0 6
the one with the terrible flirting
THE END OF the date left Nala feeling more nervous than she had at the beginning of it.
For all their earlier jokes about going on a second (third, fourth, et cetera?) date, she couldn't for the life of her figure out whether Seung Jae had meant it. He seemed like he'd enjoyed himself enough.
Hadn't he?
She cast a surreptitious glance at him. With his coat collar turned up against the wind and his hair falling into his eyes, he cut a silent, enigmatic figure. But getting to know him over dinner had debunked her original theory about him. He was quiet only because he was shy; enigmatic only because she barely knew him.
Now that she did though...
Nala thought back to their dinner, where conversation had flowed smooth from the get-go. Once she'd rambled on sufficiently about herself, he'd seemed comfortable enough to open up as well. She'd learnt that, like her, he was the only child of migrant parents, had been bullied awfully as a kid because of his race, and preferred watching movies at home than at crowded theatres. Unlike her, however, he lived in the suburbs, loved the winter chill, and worked as a delivery man only to put himself through vet school.
"You get to meet all kinds of people and see all kinds of things in places where no one ever notices of you," he'd explained about his current job. "At the end of the day, you realise that animals are far easier to interact with than humans, and can't wait for the day when you finally get to help them."
The look on his face when he talked about something he was truly passionate about. She shivered at the memory. His eyes had burned with an intensity that her heart pound; a tiny smile playing on his full lips. She really, really wished that, someday, he would talk about her with that expression on his face. Or look at her with that same expression.
Or...
She couldn't help glancing at him again. They were nearing her flat now, having left his car parked across the street, and she didn't know how this date would end. A kiss, she hoped. All good dates ended with those and maybe something more, right?
He caught her staring at him after awhile, and his lips quirked in a wry grin. "Is there a reason you keep looking at me?"
Flustered, Nala looked down at her feet. "I—um, no, not exactly. I just wanted to tell you that I really enjoyed myself tonight. It's been a long time since I went on a date—at least, I'm hoping this is a date because I'd really hate to assume anything. ...Is it? Anyway, my last date was with this bloke who said he didn't want a second one because he preferred a woman who didn't talk quite as much as I did."
"He actually said that?"
"Yes. Although, in my defence, it was only because I wanted him to stop talking. Once he found out that I worked at Bretton Industries, he couldn't shut up about it. He asked about insider trading and potential investments—never mind that the first was totally illegal, or that I work in a department that knows nothing of those. He was so bloody boring that I couldn't help but babble."
Seung Jae suddenly stopped in his tracks to look at her.
She blinked. "What's wrong?"
"You babble a lot around me. Surely I'm not that boring, am I?"
"No, absolutely not! You're actually one of the most fascinating people I've ever met. It's just—and I probably should've led with this earlier—I tend to babble a lot when I'm nervous, as well. You should've seen me with my first crush. He spun the bottle, which landed on me, but I babbled so much that he wouldn't even kiss me after that. In fact, I wasn't kissed until I was sixteen, and even then it wasn't anything to rave about."
One corner of his lips lifted in a fleeting smile. "How about at twenty-five? Would it be any different?"
"It would...oh!" Her eyes widened as her brain finally caught up.
Under the streetlights, he stood close enough for her to count the dark flecks in his eyes. His scent enveloped her and fuck, wasn't it positively divine? Her stomach curled and she swallowed. Do something, her mind urged. Say something.
Something sexy. She could totally channel sexy.
She let out a breathless laugh and raked a hand through her hair. "It would definitely be fan-bloody-tas...ow!"
A yelp escaped her as she flinched back. In her peripheral, she noticed Seung Jae's eyes widen. But she was far more concerned with whatever the hell it was that had almost tugged her hair right off her scalp. She twisted her head just so, then let out a squawk of dismay as she found her curls caught in one of the many rings on her hand.
Ah, yes, one of the many perks of frizzy, untameable hair.
"Are you okay?" Seung Jae asked in concern.
"Yes—well, not exactly, it's just..." She tugged again, and whimpered when the ring stuck fast. As soon as she got home, she was going to throw away all her rings. Either that, or hack off all her hair. "...it's this stupid ring—"
"Here, let me."
He took a step forward and reached for her hair. With infinite care, he unwound the curl from under her ring. As soon as the ring got unstuck, she let her hand fall back down to her side, staring glumly down at her flats that were once stilettos.
So much for channelling sexy.
"I had the best time," he said unexpectedly. Her eyes darted up to his, only to find a tiny smile playing on his lips. "I hope you did too."
Too stunned to speak, Nala could only nod.
His gaze warmed and he gently tucked the same curl behind her ear. "Goodnight, Nala."
"Goodnight," she echoed, her heart racing as she watched him head down the street.