"Hmmm... Enzo," I called out.
"Yes?" He turned to look at me. He was in the kitchen, cooking. Yes, he was actually making us snacks. Fries, popcorn, and a bunch of other things because we decided to have a movie night.
He said we should do a movie marathon so the evening would not feel boring. After all, it was still early.
"I only have this oversized pink t-shirt. If you want to change your clothes, you can use it," I said, my voice a little shy. "Your outfit looks really warm… I mean, it might be too hot for you."
Oh no. I could feel my face heating up. Why did I sound like that? He just chuckled and reached out his hand.
Instead of handing him the shirt, I found myself staring at his hand, fair skin, smooth, a few veins showing. It looked strong and clean.
"Is this yours?" he asked, bringing my eyes back up to his face. I gave a small nod.
"Cool. Hand it over," he said with a playful grin before taking the shirt from me.
"You're really going to wear it?" I asked, still surprised.
Something about him in that pink shirt made me imagine things. Cute, yet still undeniably attractive.
"Yeah," he said casually, turning back to what he was cooking.
Trying to be useful, I grabbed plates from the cabinet and set them up for the food. I wanted to help, even just a little.
While he cooked, I kept sneaking glances at him. Not too long, just quick peeks. Ugh, eyes! Why do you have a mind of your own? Behave!
"Done!" he said cheerfully.
He placed the food on the plates, tacos, fries, popcorn, and hotdogs. Wow. Yum!
We carried everything to the living room and set it all on the table. We decided to watch a sci-fi movie.
I sank into the sofa, getting comfortable. He did the same, but we sat far apart, he was on the right end, and I was on the left.
"Hey, come closer. It'll be hard for you to reach the food from there," he said, looking at me with half-lidded eyes that made my heart race. He had a point, so I moved a little closer.
"You're right," I said, sliding over.
He adjusted the glass table, pulling it closer to both of us so we could reach the snacks more easily.
"Better?" he asked.
I nodded and grabbed some fries.
"Do you want some beer?" I asked, reaching for the drinks. He shook his head and raised an eyebrow at me.
"It's cold tonight. You should not drink alcohol when it's this chilly, especially when you are with someone like me," he said, serious this time.
His jaw moved again as he spoke, and my face flushed instantly. Sheez. What was that supposed to mean? Was he hinting at something?
Why did I even offer him beer? Wrong move, self! You just embarrassed yourself. I bit my lip, trying to play it cool, but inside, I was screaming.
"A-Alright," I stuttered, trying to focus on the movie again.
We stayed like that for almost an hour and a half, watching in comfortable silence. Every now and then, we talked about random things, work, life, or whatever popped into our heads. And no, we were not close. Totally not close. Nope. Definitely not.
"I'll sleep here," he said, pointing to the couch.
I looked into his eyes, his half-lidded, sleepy gaze. Oh no. Why does he look so attractive even when he's tired? Control yourself, Athilda. You sound like a hungry animal. Calm down!
"Are you sure? You're an imported, high-profile doctor and I'm making you sleep on a couch? What if I wake up tomorrow and you've turned into a statue in front of the TV?" I joked, nervous laughter slipping out.
"Nah, it's okay," he said, yawning.
"Do you want the bedroom instead? You could sleep on the floor. I can lay out some mats," I offered, even though I was half-hoping he would say no.
Please say no. Please say no. For my sanity.
"I'm good. I know you wouldn't be comfortable if I slept in your room," he said seriously. "You might not get any sleep. You still have work tomorrow."
Well… he had a point. I would definitely not sleep properly with him that close. But still, what about him? That couch could not be comfortable for someone like him. He looked too... refined to be sleeping on cheap furniture.
"Ahmm…" I did not know what else to say. The words stuck to my throat. The room suddenly felt awkward again.
"Don't worry. I'm used to it," he added with a small smile. "I can sleep anywhere. Especially during our medical missions, sometimes we have to camp in the mountains."
"Okay, that makes sense. See? At least you offered. You're a decent person. A good host. A kind woman. Gold star for you, Athilda.
"Alright. Just knock on my door if you need anything, okay?" I said, still a little hesitant.
"Yeah. Thanks."
"I'll go grab a comforter and some pillows," I told him, then turned away to fetch the bedding while he cleaned up the table.
I headed into my room, gathered the biggest comforter I had, along with two extra pillows. Honestly, it was a bit too much for me to carry all at once, but I tried anyway. As soon as I stepped out, struggling under the weight, I heard him speak.
"Give me that," he said, stepping forward.
I handed everything to him immediately. He quickly set up the couch, arranging the pillows and comforter. Then he turned to face me.
"Next time, don't carry heavy things like that," he said in a firm tone.
I raised an eyebrow. "And why not? I'm not pregnant or anything," I replied with a little frown.
He did not say anything. Instead, he clenched his jaw again and bit his lip. Wait. Is he… flirting again? What is this? Is this temptation knocking? Lord, please, shield me.
"Alright, I'm heading back to my room. Just knock if you need anything, okay?" I said quickly before I ended up saying something I would regret. And before I made a complete fool of myself, again.