The dim lighting of the private room at 15 Percent cast a warm, golden glow over the elegant table and comfortable booth where Riza sat. She was practically bouncing in her seat, her ponytail swaying with each bop of her head. A soft hum escaped her lips, some cheerful melody she must have picked up somewhere, as her fingers drummed lightly on the table. Every now and then, she'd glance at the menu in front of her, but it was clear her mind was elsewhere.
The door to the private room slid open, and the familiar voice of her favorite tormentor rang out. "Well, well, if it isn't my favorite customer! And look at you, practically glowing. What happened? You get laid or something?"
Riza's grin only widened, not missing a beat. "Something like that," she said with a bright, airy tone, her eyes sparkling with amusement.
Lydia froze mid-step, caught completely off guard by the uncharacteristic response. Her tray tilted slightly, but she recovered quickly, her smirk returning with double the mischief. "Oh, ho, ho. Now this I have to hear. Where's loverboy? Hiding out in shame after whatever… this is?" She gestured vaguely toward Riza, clearly intrigued.
Riza sighed dramatically, as if the question itself was exhausting. "He's on escort duty," she said, rolling her eyes playfully. "And I'm stuck here waiting for his shift to end. So here I am, killing time."
Lydia set the tray down, leaning forward with a curious glint in her eye. "Oh, now you have to spill. What the hell happened? You're way too chipper for this to be nothing."
Riza's grin widened, and she straightened up in her seat, clearly ready to unleash the story. "Oh, Lydia, where do I even start?" she began, her voice practically gushing with excitement. "Okay, so remember when we left here last time, after all your harassment?"
"Harassment? Please, I was merely guiding you to destiny," Lydia quipped, but Riza ignored her, diving into the story with enthusiasm.
"Well, after that, things started to get… interesting. We were heading to the lift, right? And he was all quiet and nervous. I could tell something was up, but I didn't think much of it. Then, in the lift… he kissed me."
Lydia's eyes widened, her jaw dropping slightly. "No way," she said, her tone half-shocked, half-gleeful. "Pepper? That guy? Kissed you? Just like that?"
"Just like that," Riza confirmed, her cheeks flushing slightly but her grin unwavering. "It was awkward at first, but… it wasn't bad. Actually, it was really nice."
"And?" Lydia prompted, leaning in further. "Don't you dare stop there."
"Oh, there's more," Riza assured her. "So after the kiss, we were both a mess. Like, full-on silent, awkward mess. He started holding my hand—like, really holding it—and we walked to the sundae shop on Deck 7."
Lydia chuckled, clearly enjoying every detail. "Hand holding? Adorable. Go on."
"We got our sundaes, but we were so quiet the whole time. It was unbearable. I swear, even the sound of a spoon hitting the glass felt loud. And then—oh, this is the best part—we get back to his room because I needed to grab my stuff, right?"
Riza paused for dramatic effect, leaning forward. Lydia waved her hand impatiently. "Don't you dare stop now!"
Riza giggled, her cheeks reddening even more. "He pulls this bold move. Like, out of nowhere. He grabs my hand, tucks my hair behind my ear, and then he kisses me again. But this time, it's not awkward. It's… it's just perfect."
Lydia's smirk turned downright predatory. "Oh, Pepper's got moves! Who knew?"
"And that's not all!" Riza added, her excitement bubbling over. "We ended up falling onto the inflatable bed—don't ask—and then he kept going. Like, full-on confidence mode. Pressed my hand into the mattress, kissed me like there was no tomorrow… It was unreal."
Lydia clapped her hands together, unable to contain her laughter. "I knew that guy had it in him! And you? How'd you handle it, huh? Did you freeze up? Kiss him back?"
Riza's face burned bright red, but her grin didn't falter. "Oh, I kissed him back, alright. And then… well, we just kind of stayed there. Exhaustion hit, and I ended up falling asleep against him."
Lydia leaned back, her expression one of triumphant satisfaction. "You know, I think I deserve a medal for all this. Clearly, my guidance has led to greatness."
Riza laughed, shaking her head. "You're impossible."
"And you," Lydia said, pointing a finger at her with mock seriousness, "are officially no longer allowed to complain about me teasing you. This is gold."
They both broke into laughter, the shared joy of the moment filling the room. For the first time in what felt like forever, Riza felt completely at ease, the weight of uncertainty replaced with the warmth of newfound happiness.
The soft hum of the ship's systems accompanied me as I rubbed the sleep from my eyes, stifling a yawn. The corridor leading to the private booths at 15 Percent was quiet, the late hour evident in the stillness of the place. I pushed the door open to the booth Riza had booked, expecting to find her already lounging and waiting.
Instead, the moment I stepped inside, I was met with Lydia's unmistakable smirk. Before I could even process her presence, she moved with alarming speed, pinning me against the doorframe with one arm planted firmly beside my head.
"Well, well," she purred, leaning in far too close for comfort, her mischievous eyes locked onto mine. "If it isn't loverboy, finally gracing us with his presence. You look like you just crawled out of bed… or maybe someone's bed."
My body froze instinctively, my brain still struggling to catch up with the situation. "L-Lydia, what are you—?"
"Just testing something," she interrupted, her tone dripping with mock curiosity. "You know, for science." Her smirk widened, her head tilting slightly. "You do seem the type to be fun to mess with."
Before I could respond, a sharp sound broke the tension.
"Get off him!" Riza's voice rang out, sharp and commanding, cutting through the moment like a blade. She shot up from her seat, her chair scraping loudly against the floor as she glared at Lydia, her cheeks flushed with a mix of irritation and embarrassment.
Lydia turned her head slightly, her smirk widening as she glanced at Riza. "Oh, what's this?" she teased, her voice lilting. "Jealous, are we?"
Riza stomped toward them, crossing her arms as she fixed Lydia with a fiery glare. "You know damn well I am! Stop messing with him!"
Lydia raised her hands in mock surrender, her grin widening. "Alright, alright. Message received, princess." She turned to me, giving me one last sly look. "You're lucky she's so protective. Guess I'll leave you in her capable hands."
With that, Lydia sauntered out of the booth, her laughter trailing behind her. The door slid shut, and the room was finally quiet again.
"She's impossible," Riza muttered, running a hand through her hair.
The soft glow of the booth's ambient lighting reflected off the sleek menu as Riza and I studied our options. She was perched across from me, flipping through the pages with a focused expression, her ponytail swaying slightly as she leaned forward. I was pretending to do the same, but my eyes kept drifting to her, the earlier incident with Lydia still fresh in my mind.
"This menu hasn't changed much," Riza commented, her voice light as she glanced up briefly. "But it's still so hard to choose. Everything here is too good."
"Yeah," I said, though I wasn't paying much attention to the menu at all. "What's catching your eye?"
"Maybe the honey-glazed chicken," she said thoughtfully, tapping the image with her finger. "Or the pasta carbonara. Ugh, decisions."
I was about to suggest splitting something when the door to the booth slid open with its usual quiet hiss. Lydia stepped in, tray balanced on one hand and her signature smirk firmly in place. Her mischievous eyes darted between us, clearly ready to pounce.
"Well, well, look who's finally ready to order," she said, sauntering over with an air of exaggerated elegance. "And here I thought you'd need another hour of staring at the menu. Must be hard to think with all that tension in the air."
Riza let out a small groan, covering her face with the menu as her ears turned pink. "Lydia, can you not?"
"Oh, I can't not," Lydia quipped, grinning as she leaned a little closer to Riza's side of the table. "Especially when you two make it so easy. Seriously, the energy in this room? Off the charts."
I sighed, shaking my head. "We're just trying to order food, Lydia. Can you give us a break?"
"Sure, sure," she said, waving her free hand dismissively. "What can I get for you two lovebirds?"
I opened my mouth to protest, but Riza beat me to it. "I'll have the honey-glazed chicken with a side of garlic mashed potatoes," she said quickly, her tone clipped but not unkind.
Lydia scribbled it down on her holopad, her grin never faltering. "Good choice, princess. And what about you, loverboy?"
I sighed, deciding it was easier to just roll with it. "Pasta carbonara and the house salad," I said simply.
"Excellent choices," Lydia said, tapping her holopad with a flourish. "Anything to drink? Or should I just assume you'll be sharing a milkshake with two straws?"
Riza groaned audibly this time, her face buried in her hands. "Lydia!"
I couldn't help but chuckle, shaking my head. "Water for me, thanks."
Riza peeked out from behind her hands, her face still tinged pink. "Same," she muttered.
"Water it is," Lydia said with mock disappointment. "You're no fun tonight." She straightened up, flipping the holopad closed with a smirk. "I'll be back with your drinks—and maybe a little something extra to spice up your date."
Before either of us could respond, she spun on her heel and sauntered out of the booth, the door sliding shut behind her.
Riza let out a long sigh, slumping in her seat. "I swear, she lives to torment us."
"Us?" I teased, raising an eyebrow. "Pretty sure you're her favorite target."
"Oh, shut up," Riza said, throwing a wadded-up napkin at me, though her lips twitched into a small smile.
Despite Lydia's antics, the tension in the room felt lighter now, and I couldn't help but smile back.