~
~
Sadie tilted her head, considering it. “Self-defense lessons actually… works,” she said slowly. “My mom would love that. She’s been convinced I’m going to get kidnapped since I was twelve.” A small smile slipped out. “And it explains why we’d spend time together outside of school without it sounding like some dramatic workplace scandal.” She nodded, decision made. “Okay. That’s our meet-cute.”
At his next questions, she laughed quietly and leaned back in the chair, thinking. “A song, yeah—we probably should,” she said. “How about one from the car? Wonderful Tonight?
Then she paused at his last question—what are you like?—and for a moment, she worried she was revealing her full hand. “Well,” she said carefully, choosing each word like she was arranging something fragile. She swiveled so she wasn’t necessarily looking at him as she spoke. “I’d say you’re steady. You don’t say much unless it matters. You’re good with the kids—” she added quickly, before it could sound like praise, “—they listen to you. And you know a lot of random things, but never in a show off-e way. It always… fits.” She shrugged, a little self-conscious now, her smile softer. “That’s probably enough for parents. Anything more and they’ll think I’m trying too hard.” She was too in her head to ask the same question over.
Then, like she needed to rebalance the moment, she added lightly, “As for favorites—we can keep it simple. I like purple—” a beat, “—lavender, technically. I listen to the same three bands on repeat. I hate energy drinks. So… what about you?”
She met his eyes again, more grounded now. “We don’t need to know everything,” she said. “Just enough to not trip over ourselves.” She said… maybe nervous that he knew her now. Nothing too deep… but more than one minute ago. But that then again, ten minutes ago she hadn’t know her ex was sprawled on her parents couch. So somehow, in the middle of all the pretending, Sadie felt herself settle—like maybe this was manageable after all.
@LunaticLeviTheSecond ~ Levi