"Okay, Arisa," I whispered, smoothing my hair with one hand and clutching my phone with the other. "You could do this."
Mavrik's voice echoed in my mind like a relentless pep talk. "You needed to flirt with Joshua. Embrace your younger self! That was your chance!"
Right, I thought, rolling my eyes at my reflection in the window. Because nothing said 'I'm cool and casual' like an awkward internal monologue.
I took a deep breath, forcing myself to remember that I wasn't just some random person trying to charm Joshua; I was Ariana, a fresher version of me. A version that—hopefully—had better luck with men.
With a surge of determination, I pushed the door open and stepped inside. The familiar sound of clinking glasses and soft chatter filled the air, but my focus was solely on one table near the back, where Joshua sat, scrolling through his phone.
"Long time no see, stranger," I said, attempting what I hoped was a casual smile as I approached his table.
Joshua looked up, his brows knitting together in playful confusion. "Did I know you from somewhere?"
I blinked, momentarily thrown off. "Oh, uh… you must have seen me in your dreams."
He raised an eyebrow, a smirk forming on his lips. "I didn't usually dream of women who could pull off such terrible pickup lines."
"Still as snarky as ever, I see…" I muttered, feeling the flush creep into my cheeks.
He laughed—a rich sound that felt like an unexpected warm breeze on a chilly day. "And still as charming, I hoped?"
Encouraged by his laughter, I slid into the seat across from him. "So, what had been going on in your dreams? I assumed they'd improved since our last encounter."
Joshua leaned back, clearly amused. "Well, let's just say they'd included fewer corporate meetings and more… interesting people."
"Interesting, huh?" I teased, leaning forward a little too eagerly. "Like who?"
He leaned in, conspiratorially. "Let's just say I'd been dreaming of someone who could keep up with my snark."
I was hit by a wave of excitement mixed with anxiety. What if this worked? What if SCAL really knew what it was doing?
I took a sip of my coffee to calm my nerves and nearly choked. "I guess I should have started taking notes on how to be the queen of snark."
"Careful," he warned, the teasing glint in his eyes growing. "I might have just hired you for my next gig."
"Don't worry; I charged for my services."
He chuckled, shaking his head. "This was what you did for a living? Charge for bad pickup lines?"
I laughed along, the tension in my shoulders beginning to ease. Maybe this flirting thing wasn't as terrifying as I'd thought. Maybe I could actually connect with Joshua.
"So, what else had you been dreaming about?" I asked, unable to resist the urge to pry a little deeper.
"Honestly? I'd been contemplating my next career move. I felt like I was at a crossroads," he admitted, looking thoughtful.
"What did you mean?"
"I meant, I loved modeling, but sometimes it felt like I was just another face in the crowd. I wanted to do something that meant more."
His honesty caught me off guard. I'd always known him as the guy with a perfectly chiseled jaw and a killer smile, but hearing him express that he was searching for meaning resonated with me.
"Did you mean you wanted to start a non-profit for underprivileged models?" I joked, trying to lighten the mood.
He laughed, shaking his head. "Not exactly, but I did want to explore new paths—maybe even in something unexpected."
As we continued talking, I realized how easy it was to slip into this rhythm with him. There was something genuine about Joshua, something that made me want to lower my guard and be real with him.
"So, what about you?" he asked, curiosity in his gaze. "What was your dream? You seemed like someone with a plan."
I hesitated, feeling the weight of my true identity pressing down on me. "Honestly? I thought I did. I'd been focused on building my career, making a name for myself. But then? It was like… everything felt different."
"What did you mean?"
I took a breath, weighing my words carefully. "I felt like I'd been hiding behind my work for so long that I'd forgotten what it was like to actually live—to enjoy life. I'd had some setbacks in my love life, and then… I didn't know."
"Like what?" he prodded, his interest piqued.
I chuckled nervously. "You really wanted to know? I'd been ghosted more times than I could count. It was practically a sport for me."
He raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. "Sounds like a competitive game. Care to share the secret to your strategy?"
Before I could respond, my phone buzzed again. I pulled it out, glancing at the screen.
SCAL Notification: "Careful—attachment to the past may trigger unexpected results."
My heart skipped a beat. What the hell did that mean? I tried to shake it off, but a sense of dread crept in. What if Mavrik was right? What if the more I flirted with Joshua, the more entangled I became in this lie?
I glanced back at Joshua, whose expression was both curious and slightly concerned. "You okay?"
"Yeah, just… a notification," I said, trying to sound casual. "You know how it is."
"Right." He gave me a half-smile that felt genuine yet unsettling. "I didn't think I'd ever had a notification interrupt a conversation like this. What was your system for that?"
I laughed nervously, shaking my head. "I promised I wasn't usually this distracted. I was trying to flirt with you!"
His eyes widened in mock surprise. "Oh, really? I had no idea. You were doing a great job."
"Ha! Thanks. Just call me the queen of bad flirting."
He grinned, his amusement evident. "No, really. I was enjoying this. But I had to admit, I was a little curious about your notification system."
As we chatted, I felt the weight of the SCAL notification pressing down on me, but I couldn't ignore the chemistry building between us. What if I let go of the past just for a moment? What if I just enjoyed being here, right now?
But that thought was interrupted by another buzz from my phone.
SCAL Notification: "Re-evaluate your emotional investments. Consider the long-term effects."
Long-term effects? The warnings kept piling up, and I was stuck trying to juggle flirting with Joshua and staying true to my fabricated identity.
"Is everything alright?" Joshua asked, his brow furrowed in concern.
I forced a smile. "Just some reminders. You know how it is."
"Reminders for what? A bad pickup line?" he teased, his eyes sparkling with mischief.
"Something like that," I responded, trying to deflect the conversation away from my internal turmoil.
Just when I thought the conversation was about to get too real, Joshua leaned in closer. "Okay, since we're on the topic of flirting, I needed to confess something."
"What's that?" I asked, my curiosity piqued.
"I'd noticed you'd got a knack for it, but you were still holding back. You could really let loose, you know."
I blinked, my heart racing. "You think so?"
"Definitely. You had this energy, and it was magnetic. Just let it flow."
I took a deep breath, considering his words. Maybe he was right. Maybe I just needed to let go of the fear and dive headfirst into this flirtation.
"What if I were to throw caution to the wind?" I asked playfully, leaning forward. "What if I asked you out right here and now?"
He grinned, his eyes lighting up. "Now that was the spirit! I'd say yes, absolutely. But were you sure you wanted to risk the potential ghosting?"
I laughed, the tension between us easing as we shared this moment of connection. "Well, if I ghosted, it was probably just my bad flirting skills."
"Fair enough," he replied, still smiling. "So, what was it going to be?"
Just then, my phone buzzed yet again, and I glanced down, feeling a knot tighten in my stomach.
SCAL Notification: "This was your moment. Don't let it slip away."
I looked back at Joshua, and in that moment, I realized something: I wanted to seize this chance, but I also needed to confront the truths behind my choices.
Did I continue pretending to be someone I wasn't? Or did I risk it all, dive deeper into this flirtation, and discover what could have blossomed from this moment?
As I met Joshua's gaze, the air crackled with unspoken tension, and I could feel the weight of my decision pressing down on me.