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.”

Anjali's cheeks flushed even deeper at the compliment, and she dipped her head shyly. "T-thank you," she stammered. "You're very kind." Glancing back down at the apples rolling across the floor, she smiled weakly. "I should really be more careful."

She waited nervously for him to take a step closer, wondering if he would help her or not. Her heart raced as she began to suspect that perhaps he wouldn't want anything to do with someone so awkward and inept...

Her brow furrowed in confusion at the strange statement, but before she could ask what it meant, something else caught her eye—his expression. His smile was kind...teasing...and it made her belly flutter. She felt a rush of courage and took a step closer to him. "Um...I'm sorry if my appearance scares you or anything, but I promise you I'd never try to hurt you..."

There, she'd said it. Now all she could do was wait for his reply. She hoped he wasn't offended by her admission; it was just the truth and she couldn't help feeling self-conscious about how plain and unattractive she knew she was compared to others...

She looked down at her own body, frowning sadly. "Well, I'm not very attractive," she confessed softly. "I haven't been with anyone in a long time...no one has ever really wanted me before..." Her voice trailed off, and her cheeks flushed even deeper. She hated feeling this exposed, but somehow, he had made her feel like she could trust him enough to open up.

She glanced back up at him, hoping he wouldn't laugh or make fun of her for being so pathetic...

Her heart skipped a beat at his words. She couldn't help but feel hopeful and flattered...and just a tiny bit aroused by the fact that someone found her attractive. "R-really?" she asked, trying to keep her voice steady despite the rush of emotion inside her.

It was odd; he didn't seem like anyone else she'd met before. Usually, people would just pity her or ignore her altogether. But this man...there was something about him that made her feel special and wanted. It was intoxicating, and she couldn't help but crave more of his attention and approval.

Her face flushed even deeper at his words, and she could feel herself blushing all over. It was almost embarrassing how good it made her feel to hear that someone found her attractive; usually, people only ever seemed interested in her friends or co-workers who were more conventionally pretty. But there was something about him...perhaps it was the way he spoke so kindly or maybe just the fact that he seemed genuine and sincere when he complimented her. Whatever it was, she couldn't help but want to spend more time with him.

Her heart skipped a beat at his words, and she couldn't help but smile shyly. "R-really?" she asked again, sounding even more hopeful than before. She glanced back down at the apples, her hands still fidgeting nervously with each other. "I...I mean...I'd like that." There it was—the truth. The thought of being with him, of being wanted and desired by someone as confident and charismatic as he was...it made her stomach do flips in a way she'd never experienced before.

"Y-you know," she stammered, glancing back up at him through her lashes, "if you don't mind..." She paused, trying to gather the courage to finish what she was saying. "...I...I mean, I could, uh...let you help me with those apples?" The suggestion left her lips

Her cheeks flushed even deeper at his teasing tone. "Well...I was going to say that if you helped me with the apples, we could maybe spend some time getting to know each other better," she confessed shyly. "But I suppose we don't have to..." She hesitated, biting her lip nervously. "If you'd rather not."

She felt foolish, offering herself up so easily and uncertainly. It was just that the thought of being with him...of having someone want her, truly desire her, seemed too good to be true after years of feeling so unloved and unwanted. Perhaps she was simply overthinking things; maybe he didn't feel the same way at all.

"Oh," she breathed out, finally daring to meet his eyes fully. "I'm...I'm Anjali." The name sounded foreign and beautiful on her tongue when he said it, like music to her ears. It was strange how just hearing him say that made something flutter in the pit of her stomach. She couldn't help but hope that perhaps this wasn't all in her imagination...that maybe there really was a chance for them after all.

Tentatively, she took a step closer to him, tilting her head slightly as their gazes locked together. It felt like they were the only two people in the world right now, and she couldn't help but revel in the intimacy of the moment. Perhaps he truly did want her, just as much as she wanted him...?

Her heart fluttered at his words, and she could feel herself blushing even harder as he continued to look at her with those kind eyes. For the first time in what seemed like forever, Anjali felt truly desired...truly wanted. It was a heady sensation, one that left her reeling with emotion but somehow managing to steady her nerves enough to keep from collapsing into an awkward mess on the floor.

Tentatively, she reached out and took his hand, their skin barely touching at first before she squeezed gently, her cheeks burning bright red from embarrassment and arousal alike. "I...thank you," she whispered, feeling impossibly shy but unable to look away from his face. "For...for saying that."

The air between them seemed charged with something more than just conversation now; there was an undercurrent of desire and longing that

Her heart skipped a beat as he squeezed her hand back gently, and she could feel herself trembling slightly at the contact. "I...I really am grateful," she stammered, her voice barely above a whisper. Her cheeks ached from the effort of trying not to blush even more, but she couldn't bring herself to care about anything other than the way he was looking at her right now.

With trembling hands, she reached up and tentatively brushed a stray strand of hair away from his face, marveling at how soft it felt against her fingers. "You're...you're so kind," she whispered, her voice barely audible even to herself as their eyes locked together once more. It was in that moment that she knew, without a shadow of doubt, that she wanted this man - Michael - with every fiber of her being.

She could feel herself growing

Her heart fluttered wildly in her chest as he asked her such a question. An invitation to his place...it was more than she'd ever dared to hope for. "O-of course," she stuttered out, feeling impossibly grateful and awkward all at once. "I-I'd love that." She glanced around themself, suddenly self-conscious about their surroundings again. "I mean...if you still want to after seeing my apartment..." Her cheeks burned even hotter as she mumbled the last part, wishing she could take back how insecure it made her sound.

But then his lips curved into a reassuring smile, and all of her anxieties seemed to fade away beneath the warmth of his gaze. He leaned forward just slightly and brushed his thumb across her knuckles before giving her hand a gentle squeeze. "Your

Her heart raced at the thought of spending time with him alone, but she forced herself to remain calm and collected. Smiling shyly back at him, she let out a nervous laugh before saying, "I-I'm looking forward to it." As they began walking towards his place, she couldn't help but steal sideways glances at him, admiring how confident and sure he seemed about everything. She wished she could be more like that - unafraid and unashamed of who she was or what she wanted from life.

But for now, just being with him would have to be enough. As they arrived at his doorstep, her nerves got the better of her once again; suddenly, it seemed like an impossibly big step into the unknown. Yet when he turned towards her and offered a warm smile and reassuring squeeze of her hand, she found herself nodding hesitantly - almost imper

Her eyes flickered up to meet his as he spoke, uncertainty etched onto her features. "Um...I'm not really sure," she admitted sheepishly. "You pick." It wasn't that she didn't have any favorites; it was just that the thought of him selecting for them somehow made everything feel more intimate and special. She couldn't help but hope he would choose something delicious, knowing that whatever he picked would be their first shared meal together.

"Chinese sounds lovely," she murmured softly as they sat down on his couch. It was comfortable and inviting, and she couldn't help but feel a little more at ease in its presence. As he placed their order over the phone, her eyes wandered around the room, taking in all of his personal belongings with an almost childlike curiosity.

She glanced back down at her hands, suddenly self-conscious about how she must look to him. Her fingers were stained with dirt and food from bagging groceries earlier, and there was a faint film of grease on them as well. She wanted nothing more than to brush her teeth and wash her face before they ate anything but didn't want to make him uncomfortable by asking if she could do that first.