Omigosh did he just smile at me? Lily's heart flutters as she makes eye contact with a handsome young man across the crowded mall. She ducks her head, cheeks heating as she fiddles with the strap of her purse.

"H-hi," she stammers, glancing up briefly through her lashes before looking away again. Why do I have to be so shy?! Say something else, idiot!

She takes a deep breath and forces herself to meet his gaze. "I-I'm Lily. W-what's your name?" Her voice sounds squeaky to her own ears.

He introduces himself, a kind smile on his lips. Lily's knees go weak at the sound of his voice. Rose is going to freak! I have to tell her about this right away!

"N-nice to meet y-you," she whispers. Did that sound totally dumb? She worries her lower lip between her teeth, wondering if she has something stuck in her teeth or if her hair looks okay.

I have to tell Rose about this, she's never going to believe how badly I embarrassed myself! But he's just so cute, I couldn't help it... Lily sighs, feeling utterly mortified by her awkward attempts at flirting. At least the chance encounter has given her daydreams fresh fuel, imagining what might have been if she hadn't become a stuttering mess in front of her crush.

Get it together, Lily! She swallows hard and tries for a friendly smile. "U-um, w-w-would you m-maybe like t-t-to...to h-h-help me with s-something.....?" Her heart hammers in her chest as she waits for his answer, hoping she doesn't look as nervous as she feels. Please say yes, please say yes!

He totally smiled at me! I can't believe it! Lily feels like she's on cloud nine as the handsome stranger walks over to help her with whatever it is that she needs. His smile brightens up the whole mall, making all the other shoppers seem to fade into the background for a moment. Rose would never believe this!

As he stands beside her, Lily can't help but take in every detail: his soft brown hair, striking blue eyes and a dimple that appears when he smiles. Her cheeks grow hot at the thought of why she might need his assistance. She clears her throat, trying to focus on something other than how adorable he looks right now.

"Um, so I was just heading over to the bookstore and...I wanted to get this romance novel but..." Her voice trails off as she glances at him hopefully. *

Her cheeks heat up even more as he teasingly prompts her to finish her thought. "I-I don't know how much they cost, s-so I was hoping you could maybe h-help me...pick one out? I mean, if y-you want to." Her voice comes out in a rush of words and she cringes internally, worrying that she just came across as desperate. Why can't I ever shut up when he's around?

Lily forces herself to look away from his kind eyes for a moment, scanning the mall map instead. "It's over there...the big b-b-bookstore." She points awkwardly at it with one shaky finger, unable to meet his gaze any longer.

"R-really?" Lily asks in surprise, her eyes lighting up as he offers to pay for her. "Th-thank you so much!" She follows him over to the bookstore, feeling more confident and less tongue-tied with each step they take together. As they browse through the shelves, she carefully selects a few of her favorite titles, trying not to seem too eager.

"I've been wanting to read this one," she says quietly, holding up a copy of "The Notebook." She glances at him from beneath her lashes, wondering if he likes romantic stories as much as she does. He better! It's perfect for us...if only I could find the courage to ask him out sometime...

Her heart skips a beat as he speaks approvingly of her choice in books. "Really?" she asks softly, her voice barely audible above the store's background music. Blushing furiously, she glances down at the floor and then back up to meet his gaze again. For a moment, they share an understanding look that makes her heart flutter even harder. "I-I thought you might not like them," she confesses with a tiny nervous laugh. "But I'm glad you do...it m-means a lot."

Smiling shyly, she nods in agreement. "It really is...I love how the stories always have happy endings, you know? Even if everything seems impossible at first, they find a way to make it work." Her cheeks grow hotter as she talks about her favorite part of romance novels; the hope that true love can conquer all. "Just like in Cinderella, right?" She adds with a playful grin, thinking back to one of her childhood favorites.

As they continue browsing together, Lily finds herself getting more and more comfortable around him. It's as if he has this way of making her feel special and understood, which she hasn't experienced with many people before. Maybe there's a chance for us after all... She thinks hopefully, hoping that one day soon they could be together like the heroes and heroines in all those romance novels she loves so

Her heart skips a beat as he leans in close to her and compliments her eyes. "T-thank you!" she stammers, the butterflies in her stomach multiplying by the second. As he stands there so close to her, Lily can't help but notice how handsome he is up close; his perfect features making it nearly impossible for her to form a coherent thought.

She wants nothing more than for this moment to last forever, but she knows that soon enough they'll have to return to the real world. With a sigh of reluctance, she pulls herself together and takes a step back, forcing herself to focus on something other than how amazing he smells or how soft his voice sounds when he speaks. "Um, so I think that's everything...I-I really appreciate your help." Her cheeks are burning red now; it feels as though they might

Her heart skips a beat as he says her name and then his own in return. "It's nice to meet you too, Leon...I-I mean it." She stammers out the last part quickly, hoping she didn't make too much of a fool of herself with that slip up. The butterflies in her stomach are going crazy now; she wishes she could just take his hand and forget about everything else for a moment.

She clears her throat, trying to regain some composure. "S-so, um...thank you again." Her smile feels shy and awkward, but he seems to appreciate it nonetheless. Maybe there's hope for them after all...if only she could find the courage to act on her feelings instead of just dreaming about him.

Her heart skips a beat as he leans in closer and presses his lips against her cheek, just barely brushing against her skin. "Th-thank you," she whispers, blushing furiously from head to toe. For a moment, they stand there, frozen in time; their breath mingling together as they savor this brief connection.

Lily can't help but wonder if he felt the same way about the kiss as she did. Maybe it was just a friendly peck on the cheek...but maybe not. She wishes she could muster up the courage to ask him how he really feels, but fears that if she does, everything will be ruined and they'll never have another moment like this again.

Eventually, the moment passes and they part ways, going their separate directions through the mall. As Lily walks away, she can't help but glance back over her shoulder

With one final backward glance at him walking away, she lets out a sigh of longing and closes her eyes, reliving the feel of his lips against her cheek. Maybe there is hope for us... She thinks to herself, feeling a tiny spark of hope ignite inside her chest. As she continues through the mall, she can't help but smile, imagining what it might be like if they were together - holding hands, laughing together...It was a brief moment, but it felt so real. And now, even though he's gone, that connection lingers, filling her with a warmth and happiness she never knew possible.