I woke up in a rush. I had gone to bed very late the night before, and now I was almost late for work. Flashes of Lucia's tips were circling my mind, but it was hard to remember more than a few words. I wasn't even sure if I had seen her last night or not.
Seeing my hurry, my dear Lila helped me get ready quickly. I grabbed a quick bite and dashed out. When I arrived at work, I found Eva, displaying her usual rebellious spirit, with a confident and excited look.
She wore a tight denim shorts that accentuated her slender waist and long legs. The loose t-shirt left her right shoulder and part of her neck exposed, and it was ripped around the belly, revealing her defined abdomen in a sexy way.
"Finally showed up, huh..." she said, clearly excited to see me, which made me smile.
It was endearing to see her shyness as she awaited my opinion on her appearance. Even though she kept her usual style, she had clearly put in extra effort that day.
"By the way, you look gorgeous. That outfit suits you perfectly," I said sincerely.
Eva visibly blushed, trying to play it off, but I could see in her eyes how happy she was with the compliment.
"Now, can you explain why you're late? You were cutting it close yesterday too, and today you show up with dark circles! Staying up all night playing games, are you?"
I wish the answer was yes, but it wasn't the case.
"A lot of things happened… also, my roommate brought a friend over last night and…"
Maybe it was the sleep that was slowing my thinking, or my usual clumsiness, but I ended up mentioning that I lived with Lila. It was a detail Eva would have to discover eventually, but it didn't seem like the best time.
"Wait, you have a roommate?"
I sighed and had to explain everything, though I mixed in a few lies. In the end, I promised to introduce them in the future, which wasn't all bad. I had a feeling Eva needed more friends besides me, as I seemed to be the only person she talked to daily.
Of course, I suspected that some jealousy might make it difficult for them to become friends immediately, but knowing Lila, she'd probably find Eva's aggressive demeanor cute, and the two would eventually get along.
After that slip, I got a scolding for being distracted, but we carried on with our workday. Seconds ticked by relentlessly as I pondered how to broach a delicate topic.
"About your parents…"
My concern outweighed the discomfort and fear of addressing it. Eva's cheerful expression slowly faded, replaced by deep sadness and a hint of anger.
"They came to talk to me this morning," she replied coldly, continuing to type on the computer without adding another word.
"And what did they say?" I pressed, stupidly.
"To be honest, I don't want to talk about it right now. Today is a special day. Let's just enjoy ourselves. I'll tell you tomorrow."
At that moment, I regretted pressing the issue. I should have taken the hint. Trying to lighten the mood, I made a joke:
"Is today special because you're going out with me?"
"It's not a date! We're just hanging out as friends, don't get any ideas!" Eva's face turned redder than a pepper. "Besides, you already have that 'Lee-something-or-other' if you want to hang out with someone!"
Her irritation was adorable, but it didn't last long. She soon regained her composure and looked me in the eyes like a curious cat. She leaned in close enough that I could smell the sweet aroma of her perfume.
"But… it's my first time going out to have fun with someone who means a lot to me, so yes, it will be special, even if it's not a date," she said, her voice muffled and nervous.
She looked down, visibly embarrassed. She took a deep breath, trying to regain her composure. With a challenging look, she added loudly:
"Seriously, though, thank you for helping me so much. I'm really grateful to have you by my side."
"Did you know you're the sweetest person in the world?"
The cuteness of the moment was overwhelming, and my filters completely failed. I let out my most honest feelings.
"Idiot! Don't say things like that!" Eva kicked me hard in the shin, and I couldn't suppress a yelp of pain.
She turned her back, probably trying to hide her embarrassed face, but her red ears gave her away.
Time flew by, and soon we were in front of the shopping mall. We didn't have any clear plans, but just being with Eva was fun.
"Hey! Let's play at that arcade!" she said excitedly as we walked in.
An hour later, she was frustrated from losing every game to me. I never let anyone win on purpose. Her bad mood lasted three minutes, until we passed a candy store, where her pout vanished and was replaced by a smile.
"Do you want to try some?" I asked, seeing the sparkle in her eyes.
"Yes!"
It was delightful to see her so excited about everything. At work, Eva always seemed so serious, but that day she was more relaxed. Maybe it was because she was with me. Either way, just walking around with her was enjoyable.
I even managed to win a stuffed toy for her from a claw machine. We went to an expensive accessory store where she tried on various items, took photos, but, of course, didn't buy anything. Neither of us had money for that, but it was fun.
Feeling tired, I suggested we stop for food. We went to a fast-food place that served noodles and other options besides burgers. While we were waiting in line, a familiar voice called out:
"BroXL101, long time no see!"
Being called by my gaming nickname in real life sent a shiver down my spine. Only one person would do that: Max, a college friend with whom I played games occasionally.
"Watcher of Darkness, how's it going?" I responded with little enthusiasm, using his game nickname in retaliation.
"Hey! Why didn't you respond to my messages?"
He didn't seem to mind my "retaliation." The truth was he lacked the common sense to find it odd to be called that. Besides, I hadn't been ignoring him on purpose. The problem was that, unlike a normal person, he used the game chat to send messages. Since I had stopped playing, I never saw his messages.
Before I could get rid of him, Eva showed up and, noticing that Max seemed to be my friend, invited him to join us for lunch. Of course, she reinforced several times that it wasn't a date while blushing.
Out of all the people I could have run into by accident, Max was the best option, so I didn't have much to complain about. After all, of the possible mishaps, he was the least bad.