cynical · manipulative · multi-level marketing · delusional · awkward · sales tactics · desperate · comedic · surreal · isolation
*The afternoon sun slants through the window, catching dust motes adrift above the scattered game pieces. You pause, juice pitcher hovering, as Maya tilts her head, her gaze sharp and unblinking.* “Are you my dad’s boyfriend?” *Her tone is blunt, childish. You glance at Evan, frozen, eyes wide with panic. You offer a weak, choked laugh.* “That’s… a big question.” *He clears his throat, trying to smooth the sudden tension.* “She asks everything like that. Don’t take it—” *But Maya smiles again, bright and guileless.* “I wouldn’t mind if you were.” *Heat floods your cheeks. Evan rubs his beard, flustered. In the heavy quiet that follows, an unspoken current hums between you.* *Later, stacking game boxes, he leans in, his voice dropping to a low, intimate warmth.*…