Kael stood at the edge of Jacob's gate in the cool evening after lectures. tugging at his shirt for the tenth time. He wasn't sure if the collar was crooked, if the buttons aligned straight, or if his sneakers somehow made him look like a twelve-year-old. His reflection in Jacob's car window didn't help just a nervous boy staring back at him, hair sticking in directions he swore weren't there when he left home.
He stepped in with a half-grin.
"Yo man, hope I look good."
Jacob and Mark, sprawled on the couch already snacking, turned and burst into hysterics.
"Look good?!" Jacob nearly choked on his chips.
Mark slapped the table, laughing. "I told you he's hiding a girlfriend. Bro's even shining his shoes for a sit-down!"
Kael's face burned red. "Wha—nah, nah, it's not even like that. It's just a chill-out, right? Just refreshments, no pressure "
Mark leaned back, smirking. "Hmm. More like a date."
The three locked eyes for a second. Silence.
Then Jacob cackled so hard he rolled off the couch.
"Date?! This clown can't even finish a sentence in front of a girl without sweating bullets. You think Maya's dragging him out for a date? Pfft!"
Kael, trying to defend himself, pointed at his own chest. "Bro, I'm… I'm just making sure I don't look like some zombie. You never know what happens!"
Jacob and Mark laughed harder.
"You hear this guy? He's already fantasizing about what happens."
Kael groaned, burying his face in a pillow. "Why do I even talk around you guys?"
But inside, his heart was racing. The thought of sitting across from Maya sharp-mouthed, witty, impossible-to-dodge Maya, already made his stomach twist. And what if Aimee showed up too? Or worse… what if Mia found out?
The place Maya picked wasn't just a "spotlight." It was the kind of lounge where neon lights made everyone look ten times hotter, where music pulsed low like a heartbeat, and the air smelled faintly of perfume and temptation.
Then second Kael, Jacob, and Mark stepped in, Kael froze. His brain almost shut down.
Because Maya wasn't alone.
She stood by the bar, rocking a tight crop top that could start wars, waving casually like she owned the place. But beside her flanking her like bodyguards were two girls Kael had never seen before. And they weren't just girls. They were sculptures. Busty, curved, legs going on forever, with dresses that clung in all the ways Kael's imagination didn't need help with.
Kael's jaw nearly hit the floor. His heart went boom boom boom, louder than the speakers.
"Oh God… oh no… ohhh God," he muttered under his breath, dragging a palm down his face. "Why? Why do they exist? Why did she bring them? What test is this?!"
Jacob elbowed him. "Yo bro, what's with the red cheeks? You look like you ran a marathon."
Mark grinned wickedly. "Don't faint yet. We haven't even sat down."
Before Kael could form words, Maya strolled over, hips swaying deliberately, her sharp smile already loaded with ammo. She eyed Jacob up and down like a judge in court.
"Tch. You finally showed up, huh? And you even brought accessories." She flicked her chin toward Kael and Mark. "Didn't know you kept puppies."
Jacob groaned, "Every time, Maya. Every time. Can you chill for one day?"
Maya ignored him completely, turning instead to Kael. She leaned in just a little, her perfume hitting him like a knockout punch. "And you… you must be the shy one he hides behind. Hm, cute. Doesn't bite, does he?"
Kael's brain screamed: Say something normal. Just say hello. It's not that hard.
What actually came out was: "Uh—uh I don't uhh…"
Maya tilted her head, smirking. "Oh, i forgot he stutters. Interesting. I like nervous boys. They're more… honest."
Jacob slapped his forehead. "Maya, stop corrupting my friends!"
But Kael wasn't even listening anymore. Because Maya's two friends had finally stepped closer, and their eyes fell on him too. Both busty. Both curvy. Both looking like they could snap him in half or eat him alive.
I'm doomed, Kael thought. I came for refreshments. I got… destruction.
Kael sat down across Maya and her two bombshell friends, and immediately regretted every life decision that had led him to this table.
The girls greeted him politely at first, smiles soft, voices like music but Kael's brain didn't even register words anymore.
Because thighs.
Exposed thighs.
Barely covered.
Shiny in the low neon light.
His throat dried up. His pulse skyrocketed. He kept telling himself, Look at the drinks. Look at the table. Look anywhere but there. But his treacherous eyes kept sneaking peeks, catching every curve, every teasing sway of Maya's crossed leg.
He wanted to choke, to swallow, to run, to pray—anything.
One of Maya's friends, the one in the deep red dress with a neckline that could cause accidents, leaned forward. Her voice was silk. "A glass of wine?" she asked. Her fingers toyed with the stem, eyes glinting.
Kael, who had zoned out into another universe by this point, nodded automatically, not even hearing her properly. His mind was spinning with thoughts like: Her legs. Oh God, her legs. Don't look. Don't
"Kael. Kael!" Jacob's voice snapped through the haze.
Kael blinked hard, jerking back to reality. "Uh—what?!"
Everyone at the table was staring at him.
He realized too late that the girl hadn't been offering him a drink. She'd been holding out a chess piece from the mini-board game the lounge had set on the side for customers.
Kael's eyes darted to the piece, then to the untouched wine glass, then back. His hand hovered awkwardly. And then, in his panic, he blurted, way too loud:
"Oh sorry I was about to take the glass of wine!"
The silence lasted half a second. Then
"Pfft—HAHAHAHA!" Jacob doubled over, slamming the table. Mark nearly spat out his soda. Maya threw her head back laughing so loud heads turned in the lounge.
Even the busty red-dress girl covered her mouth, giggling, cheeks red.
Kael froze, face burning, gripping his seat like it might save him.
Maya leaned close, smirking with that devilish glint. "Ohhh Kael… you're too precious. Daydreaming about wine, huh? Or was it about something else on this table?" She dragged her finger slowly down the stem of her glass in a way that made Kael's heart pound like a drum.
I'm finished. I'm dead. This is how I go. Not in battle, not in glory just drowned in embarrassment.
....
The laughter still rippled around the table when the girl in red shifted closer. Too close. Her perfume brushed against Kael's nose—sweet, sharp, dizzying. She extended her hand with a sly, confident smile.
"I'm Clara," she said, her voice velvet-smooth. Her nails were polished a deep crimson that matched her dress.
Kael's brain screamed, Don't mess this up. Don't mess this up.
He hurriedly reached out, clasping her hand in a firm shake too firm. His palm was clammy, his grip stiff, and he shook a little too fast, like he was trying to start a broken lawn mower.
"H-Hi—I'm Kael," he blurted, voice cracking.
Jacob nearly choked on his drink. Mark coughed into his fist, trying not to laugh.
Clara's lips twitched like she was biting back amusement. She didn't let go right away—in fact, she leaned in, her face close enough that Kael caught the shimmer of her lip gloss. "Relax," she whispered, her tone teasing, "I don't bite… unless you want me to."
Kael's entire soul left his body. His friends didn't hear the whisper, but they saw his face turn the color of a ripe tomato.
"Yo Kael, you good?" Jacob smirked, nudging him. "Why you shaking hands like it's an interview?"
"I-I just…" Kael stammered, pulling his hand back so fast he nearly knocked over his water glass. "It's polite, okay?!"
The table roared with laughter again. Even Maya slapped the table, tears at the corners of her eyes. "Oh my God, Kael, you're killing me!"
Meanwhile Clara just leaned back with that same sly smile, eyes locked on him like she'd already figured out all his weaknesses.
Kael sat there rigid, his heart thumping in his ears, praying the ground would swallow him whole.
This is it. My life is over. First the wine. Now this. I should just become a monk.
Clara still hadn't stopped smiling at him. She tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear and tilted her head. "So, Kael," she said sweetly, "are you always this nervous… or is it just because I'm sitting too close?"
Kael nearly dropped his fork. "N-Nervous? Me? No! I'm… I'm perfectly fine. Totally fine."
His laugh came out high-pitched, like a squeaky toy.
The girl in blue Clara's friend leaned in with her chin propped on her hand. "Mmm. I think he's blushing."
Kael immediately covered his face with both palms. "It's just hot in here, okay?! The air conditioning's broken or something!"
Mark cleared his throat loudly, leaning in to rescue him. "So, Clara, you said you're studying law, right? That's… intense."
Clara smirked, but she let Kael off the hook for a moment, turning her attention to answer. Meanwhile, Jacob quietly nudged Kael under the table and whispered, "Pull it together, man. You look like you've seen a ghost."
Kael nodded furiously, trying to straighten up and look normal until Clara's knee brushed lightly against his under the table. His entire body stiffened like someone had hit pause on him.
Clara pretended not to notice, sipping her wine casually. "So, Kael," she said again, turning her gaze back on him. "Do you always avoid eye contact with girls? Or… just me?"
The table went quiet for a beat. Even Maya was watching him curiously.
Kael swallowed hard, then forced out, "I don't avoid eye contact! I'm just… making sure… the ceiling doesn't fall."
Silence. Then Clara giggled. Maya shook her head. And Kael sank deeper into his chair, wishing he could teleport out of existence.