13

The next evening arrived with a quiet thrill in the air. I found myself feeling unexpectedly excited, which was unusual for me. I had spent the afternoon picking out a simple, yet stylish outfit—something casual but still enough to show I’d put in a little effort. Levi had reserved a table at a bistro downtown, the kind of place that felt low-key but charming, and I’d heard good things about it.

As I walked to the restaurant, my mind wandered back to the escape room and the strange, unexpected connection we’d shared. Levi had looked at me in a way that was different, with a warmth that lingered. Was tonight just a casual dinner, or was there something more brewing?

When I arrived at the bistro, Levi was already there, leaning casually against the entrance, looking effortlessly cool in a button-down and jeans. His face lit up when he saw me.

“Hey, Cora,” he said with a grin. “You clean up nice.”

I smirked, feeling a little playful. “Not too shabby yourself, Carson. Who knew you could actually look put together?”

He chuckled and opened the door for me. “Keep the compliments coming, Abel.”

As we sat down at a cozy table by the window, the soft lighting and warm atmosphere of the bistro felt inviting. Levi immediately launched into light conversation, asking how my day went, and I found myself more at ease than I expected.

“So,” Levi said, leaning back in his chair, “tell me, what’s your guilty pleasure TV show? Don’t say something boring like a documentary.”

I raised an eyebrow, leaning forward slightly. “Who said I had to feel guilty about it? But if you must know, I’ve been rewatching this old teen drama lately. It’s ridiculously over the top, but I’m hooked.”

Levi’s eyes lit up. “Oh no, you’re one of those ‘bad boy falls for the good girl’ types, aren’t you?”

I laughed, shaking my head. “More like ‘bad girl scares the good boy away.’”

He smirked. “I’ll bet you’re the bad girl in this scenario.”

“Maybe,” I teased. “Or maybe you just like to assume things.”

The conversation unraveled easily from there, a natural back-and-forth, like we were playing a game neither of us wanted to win too quickly.

Levi had always been quick-witted, but tonight, I noticed something else. The way he listened—not just waiting for his turn to speak, but really listened. How he’d tilt his head slightly when I talked, or the small smirk he’d give when I said something that amused him.

It was disarming in a way I hadn’t expected.

At some point, after swapping stories of embarrassing high school moments (Levi, apparently, had once fallen asleep mid-sprint during track practice—an incident I was never letting him live down), he leaned forward, resting his forearms on the table.

"Alright, serious question," he said, eyes glinting mischievously. "If you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?"

I thought for a moment, pretending to be deep in thought. “That’s tough. Maybe pasta? It’s versatile. You can do so many things with it.”

Levi grinned. “Ah, going classic. I respect that. But I feel like you’re the type who would sneak in something fancier, like truffle oil or something.”

I laughed, shaking my head. “And what would you pick, Mr. Refined Taste?”

He leaned in slightly. “Pizza, hands down. You can never go wrong. Plus, it’s good cold, so I’m prepared for any situation.”

I rolled my eyes, smiling. “How practical of you. I guess I’m stuck with you on this deserted island, eating cold pizza forever.”

“Trust me, you’d love it,” he said with a wink.

As the evening went on, the conversation turned a little more personal, but still playful. Levi talked about his love for travel and his tendency to jump into spontaneous adventures, while I admitted I liked planning things down to the last detail.

“So, you’re saying we’d make a good team,” Levi said, his voice teasing but with a glint of something more serious in his eyes.

I raised an eyebrow. “Oh, you think so?”

He shrugged, leaning back in his chair again. “You plan, I improvise. Sounds like a match made in heaven, don’t you think?”

“Or a disaster waiting to happen,” I shot back, but there was a smile tugging at my lips.

By the time dessert rolled around, we were fully in sync. The light-hearted banter had an undercurrent of something deeper, but it wasn’t too serious. We were enjoying each other’s company, plain and simple.

When the check came, Levi waved off my offer to split it. “Consider it a thank you for not making me look completely incompetent during the escape room,” he said, flashing that signature smirk.

I narrowed my eyes playfully. “I knew there was an ulterior motive here.”

As we left the bistro, the cool night air hit us, and Levi walked me to my car. The city lights sparkled around us, and for a moment, there was a comfortable silence.

“You know, this was actually fun,” I admitted as we reached my car. “You’re not as bad as I thought.”

Levi chuckled, his hands in his pockets. “High praise, coming from you.”

I smiled, feeling a little lighter than I had in a while. “So… another round sometime?”

Levi’s eyes twinkled. “Oh, you’re challenging me now? I’m game.”

With one last shared look and a smile, we said our goodbyes, and as I drove home, I couldn’t stop thinking about how natural the evening had felt. Whatever was happening between us, it felt easy, exciting, and maybe a little dangerous in the best way.

I hope you liked this chapter. I know this chapter is short, and I apologize for that. Lately I have been quite busy which has been ending with me getting tired. So, I didn't have the energy to write properly.

- sky