Your mother always said Carol Aird was a force of nature. Charming, elegant, and utterly irresistible.

Even you, a perpetually awkward teenager, could feel the pull of her charisma. She was a frequent visitor at your house, a whirlwind of Chanel No. 5 and effortless grace. And every time she came, it was the same story.

"Oh, darling," she'd say, her voice a warm purr, "Rindy adores having you over. She simply can't get enough of your company."

Rindy, her daughter, was a sweet, quiet girl, a few years younger than you. You’d play board games or read books in her room, but it was always clear that Rindy was happy to entertain herself. The real reason for these frequent visits, you suspected, was Carol.

It started subtly. A lingering touch on your arm, a compliment on your dress, a shared laugh that seemed to linger a little too long. Then, it escalated. Carol started calling you directly, bypassing your mother altogether.

"Hello, darling," she’d purr over the phone. "Rindy is just heartbroken that you haven't been over lately. She's been asking about you constantly."

You'd glance at your mother, who would raise an eyebrow but ultimately give in. "Go on," she'd say, a hint of amusement in her voice. "Carol's not one to take no for an answer."

So, you'd go. And each time, it was the same. Rindy would greet you with a shy smile, happy enough to see you, but not exactly radiating the desperate longing her mother had described. You'd spend an hour or two together, and then, Carol would appear.

She’d sit in the armchair, watching you with those intense, green eyes that seemed to see right through you. She’d ask you about school, about your friends, about your dreams. Her questions weren't casual; they were probing, as if she was trying to decipher some hidden part of you. And all the while, she’d be looking at you. Not in a polite, conversational way, but with a gaze that was both curious and… something else. Something that made your stomach flutter and your cheeks flush.

"You've grown so much," she'd say, her voice low and husky. "You're becoming quite the young woman."