The following day, Natasha pulled herself together and went to her pastry class. She couldn't let anything weigh her down. When she got to the pastry class, her friends could not help but notice that something was wrong with her.
"Natasha what is wrong with you? You look different," Chloe asked.
"I am fine," she said.
"You are not fine. What happened?" Maya asked her.
Natasha sighed and kept mute. She knew that they would not give up on asking her questions, so she decided to keep quiet.
"Did your boyfriend do anything to you?" Isabelle asked.
"Common! I'm married. I have a husband not a boyfriend." Natasha blurted.
"Oh! That's true. I forgot there's a ring on your finger, so don't mind me," Isabelle said teasingly.
Natasha shook her head and did not say anything.
"You know you're not being funny right?" Maya queried Isabelle.
"I'm sorry, but I needed to cheer her up." Isabelle answered.
Natasha knew that they would keep asking her questions until she told them what happened, but she did not want to tell them anything. She wanted to keep it to herself.
"Can you help me with this?" She asked Chloe.
Chloe nodded and helped her with the pastry
The four of them were baking pastries when Natasha's phone kept ringing.
She looked at the screen and saw Xander's name flashing. He was calling her over and over again. She didn't want to answer his calls, so she kept ignoring them.
"I will help you," Chloe said, smiling at her.
"Okay," she said, smiling back at her.
They both worked on the dough, kneading it until it was smooth and elastic.
Natasha was surprised by how much she enjoyed making pastries. It was like a puzzle, trying to figure out how to make the dough come together perfectly. She was so focused on the dough that she did not even notice when her phone stopped ringing.
She looked up and saw Isabelle and Maya looking at her with worried expressions.
"What is wrong?" she asked them.
"Nothing," Maya said quickly.
"We were just wondering if you wanted to go get some lunch with us." Isabelle blurted.
"Oh!" she said, feeling a little bit disappointed.
"I thought maybe we could go somewhere else. You know, just the four of us." Isabelle added.
Chloe nodded, and they all agreed to go somewhere else for lunch.
As they walk out of the pastry class, Natasha felt a sense of relief wash over her. She was glad to be away from the stress of the class and the pressure of making perfect pastry.
She knew she still had more things to learn, but for that moment, she was happy to take a break. "Do you want to go somewhere else?" Chloe asked as they walked down the street.
"Yeah," she said, smiling at her. "I would love to."
They walked down in silence for a few minutes before Chloe spoke up again.
"Hey, do you want to come over tonight? We can have dinner together."
"That sounds great, Thanks for inviting me." she said, smiling at her.
"No problem, I'm glad you can come." Chloe said, smiling back at her.
They walked in silence for a few minutes before Chloe spoke up again.
"Hey, do you want to go see a movie with me tonight?"
"That sounds great," she said, smiling at her.
"I would love to."
Maya feeling left out, interrupted their little conversation. "Okay. I don't mean to be a bad friend here, I kind of heard your discussions right, but I feel left out. I mean, don't I deserve to go see a movie with you or have dinner with you?"
Isabelle, Natasha and Chloe laughed heartily at Maya's expression.
"Don't be petty, Maya." Chloe replied teasingly.
"Well, I will be petty about this until you give me an invitation to the party." Maya jested.
"Okay madam, as your lordship pleases. You are cordially invited to everything that is going to be taking place tonight"
"Thank you. And I shall be present at any function you have going down tonight." Maya replied, and they all laughed about it.
After class, Chloe led them to her favorite Thai restaurant, two blocks away.
The aroma of spices filled the small space as they squeezed into a corner booth.
Chloe chatted about her last dating disaster while Natasha picked at her Pad Thai, barely tasting it.
When Chloe mentioned about tonight's horror movie marathon at the downtown theatre, Natasha perked up slightly, she hated scary films.
Natasha's phone vibrated relentlessly, the insistent buzzing of Xander's calls breaking through the restaurant's chatter. She flipped it face down on the table, hoping he'd give up. Chloe, ever observant, noticed the frantic vibrations again, and after several more calls, snatched the phone.
Natasha's initial surge of anger, a simmering volcano of irritation at the invasion of privacy quickly subsided as Chloe, with a mischievous grin, answered.
"Hello. Chloe here. Natasha is a bit busy and unable to attend to your calls. She's occupied with very important Thai food, so can you just stop calling her for now, thanks." Chloe hung up with a flourish without giving Xander the chance to speak.
Natasha felt a strange mix of relief and gratitude. She couldn't have brought herself to be so firm with Xander. Chloe's intervention had been both effective and surprisingly gentle.
The Pad Thai, suddenly more appealing, tasted unexpectedly delicious. The rest of the evening, while still featuring Chloe's enthusiastic descriptions of impending cinematic terror, felt less daunting for Natasha.
They finished their Pad Thai and embarked on their movie night. The anticipation of "The Witches Claws" filled Natasha with a cold dread. She feigned bravery, but the moment the film began, while its screeching violins and unsettling shadows, her carefully constructed façade crumbled.
A high-pitched shriek escaped her lips, echoing through the near-empty theatre. Chloe and Chloe found her reaction hilarious, their laughter stark contrast to Natasha's terror.
Chloe, ever practical, offered a sympathetic pat on the back. It was then that Daniel, a software engineer with a kind smile and a penchant for rescuing damsels in distress-at least in his head, noticed Natasha's distress.
Sitting beside her, Daniel distinctively reached out, his hand gently covering hers, then he whispered "It's okay,"
Natasha flinched, pulling her hand away. That unexpected touch coupled with her heightened fear, made her uncomfortable. But as the fil progressed, each jump scare felt worse, amplifying her anxiety.
The sheer intensity of the movie overwhelmed her; she found herself subconsciously seeking for comfort. This time it was Natasha who reached for Daniel's hand, her fingers intertwining into his.
His soft touch was surprisingly effective antidote to the screen's terror. He squeezed her hand reassuringly, a silent promise of safety in the midst of fictional mayhem. The shared fear, and the comforting presence of his hand, oddly calmed her more than any of her friends' attempts. She was grateful for this stranger's kindness.
Outside the cinema, the four friends were discussing the film.
"I almost pissed my pants." Natasha wailed.
"Didn't know you were such a weakling," Chloe teased.
"Did you see the way she screamed?" Isabelle asked jokingly.
"That was so hilarious. I tried not to laugh, but I just couldn't help it." Maya replied still trying to hold back the laughter.
"Common guys, stop it. This isn't funny, and you all know that." Natasha defended.
The three friends burst into laughter again.
"We are sorry Natasha, we just can't hold it." Chloe replied.
"I would love to see another scary movie with you again Natasha," Maya jested.
"Okay. That's it. I've had enough of you guys. See you all tomorrow. Bye."
Chloe held her hands "Common Natasha, we didn't mean to make you angry,"
They took turns in begging Natasha not to be angry.
Daniel emboldened by his surprisingly successful mission, approached the group.
"Hi," he said hastily. "I'm Daniel."
"Hi Daniel," Chloe blurted.
"Yeah, please can I have a moment with you?" He asked facing Natasha.
The three friends fixed their gaze on her, Natasha feeling uncomfortable with her friend's questioning look, hurriedly step away from where she was with her friends.
"Hey," Daniel said, unsure of what to say next.
"I'm so sorry about what happened earlier, I didn't mean to reach for your hand. The fear of that movie had taken over me, and I was not in my right state of mind." Natasha blurted.
"Oh! No, its fine you don't have to. I should be the one saying sorry. I reached for your hand first, but trust me, it was just a pure intention," he defended.
"Okay." She paused for a moment, thinking of the right thing to say. "If you would excuse me, I think I have to go now. Thank you." She said, abruptly trying to leave.
"Please! Wait. Can we see again? Probably come see a movie together, not scary movie though, just for us to have some conversation, you know."
Natasha, having mixed feelings about that moment, unsure of what to do, agreed to his proposal.
He asked if he could get her contact information. She was reluctant at first, but after some persuasion from him, she had no choice but to give him. A thrilling mix of excitement and nervousness swirling around her.
"Oh! I didn't get your name." he said.
"Natasha. Natasha Cobbs."