I was waiting by the entrance of the office when a sleek Mercedes-Benz C-Class pulled up. The door swung open, and there Elly was.
Dressed simply in jeans and a sweater, Elly somehow managed to exude effortless style. The sunglasses, the easy smile—those little things made heads turn without trying.
"Ready to go?" Elly asked, flashing a grin that made it hard to focus on anything else.
I raised an eyebrow, teasing. "Thought we were just heading to Costa Verde. You look like you're off to a photo shoot."
Elly smirked, then, without missing a beat, opened the door next to the driver's seat, gesturing for me to get in.
I slid into the car, and as soon as the door shut, I was hit with the faint scent of Elly's perfume. It wasn't overpowering, but there was something warm and comforting about it—woody with a touch of leather, maybe a hint of smokiness, like the kind of scent you'd associate with a cozy evening by a fireplace. It felt sophisticated, almost raw, but oddly familiar, like it belonged to Elly alone. Even inside the car, it seemed to settle around me, quiet but undeniable.
"Love on a Weekend" by John Mayer was playing softly in the background. The kind of music I'd throw on when I wanted to unwind, when I didn't feel like talking, just getting lost in the melody. It made me smile—our taste in music wasn't as different as I thought.
As I let myself relax into the rhythm, Elly glanced over with a slight smile. "Sorry, would you like to change the music?"
I shook my head, surprised. "No, it's perfect."
Elly raised an eyebrow. "Are you also a fan of John Mayer?"
I shrugged, feeling a little embarrassed. "Not exactly, but I love some of his songs. 'You're Gonna Live Forever in Me' is my favorite. What about you?"
Elly's smile softened, eyes distant for a moment. "I can't pick really" then asked Jen, "Why didn't you tell me we were classmates in Brent High?"
Jen blinked, taken a back. "Wait, you knew? But… why didn't you say anything?"
Elly's gaze lingered on her, amused. "I figured you'd tell me eventually. But why didn't you? Were you keeping it a secret?"
Jen hesitated. It wasn't a lie, but it wasn't the whole truth either. "I wasn't sure you'd remember me. After all these years, I thought it'd be better to just… leave it. Plus, I didn't want anyone to think we were that close."
Elly raised an eyebrow. "So, we're not friends anymore?"
Jen laughed, a little embarrassed. "No, what I meant was… we were just teen friends, you know? I didn't want to drag you into my awkward high school phase," she added, half-laughing at herself.
Elly grinned at Jen's voice, her eyes softening. "I get it. I thought you'd forgotten about me, though."
Jen chuckled too, a little more relaxed now. "No way! You've got this... mysterious vibe. How could I forget?"
For a brief second, Elly's smile faltered—a subtle, fleeting shift, but Jen noticed it. "A lot has changed, hasn't it? It's hard to figure things out these days."
Jen felt the shift in the air, the weight of Elly's words. "Yeah, a lot has changed" she said softly, glancing at Elly.