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Rose's POV
Throughout the event, I put on my best professional face, tuning out Mr. Ivan's uncomfortable gaze. Maybe he's just socially awkward or something? His scowl seemed permanent, like he was constantly disappointed in humanity.
Gosh, I'm no saint either; I'd say I'm a complete hot mess. After three hours of enduring Mr. Ivan's stern expressions and crisp replies, I thought, "He's such a major headache. If only he knew how much effort it took to tolerate him for just half an hour."
As soon as I settled into my precious chair, my legs screamed relief. I had been missing sitting all day.During Mr. Ivan's speech, I remembered I had to submit my graphic design sample, and, damn, the deadline was today! I whipped up a quick draft, wrapped up my work, and dipped out early.
Emily met up with me after the event, and we grabbed lunch. "Girl, I noticed Mr. Ivan's creepy gaze on you," Emily said, munching on her crisps roll.
I looked up, frowning, and chuckled.Β
"Em, eat first, or that roll might choke you just thinking about that demon."Emily laughed.
Β "Seriously, this man is gonna win some kinda award for his scowls and poker face."
"No wonder he's single," I added.Emily snorted.Β
"He'd probably rock up to his date with that signature poker face and tell her to wear something less flashy."
"He's just finding mistakes in everything; it's so infuriating," I said, rolling my eyes.
Emily chuckled, and we both burst out laughing."Alright, bae, enough about him," Emily said. "Did you submit your work?"
"Yeah, I just did; it was exhausting."
"You almost missed the deadline, Rose," Emily said, smiling.After lunch, we strolled through the university. The sky darkened, and clouds spread everywhere. I chuckled to myself as I opened my transparent umbrella.The slow drizzle made me sigh unconsciously; I slowly extended my hand out of the umbrella, enjoying the rain and the weather was enchanting.
As my eyelids fluttered open, I locked eyes with Mr. Ivan, his expression unreadable.
I froze, struck by his intense gaze. Then, suddenly, the bus arrived, breaking the spell.
I shook off the feeling, telling myself, "Rose, come back to life; there's nothing to think about, bae. Don't get attracted to that demon.
Later that evening
"Right", I replied to myself, and after a few deep breaths, my mom called me on the phone. I picked it up."Hello, Mom."
"Hey dear, how are you?" she asked, her voice warm and cheerful.
"I'm fine, Mom. What's up?" I replied, curiosity piqued.
"You don't call me like that, as we met just yesterday," she teased.
I chuckled. "Oh, Mom, you're such a drama queen. Get to the point."
My mom laughed. "Well, my friend and I talked yesterday, andβ"I interrupted, sensing the setup. "Wait, wait, don't tell me you arranged a silly blind date now."
My mom chuckled, her tone playful. "You got me there, dear. Now, be a good girl and wear something nice. Your date will be tomorrow evening at 5 pm. I'll send you the location tomorrow, got it?"
I felt my annoyance spike. "You actually did this, Mom? I'm a grown woman! You can't just spring something on me like that. I have my own life, my own choices."
My mom's tone turned soothing. "Rose, I just want you to be happy. You're 21, and you have no dating life. I figured I'd help."
I sighed heavily, frustration evident. "That's infuriating, Mom. You're not allowed to interfere. You're going to end up embarrassing me."
My mom persisted. "Just one date, dear. If you two hit it off, that would be great."
I relented, resigned. "Okay, okay, just one date, and nothing more or less, right?"
My mom's voice brightened. "Right! And who knows, maybe you'll find someone special."
"I don't know, Mom, and I'm guaranteeing here that I won't like him. Your taste in men isn't exactly my thing. Another nerd manager trying to date me? No thanks."
My mom chuckled. "Stop being mean, Rose. Being a nerd doesn't make someone bad. They're just a little smarter."
I sighed heavily. "Gosh, Mom, okay, okay. Just one date, and nothing more or less, right?"
My mom's voice brightened. "Right! And who knows, maybe you'll find someone special."
I rolled my eyes. "Mom...""Love you, dear," she said before hanging up.
I changed into my PJs after a long bath, slipped into bed, and fell into a deep sleep due to the exhausting day.
The torturing alarm Emily set woke me up. I glared at Emily, who was combing her hair."Who set this?" I grumbled.Emily smiled. "Me!"I got out of bed groggily and went to shower. After a quick shower, I changed into baggy jeans, a crop top, and jacket, did my hair, and applied some makeup. Emily and I rushed out, and she quickly drove to the company. As we arrived late, our manager scolded us for five minutes. Luckily, time seemed to slow in this particular session. Emily tried making hundreds of excuses, bowing and apologizing profusely to get rid of our manager.
I chuckled inside, "Oh, you tricky girl."
After finally getting rid of her, we managed to grab coffee and tackle the bundles of work our manager assigned us. It was almost five, and I remembered my blind date. Mom would roast me if I didn't go. We managed to get out at 4:45. Emily got me ready in five minutes in our dorm, she's my savior. I wore a crochet top, long jeans skirt, sneakers, curled my hair, added strawberry makeup, and pink gloss.
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I grabbed my handbag and drove to the address and arrived at 5:15, unusually early for me.The fancy restaurant impressed me as I checked myself one last time before walking in.
I arrived at the fancy restaurant, 5:15 pm, the elegant chandeliers and soft music enveloping me.As I walked in, looking for my date. My mom didn't even give me the name of that nerd, so I huffed and went straight to the table number she provided.
As I sat down, noticing no one was there, I felt relieved. "Maybe he's not here yet," I thought.
The view outside the window was surreal β the sun melting into the ocean, streaks of light spreading everywhere, and hues of pink, orange, and purple painting the sky. I was so engrossed that I didn't realize someone had sat across from me until our eyes met.
His intense stare pierced through my soul, searching for something I didn't know existed.
As he tilted his head, he whispered, "Rose."The way he said my name sent shivers down my spine; it felt heavenly. I mentally slapped myself for thinking that.
Something brought me back to reality, and I was speechless.
"Mr. ...Mr. ...uh, Ivan, what are you doing here?" I asked in disbelief.I blinked, looked around, and then back into his eyes.
"I could've asked you the same, Miss Rose," Ivan replied.
"What do you mean? This table was booked for my blind date," I explained.
"Your blind date, huh?" Ivan raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah, my mom set it up," I said.
"Interesting," Ivan said.
"Is this some kind of joke?" I asked."Maybe our moms tricked us into a blind date," Ivan suggested.I was shook.
"You're going on blind dates now?" Ivan asked.
"Yeah, I guess so," I replied.
"And this table was booked for us, according to my mom," I added.
"Hmm, maybe our moms conspired against us," Ivan chuckled.
I shook my head, still in shock.
"No way," I muttered.
Ivan's smile softened."Looks like we're stuck with each other, Miss Rose," he said
"Huh, I was shook to my core! You're my blind date?" I asked, my eyes wide with surprise.I felt like the earth had slipped out from under my feet.
"Miss Rose, we probably didn't get time to talk after my visit to your uni," Ivan said.
"So, luckily, we got this opportunity."
"To talk about what, Mr. Ivan? " I replied, trying to sound nonchalant.
"Of course, about work. Or do you want to make this date work out?" Ivan hinted, his eyes sparkling with amusement."Huh, uh, no. Never," I said firmly.
Ivan chuckled. "I doubt that."
"You're wrong," I insisted."Okay, Miss Rose, if you say so," Ivan conceded.
"Maybe we should order something? It's better we eat first," Ivan suggested.
I nodded, and we placed our order."So, tell me about yourself, Miss Rose," Ivan asked."After all, I'm your date; I can ask this, right?"
"What do you want to know about me?" I replied.
"Your favorite color?" Ivan inquired."Wine red," I said.
"Quiet intriguing," Ivan noted.
"What are your hobbies?" he asked.
"I don't have any particular hobbies," I replied.
"I sometimes write and draw," I added. "I didn't take you as the kind of person who'd ask someone this."Β
"Not someone, Miss Rose β my date," Ivan corrected.As we sipped our drinks, the tension between us was palpable.Ivan's gaze held mine, sending shivers down my spine. His intense stare made me wonder if he could see right through me.