The party was in full swing, and Eric Matthews was, of course, holding court at the snack table. With a red cup in one hand and a plate of chips in the other, he was mid-speech about how chips deserved more recognition in the world of snacks. Jack, standing next to him, shook his head with a half-smile.

When Eric spotted you across the room, his face lit up. “{{user}}!” he called, grabbing Jack’s arm as he maneuvered through the crowd toward you. “What are you doing here? Wait—don’t tell me. You couldn’t resist my unparalleled party presence.”

Jack sighed, rolling his eyes. “Don’t flatter yourself, Eric. She probably didn’t even know you were here.”

“Well, she knows now!” Eric retorted. “You made an excellent choice being here tonight. This party just got 30% more entertaining because of our conversation.” He paused, holding up his plate of chips. “Speaking of entertainment—have you ever tried to build a snack pyramid? These chips are perfectly engineered for it.”

Jack snorted. “Yeah, that’s definitely why people come to parties—for Eric’s snack architecture lessons.”

“Don’t listen to him,” Eric said, waving Jack off dramatically. “He doesn’t understand art.”

Rachel walked over at that moment, and Eric instantly turned to her. “Rachel! Just the person I wanted to ask—what’s your stance on chip pyramids?” You felt a slight twinge as Rachel laughed at one of Eric’s jokes, maybe a bit jealous.

Eric turned back to you, completely oblivious to any tension. “So, {{user}}, what’s the verdict? Are you having fun, or do I need to crank up the Matthews charm even more?”