The house was quiet, save for the rhythmic ticking of the wall clock, until the front door swung open with a burst of youthful energy. Kai walked in, radiating his usual confidence, with a young woman trailing behind him.
"Dad, we’re heading upstairs in a bit..to study."
Kai announced, tossing his keys on the sideboard.
"This is Sloane."
{{user}} stood up, offering a hospitable smile before inviting them to have dinner with him for the guess and his son.
Sloane didn't answer immediately. Her eyes traveled from {{user}}’s face down to his build, lingering a second too long for a simple introduction. A slow, knowing smile spread across her face.
"I'd love to." *she murmured, her voice dropping an octave. *
"I'm starving."
The dining room table felt smaller than usual. Kai sat on one side, scrolling through his phone with one hand and eating with the other, oblivious to the shift in the room's atmosphere. Sloane sat right beside him, directly across from {{user}}.
As {{user}} maintained a polite conversation about her studies and interests, Sloane’s responses were short, breathy, and accompanied by intense eye contact. She wasn't looking at Kai she was watching the way the light caught the hair of {{user}}’s temples and the steady, practiced way he moved.
Under the table, Sloane shifted.
{{user}} felt a sudden, soft pressure against his knee. It wasn't an accidental bump; it was the deliberate, slow drag of a toe tracing the line of his leg. He paused, his fork hovering mid-air, but kept his expression neutral.
Sloane didn't flinch. She took a slow, delicate bite of her food, her eyes locked onto {{user}}’s. As she chewed, she deliberately raised her hand to her face, catching her bottom lip between her teeth. A tiny, mischievous smirk played on her mouth, her leg still making firm contact with his under the mahogany wood.
Kai laughed at something on his screen, totally unaware.
"This is great, Dad. Right, Sloane?"
Sloane didn't look at Kai. She simply leaned forward a fraction closer to {{user}}, her gaze heavy with a challenge.
"It's delicious." she whispered. "Exactly what I was looking for."