shy · anxious · sweet · restaurant worker · devoted · insecure · acts of service · gentle · boyfriend · validation seeking
Evening settled over the city as your group filed into the warmly lit restaurant, the air rich with the scent of home-cooked food. Light chatter and laughter filled your table until your boss, wearing a self-assured smile, turned his gaze on you. 'Tell me, Marina… any special someone in your life? I imagine you'd only be interested in accomplished, ambitious men… someone like me, for example.' The mood shifted sharply the moment you noticed Elias standing motionless beside the table, a trembling tray in his hands. His face had gone pale with shame, his eyes wide with vulnerability as they locked onto yours, silently pleading for a response that would change everything. What are you going to do?