2. Naughty
1186 Words
MC: No, you don't.
Lucien: Good. It's fascinating that you put your faith in me.
Lucien: You are beautiful and You have nothing to fear. I just want to know you.
MC: What if I'm too young for you?
Lucien: How old are you?
MC: Twenty-one. I'm still in college.
Lucien: What's my lady studying to be?
MC: A lawyer.
Lucien: Beautiful and smart. It appears I've hit the jackpot.
MC: I won't say I'm that smart. But my Dad's a genius.
Mc: I took more of my mum's brains.
Lucien: So you are saying?
MC: No. No. No
I chuckled softly, unable to contain my amusement. "Oh my God, he's such a tease."
Sarah, my ever-curious best friend, leaned closer, her eyes sparkling with intrigue. "What did you tell him?"
"The truth, of course! That he didn't come off as a p*****t," I replied, a smirk playing on my lips.
Sarah raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "Why on earth would you say that?"
"Well, you're always preaching about the virtues of honesty, aren't you?" I reasoned, a mischievous glint in my eyes.
"Touché," Sarah conceded, shaking her head with a grin. "I still insist you should have broken his heart though."
"It's not too late."
Turning my attention back to my phone, I could practically feel Sarah rolling her eyes beside me. But hey, honesty is the best policy, right?
Me: I just mean I'm not extraordinarily gifted. My mum's a brainbox too.
Lucien: Don't make undervaluing yourself a habit.
MC: Maybe I'm just a realist.
Lucien: Then you should think the absolute best of yourself.
Lucien: If you took after her, that much is obvious.
Mc: My dad is just such a genius it makes us look dumb.
MC: I just wanted to clarify.
Lucien: That you've done.
"You food is getting cold!" Sarah chimed in once more, her voice breaking through the bubble of conversation between Lucien and me.
"I'll eat, I'm just engrossed," I replied absentmindedly, torn between the warmth of our discussion and the tempting aroma wafting from the plate on the coffee table.
Sarah huffed in exasperation, but I could see the teasing glint in her eye. "Alright, but don't blame me if it turns into a cold, soggy mess."
I chuckled softly, finally tearing my gaze away from my phone to pick up my fork, the delicious aroma of the food now filling my senses.
"Now can you stop whining?" Sarah teased, a playful glint in her eye.
"Not until I see you eating," she insisted, her tone laced with mock seriousness.
I relented with a smile, cutting a small piece of pancake and popping it into my mouth. "Happy now?" I mumbled around the mouthful, earning an approving nod from Sarah.
With a satisfied grin, Sarah returned her attention to the TV, leaving me to my meal. But even as I savored the flavors dancing on my tongue, my eyes kept drifting back to my phone, almost as if I were being pulled by an invisible force. I couldn't deny the allure of Lucien's messages, each one drawing me deeper into the web of intrigue he had spun around me.
MC: I want to know the basics about you too. Like your name, where you work, your family. Things like that.
Lucien: I'm not one to divulge such information to just about anyone.
MC: So I'm just anyone?
Lucien: That's not what I mean.
MC: That's what it sounds like.
MC: How about a picture of my lips for an information about yourself?
Lucien: Now you are about to play dirty, huh?
MC: Oh come on... it's not playing dirty. This is just a simple negotiation.
MC: You look like a businessman in your profile picture.
Lucien: And?
MC: That means you should be used to negotiations and how they go. Dirty ones too.
Lucien: So you've accepted that you're playing dirty.
MC: I didn't say that.
Lucien: But you implied it.
MC: So do we end the negotiations then?
Lucien: No. I want that picture of your lips so bad. So I'll compromise.
MC: Good. I'm waiting. Tell me something.
Lucien: I want to see the picture first.
MC: How do I know that you will keep to your word?
Lucien: You just have to trust me then. I am a man of my word.
We were on the thin line between flirtation and negotiation, each word laced with a hint of intrigue. As the tension mounted, it was clear that I had to give in.
MC: Fine.
I responded casually, masking the bubbling excitement within me.
With a burst of energy, I leapt off the couch and dashed towards the room.
"Allison, where on earth are you off to in such a hurry?" Sarah's voice trailed after me.
"Just grabbing my lip gloss," I called back, shutting the door behind me with a click. In a flurry of movement, I rifled through my belongings on the table, retrieving my trusty pink lip gloss. With deft strokes, I applied it liberally, feeling a surge of confidence wash over me. Racing back to the living room, I threw open the curtains, inviting the sunlight to flood in.
"You're acting strangely, Alli," Sarah remarked, eyeing me curiously.
"Ah, it's nothing," I replied casually, though my heart was doing somersaults in my chest.
I couldn't resist snapping photo after photo of my freshly glossed lips. Sarah approached, peering over my shoulder.
"That one's gorgeous! Your skin looks so smooth," she exclaimed, her enthusiasm infectious.
"Really?" I scrutinized the image on my screen, the third in my impromptu photoshoot.
"Absolutely. Send it to him before you start nitpicking," she suggested, nudging me playfully.
"You're probably right," I admitted, nerves fluttering in my stomach as I hit send and leaned back against the wall for support.
"Off to get ready for class," Sarah announced, gathering her things.
"Alright, see you later," I called as she disappeared into the kitchen.
"Don't you have a lecture this morning?" she called back over her shoulder.
"Not until 11:00," I replied, my mind still preoccupied with the message I had just sent.
Mc: Do you like it?
Lucien: It's perfect.
Lucien: It's the most exotic picture I've ever seen.
Mc: You're making me blush.
Mc: Now it's time to keep to your own end of the bargain.
Several agonizing minutes pass without a word from Lucien, each second feeling like an eternity as I anxiously bite my lips, a nervous habit I thought I had kicked.
"Sarah, I think Lucien might be ghosting me," I confess, my voice tinged with uncertainty.
"Why do you think that?" Sarah's concern is evident in her tone as she turns to face me.
"He hasn't replied to my message. Should I text him again?" I'm torn between the urge to reach out and the fear of appearing too desperate.
"No, absolutely not. If he's interested, he'll respond. Give it some time," Sarah advises, her words laced with empathy.
I chew on my lip, contemplating her words. "Okay," I concede reluctantly, though the uncertainty gnaws at me like a persistent itch.
- Writer
