out on the couch, feeling the tension in her muscles ease. Ella sat back, her mind still swirling with thoughts of Lucas and the possibilities ahead.
Finally, Tracy broke the silence. “So... when do I get to meet him?”
Ella’s eyes widened in alarm. “What? Meet him? Tracy, it’s way too soon for that. We’ve only gone out a few times!”
Tracy waved off Ella’s concern with a flick of her hand. “Pshhh, details! I just want to make sure he’s good enough for my girl.” I don't want just anyone messing with you.
Ella’s laughter rang out, the tension from earlier fading off. “The last time you ‘checked out’ a guy I dated, you nearly gave him a heart attack.”
“Okay, maybe I went a little overboard,” Tracy admitted, laughing at the memory of the poor guy squirming under her interrogation. “But I promise, this time I’ll behave.”
Ella eyed her suspiciously. “You? Behave? I find that hard to believe really! I’ll keep it casual,” Tracy said, grinning mischievously. “Just a few simple questions like, ‘What are your intentions with my best friend?’ and ‘Do you plan on breaking her heart?’”
Ella rolled her eyes again, shaking her head. “Fine. I’ll ask him. But you’d better keep it casual. I mean it, Tracy. No scaring him off.”
“I swear, I’ll be on my best behavior,” Tracy promised, crossing her heart with a playful grin.
As they drifted into other topics—catching up on work, gossiping about mutual friends—Ella couldn’t help but glance at her phone every few minutes, wondering if she should text Lucas. The thought of him meeting Tracy filled her with both excitement and nervousness.
Would he pass the infamous Tracy test?
Ella wasn’t sure. But one thing she knew for certain: her life was changing in ways she hadn’t anticipated. And for the first time in a long while, she was ready to embrace it, shades of gray and all.
- Writer
