Page 4

DANIEL

“See you later, Cap!” Ethan exclaims, and I wave at him. I look around the locker room which is filled with the sound of chatter and clattering feet as guys walk around, getting changed. A row of lockers lines the walls, and the floor is covered with towels and discarded clothes. It’s the usual post-practice chaos. The air is filled with a mix of sweat and the scent of shower gel. Some guys are sitting on benches, talking and laughing as they change into clean clothes.

The atmosphere is relaxed. Louis pats my back. “Come on. Let’s head back,” he says coolly.

“Dude, I still don’t understand how you can not bathe and be okay with all that sweat after such a long game.” I sigh, shaking my head in disappointment.

“Not everyone is as obsessed with hygiene as you are, Danny boy,” he teases me, slinging an arm over my shoulder. He grins, clearly enjoying winding me up.

I glare at my roommate. “Some of us like to wallow in our own sweat and stink,” he says.

I scrunch up my nose in exaggerated disgust, shoving him playfully. “It’s still a wonder to me how girls fling themselves at you. ”

He feigns a hurt expression, placing a hand over his heart. “Come on, man, that stings.” He laughs. “You’ve wounded me with your words. It’s not just my charm that attracts the ladies, you know,” he wiggles his eyebrows suggestively.

I chuckle. “And you don’t have to be so humble, darling.” He goes on. “You’re getting a lot of attention, too. Why don’t we host a party, dude?” He almost whines.

“You don’t even need a reason to party,” I remark. “Fine, it’s been a while anyway. And with these new responsibilities of a captain, I do need to loosen up.” I close the locker.

Louis grins at me. “I knew you’d be down for BBB,” he teases.

I furrow my brows. “What’s that?”

He grins widely. “Boobs, booze, and bangers.”

I roll my eyes at him. “Fine, but you’ll be organizing it. I’m not helping,” I say firmly.

“Aye, aye, captain!” He shoots me a mock salute.

“Just make sure you keep things under control. I don’t want my father involved in this. You know how important it is for me to prove him wrong.” His expression shifts to a somber one, and he nods.

“You go ahead. I have to meet with Anya for an assignment,” I say, pulling on my T-shirt. I can’t afford to be late. Otherwise, she’ll eat me alive today. I chuckle, recalling her flushed face.

“Who’s this Anya?” Louis nudges me, a playful smirk on his face. I roll my eyes, knowing he’s up to something.

“She’s just a classmate,” I say with a shrug. “We’re working on a project together.” He hums, clearly unconvinced. I just shake my head.

“I’ll head out then,” I say, picking up my duffel bag and handing it to him. He groans and I flash him a wide grin.

He nods, still smirking at me. “Alright. Have fun with your classmate.”

I walk away, raising my middle finger over my shoulder. I hear him laugh as I exit the arena. Running a hand through my freshly washed hair, grateful for the cool evening breeze. The walk back to the café is short, but it feels like forever when I’m already dead on my feet.

I enter the café, looking for Anya. I scan the room, my eyes skimming over students, until I spot her sitting alone at a small table. She’s typing something on her laptop, completely engrossed in her work. I can’t help but notice how cute she looks when she’s focused. Her long hair is pulled back in a loose ponytail, showcasing her delicate features. Her big brown eyes are fixed intently on her screen, her brows furrowed in concentration. She’s wearing a light sweater and jeans that hug her curves perfectly.

I walk over to her and pull out the chair on the opposite side. “Hey, I hope I’m not late,” I say with a small smile. She looks up from her laptop as I take a seat, her eyes widening for a moment before she composes herself.

“Hey,” she replies, a scowl on her face. I feel this weird urge to erase it.

“How do you like your coffee?” I ask. She looks at me, taken aback.

“Why do you want to know?” Her eyebrows furrow.

“I was just going to order one for myself, so I thought I’d get you one too.”

I rub my nape, unsure of how she’ll react. She raises an eyebrow, clearly suspicious of my offer. “I can buy myself a coffee,” she says, a hint of wariness in her voice. I sigh as I get up.

“Listen, I am sorry, Anya. I really am. Let me buy you coffee, and let’s move on. It wasn’t a good day for either of us yesterday,” I plead.

She looks at me for a moment, her expression softening slightly. “Fine,” she relents with a huff. “But only because I’m dying for a coffee. ”

It’s a small win, but I will take it. I smile softly, feeling relieved that she’s at least willing to give me a chance to redeem myself. “Great,” I say. “What’s your order? My treat.”

She glances down at her notes, thinking for a moment before speaking. “I’ll have a caramel mocha, medium size, extra shot of espresso.”

I nod, making a mental note of her order. “Got it,” I say.

I make my way to the counter. “Hi, Cap!” Jacob greets me, his usual cheerful self.

“Hi, Jac. A caramel mocha, medium size, extra shot of espresso, and a regular for me.” He nods.

Jacob looks up from the espresso machine and raises an eyebrow. “I wouldn’t have thought I’d see you buying coffee for a girl in this lifetime.” He smirks. “You’re the only jock I know who isn’t a serial dater.”

I roll my eyes at his comment. “She’s a classmate, Jacob.” I inform him. I guess everyone is very concerned about my love life today. We fall silent and I tap my fingers against the counter until he turns around to hand me two cups of coffee. “Here you go, Cap. One caramel mocha for your ‘classmate’ and your regular,” he says, his smirk never leaving his face.

I walk to our table, placing the coffee in front of Anya. I take a seat across from her. She takes a sip from her cup and sighs, a small smile appearing on her lips. And I feel proud to know that I’m the reason—well, not actually, but I bought the coffee, so technically I am the reason.

“Thanks,” she whispers.

She eyes my coffee and scoffs. “Obviously, you would get black coffee. You have no taste at all.” She huffs. I laugh at her remark about my choice of coffee. She is so cute when she’s grumpy. I am using the word ‘ cute’ way too much for my liking.

I take a sip from my coffee and raise an eyebrow. “What exactly is wrong with black coffee? It’s a classic. ”

“Classic, my foot. It’s the worst drink ever.” She pauses, her brows furrowing as if she’s thinking about something. “Well, after Coca-Cola. I absolutely hate that,” she comments, shuddering slightly as if the mere thought of the drink disgusts her.

I feign shock, placing a hand dramatically on my heart. “Cola? The nectar of the Gods?” I exclaim, pretending to be offended. “You’re a menace to society, you know that? Next thing I know, you’ll be calling pineapple on pizza a crime.”

Her eyes widen and she gasps dramatically. “Please tell me you’re kidding,” she begs.

I laugh out loud. “Of course, I’m not a monster.”

She sighs in relief. “Can we start now?” she mutters, narrowing her eyes at me. Her focus is back where it belongs.

I shoot her mock-salute. “Yes, ma’am.”

“So, what do we have to do?” I ask.

“We have to make a business plan for a small business.” She delves into the details of the assignment, and I try to listen to her carefully, but my eyes keep drifting to the strand of hair falling on her collarbone, just begging to be pushed back behind her ear. I shake my head slightly, trying to snap out of it.

I need to focus on the project, not her.

“So what do you think?” she asks, raising her eyebrow. I blink, realizing that I’ve been caught staring. I quickly look down at my lap, trying to act nonchalant.

“Uh, yeah, sounds good.” I can feel my face heating up, hoping she didn’t notice my obvious distraction. Keep it together, Daniel.

“Okay. So, let’s start.” She orders me to research certain industries that she finds interesting since I have no opinions so far. I do as I’m told, pulling out my laptop and clicking open a new tab.

Anya cracks her fingers and neck, diving back into her laptop to pull up the relevant documents. Her determination is intriguing. As she talks, her gestures are animated, her passion for the subject evident in every word. When I first met her yesterday, drenched in coffee, seething with anger, I was so enchanted by how unfiltered and beautiful she was. And then, when we met in the library, I was sure I was going to enjoy her fiery company. I can’t get her out of my mind, I guess. If I wasn’t in the situation I’m in, I would ask her out. Pretty sure she’d reject me though.

I shake my head slightly, trying to get rid of the thought. Stop it, Daniel. We’re here to work, not swoon over her. I force myself to focus back on the task at hand. I research the topics she assigned me, compiling the points in my notes app. She keeps giving updates I never asked for, but who am I to stop her? I listen to her intently. I look at the watch.

“Should we take a break?” I suggest when I notice that we’ve been working for a while. “We’ve covered a lot already,” I add.

“No, not enough,” she says without looking up from her laptop. I shake my head, closing her laptop halfway. She gasps. “What the hell?” She opens her mouth, but I put a finger on her lips. Her lips feel soft against my skin. Her eyes grow large.

I inhale sharply. “We have a lot of time, Anya. We’ve been at it for an hour now. We need to give our minds a rest.” She folds her arms and pouts but doesn’t protest anymore. I chuckle at her antics. Damn, she’s adorable.

“I gather you take studies very seriously,” I comment.

“Well, I’m an Asian kid. I need academic validation,” she retorts. “There’s this constant pressure to excel academically.”

“Why?” I ask, and she laughs, almost evilly.

“Indians are obsessed with education. My parents don’t put so much pressure on me, but growing up with so much competition around, I just became the same as others.” She sighs, leaning back in her chair. “It’s like we’re conditioned to believe that our worth is tied to our academic achievements,” she says with a slight chuckle. “And God forbid we have any other interests or hobbies. It’s like we’re expected to be robots who only study and excel.”

“So, now that you’re here, why don’t you try chilling out a bit? I’m not saying you shouldn’t study, but being study-oriented doesn’t really mean that you will be successful,” I comment, my voice soft but firm.

Anya smirks, folding her arms across her chest. “Oh, so you’re trying to give me life advice now?” she retaliates, a hint of amusement in her voice. “And what makes you think I don’t chill out? Just because I take my studies seriously doesn’t mean I don’t have any fun.”

“So what do you do for fun? Enlighten me, please,” I question, leaning in slightly. Anya cocks her head, thinking for a moment before answering.

“Well, I like to read, watch shows, and listen to music. And most importantly, sleep.” She sighs, putting her head down on the table. I snicker.

“Ah, sleep. Now, that’s the kind of fun I can get behind,” I say, yawning for emphasis. “But really, don’t you ever feel like you need more excitement in your life? Something that doesn’t involve staring at a book or a screen?”

Anya tilts her head, giving me a thoughtful look. “Where are you heading with this?” She narrows her eyes, scrutinizing me.

“I have no ulterior motives, I promise.” I laugh lightly. It’s so easy to converse with her and so hard at the same time, I can’t quite figure her out. “My roommate is organizing a party this weekend,” I suggest.

She lifts her head and raises a skeptical eyebrow at my suggestion. She’s not a big fan of going to parties, I can tell. “ A party?” she asks, her tone laced with suspicion. “Why are you telling me that?” She raises an eyebrow. Even I don’t know why I brought up the party.

I laugh. “I am inviting you, dumbass,” I comment, digging myself deeper into the hole I’d opened moments ago.

She rolls her eyes, “And what makes you think I would want to go to a party? I’m not exactly a social butterfly. Quite the opposite actually.”

I shrug. “You never know unless you try, right?” I say casually, trying to sound convincing.

“I…uh…” she stutters. “I have been to parties.” She raises her chin in defiance.

I laugh lightly. “Make it more convincing and I’ll believe you.” I snicker. She pouts, clearly annoyed at my comment.

“Fine, I’ve never been to a party. I just don’t see the point. They’re just a waste of time.” She crosses her arms, still unconvinced. “But why would you want me at your party? We barely even know each other.”

“It’s just a party, not a life-altering decision. And we might not know each other well, but I thought you could benefit from a little adventure,” I say gently. “And I only reserve my best sales pitch for you,” I add, giving her a lazy grin.

She rolls her eyes again, but I can see her start to soften. “I’m not easily convinced, you know,” she says stubbornly. Before I can respond, her phone rings, her eyes widening as she sees the screen. “I’m sorry. I have to go, Daniel. I completely forgot I had to meet my friends right now,” she says, getting up. Disappointment bubbles in my chest, but I don’t say anything.

“Have fun.” I smile, getting up myself. I reach forward to help her gather her stuff, our hands briefly touching.

I walk out with her. “We’ll meet later if needed for the assignment,” she says.

“Yeah, no problem. We can definitely meet up. For the assignment,” I add the last part when she shoots me a look.

As she waves me goodbye and walks away, I can’t help but let out a sigh. “The invitation is still on!” I shout, watching her retreating figure. She looks at me over her shoulder once and then disappears into the crowd.

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