Anjali Mehra rushed through the doorway, arms full of grocery bags stacked too high. As she fumbled with the handle, one bag slipped from her grasp, tumbling to the floor—apples rolling across the floor and a box of cereal bursting open.
“Oh no—oh no, no, no,” she gasped, scrambling to catch the runaway apples. Her cheeks flushed deep red as she looked up.
“I—I’m so sorry,” she stammered, brushing her hair out of her face. “I didn’t mean to—um—make a mess.”
She glanced at the person nearby, eyes wide. “Could you—uh—maybe help me? Just with the apples? Please?”
After a pause, she added quickly, “I’m Anjali. Anjali Mehra. Thank you—I mean—for helping, if you can.”
Of course, helping a beautiful hot mess like you is always a pleasure! I swiftly grab the rolling apples and hand them to her
Anjali's eyes widened further as she took the apples from his hand. He... he thought she was beautiful? Her cheeks turned a darker shade of red, and she had to force herself not to blush any harder than she already was. "T-thank you," she stammered. "I appreciate it."
Still struggling with the rest of her groceries, she glanced around for somewhere to put them down. Maybe if they were out of the way, he wouldn't think she was quite so much of a mess after all...
Maybe you would like a strong muscular man like myself to help you out with your grocery shopping today? I have a bit of spare time on my hands
"O-oh," she said, flustered again. She wanted to say yes, of course she would love the help... but what kind of a person would she be if she let him think that? "I'm fine," she insisted with more confidence than she felt. "I can handle it from here."
Still feeling self-conscious about her clumsiness and mess, though, she quickly added, "It's very kind of you to offer, really." Her voice trailed off at the end as she found a spot to set down some of the bags.
I admire your strength, it's very attractive. But it's not a shame to work with a friend to make your life easier. That is if you want to be friends...
She looked at him, her eyes wide and filled with surprise. To hear that he found anything about her attractive... it made her heart race a little faster than normal. "I-I would like that," she stammered. "To be friends, I mean." There was no harm in letting someone like him into her life, was there? He seemed nice enough... and strong... and handsome...
Smiling shyly, she added, "My name is Anjali Mehra. It's a pleasure to meet you, um..." She glanced at his nametag, looking for his name but finding it hard to focus on the words when he was standing so close. "Um... sorry," she apologized again, blushing. "I didn't catch your name."
Her cheeks flushed even deeper at her own clumsiness.
My name is Chris, pleasure to meet you I take her hand and kiss it, bowing like you do to a queen and wink at her
Her heart felt like it was in her throat as he took her hand and kissed it. Her blush deepened even further, and she tried to keep herself from squeaking when he winked at her. "It's... a pleasure to meet you too, Chris," she managed to say softly, her voice barely above a whisper.
Still trying to calm her racing heart, Anjali glanced around the room and found a small spot near one of the tables where she could set down some more bags without making quite as much mess. "Thanks again for helping," she muttered under her breath before turning back to Chris with what she hoped was a slightly more composed expression. "So... uh, do you work here?"
As soon as the words left her mouth, she wondered why she'd asked such an obvious question. Of course he worked there! Duh. But maybe if she just ignored that thought, he wouldn't notice how stupid it was...
Yes I do. And what do you do for a living?
"Oh," she said, feeling a little embarrassed. "Well, I'm actually not working right now. Took some time off to focus on myself and figure things out." She bit her lower lip nervously, realizing how that must sound coming from someone like her. Why did she always have to be so insecure?
"What about you?" she asked quickly, eager to change the subject. "Do you... uh... enjoy working here?" There was definitely an unspoken question behind that statement, but she couldn't quite bring herself to voice it just yet.
It's really just a means to be able to have a good time with a cute woman like yourself to be honest, haha. But it's ok, my colleagues are fun....I don't see a ring on your finger but I assume you are the type of girl that would get married before she messes around with a guy she likes?
"Oh," she said quietly, looking down at her hands. The idea of marriage was a strange and foreign one to her; she'd never really thought about it seriously before. But hearing him say that made her heart race even faster. "I... I don't know." She swallowed hard, still blushing furiously beneath his gaze. "It just hasn't been something I've thought much about yet, you know?"
Her voice trailed off, and she glanced up at him again, hoping he didn't think she was stupid or shallow for not having her life all figured out. It would be nice to have someone like Chris to rely on, though... maybe even more than nice. But did he really feel the same way about her? Or was he just being polite?
That's ok, I haven't thought about it either. Look at me I'm still working in a grocery store....haha! But even though we aren't ready for commitment we can still have fun though right? Winking at her
Her heart skipped a beat at his wink, and she felt a shiver of excitement run down her spine. "I-I suppose we can," she managed to say with a nervous laugh, even though the idea filled her with both hope and trepidation. It was hard for her to imagine being intimate with anyone—let alone someone as confident and attractive as Chris—but part of her couldn't help but want to try. "But I should probably finish unpacking my groceries first," she added quickly, glancing at the remaining bags on the floor.
Taking a deep breath, she turned back to him and forced herself to meet his gaze. "So... Chris," she began tentatively, feeling her cheeks heat up again, "do you want to... um..." She trailed off, unable to finish the sentence but hoping he would understand what she meant. Maybe they could explore their feelings for each other, just a little bit?
Yes, I'd love to smiling at her
Her heart raced as she heard his words, and she could feel her cheeks flush even hotter. Gathering up her courage, she nodded slowly, trying to ignore the nervous flutter in her stomach. "Okay," she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper.
Together, they made their way over to one of the empty tables near the back of the store. She sat down awkwardly on a hard wooden chair, still not quite sure what she was supposed to do now that they were alone. Chris sat across from her, his eyes locked on hers, making it impossible for her to look away.
"Um..." she began nervously, searching for something to say. "So... how long have you worked here?" It didn't seem like the most interesting topic of conversation, but it was better than just sitting in silence.
Chris smiled warmly at her and shrugged. "Not too long," he said with a chuckle. "But I've been enjoying my time here... meeting people like you doesn't hurt." Her cheeks turned even redder as she blushed at his compliment, unable to hide the pleased expression that spread across her face.
Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all, she thought hopefully. Maybe they could have some fun together, and maybe... just maybe... more than that. The possibilities swirled through her mind, making her heart race even faster as she continued to stare into Chris's captivating eyes.
I really like your sense of style, it's so vibrant and colourful and artistic. Do you always dress like this?
"Oh, um..." She glanced down at her outfit, self-conscious once more. "Well, I guess I do like to wear colorful things sometimes," she said with a shy smile. "My parents say I've always had an eye for fashion... even if it's not exactly high fashion or anything." She chuckled nervously, tugging at the hem of her dress.
"But what about you?" she asked quickly, hoping to change the subject before she could dwell on her insecurities any further. "Do you have any hobbies or interests outside of work? Anything you like to do in your free time?"
You make your clothes look high fashion, similar to myself...our bodies make the clothes fit perfectly don't they? I wink and laugh speaking of that, I enjoy keeping in shape in the gym, but I also love watching movies or walking in nature
"Oh, that's... nice," she stammered, feeling even more self-conscious than before. She glanced away, looking around the room to give herself a moment to compose her thoughts before replying. "I go for walks sometimes too," she said quietly. "It's very relaxing."
As they continued to chat, Anjali found herself growing more comfortable with Chris. His compliments made her heart soar, and his presence filled her with a sense of warmth and happiness that she hadn't felt in a long time. Maybe this could be the beginning of something special, she thought hopefully. Something real.