The mist hung like layers of gauzy white fabric in the distance, with a faint gray tinge, weaving a gloomy atmosphere.
Elise had just stepped out of the lobby after work when a powerful downpour suddenly descended, accompanied by thunder that made her jump.
How did she forget her umbrella? And to make things worse, she'd taken the subway today, which meant she'd have to walk to the station without cover.
In this downpour, finding a cab was nearly impossible. After some thought, she realized there was no one else she could turn to except Braden.
Not that there was no one to help her—just that she felt her chances of success were higher if she asked him.
With a mix of hope and hesitation, she dialed his number, fully expecting a bit of a wait. But to her surprise, he picked up almost instantly.
"It's raining. I'll come pick you up." Braden cut straight to the chase, leaving her no time to object.
Startled, she clutched her bag tightly, glancing around as if to spot a hidden camera.
How could he know exactly why she was calling? It was almost creepy.
But creepy or not, there was a warmth in knowing he could sense her needs without her saying much.
Some people know each other for years yet never understand one another.
"How did you know?" Elise was genuinely curious about how he'd figured it out.
"Don't I know you by now?" Baden's gentle voice came through the receiver, warming her heart on this cold, rainy night.
It was just a simple sentence, yet it had a kind of magic that could keep her happy for hours.
"And also…" She hadn't even finished speaking when he interrupted her.
"And you're hungry and want to eat." Braden swiped his ID card, ready to leave the office for the day.
Her thoughts were simple and easy to guess, usually revolving around just a handful of things.
That's why he always called her a bit silly.
"Then I'll wait for you on the first floor of my office," Elise said, finally achieving her goal and hanging up the phone with a smile.
Elise sat on the sofa in the lobby, waiting for Baden's arrival, trying to think through the next steps of her game script. But no matter what she tried to focus on, her thoughts kept drifting back to the meaning of those thirty-three roses—and Evelyn's little reminder.
Did eleven roses really mean just friendship to him?
Then again, maybe it was just as she thought—maybe he'd send flowers like that to any close female friend after a fight.
But as long as she'd known him, she'd never seen him get that close to any other woman. And she didn't really have any close male friends either. It seemed they had always been each other's best friend of the opposite sex, which was why she'd asked him to be her stand-in groom.
Was it because he didn't have many female friends that he was so nice to her?
She thought about it for ages, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't come up with an answer. The plot direction of her script eluded her as well, both things kept her mind in a whirl.
Just as she was puzzling over Baden's thoughts, his cobalt blue sedan quietly pulled up. He held an umbrella as he walked to the lobby entrance to meet her personally.
With a bright smile, she slid into the passenger seat, buckled her seatbelt, and her mind filled with a list of delicious foods she wanted to eat.
"I want a cheeseburger, loaded fries, and a hot bowl of tomato soup," Elise said while scrolling on her phone. Just as she felt her mouth going dry from listing everything, a warm drink was suddenly handed to her.
Immediately, a warmth spread through her chest.
"I picked up a hot milk tea on my way over. I was going to get coffee, but I remembered how drinking coffee on an empty stomach makes you feel uncomfortable, so I didn't," Braden said nonchalantly, lifting her hand to hold the cup before buckling his seatbelt, ready to fulfill her wishes.
"Thanks," Elise emphasized once more. "And remember—cheeseburger, loaded fries, and tomato soup."
She restrained her happiness, fearing he might catch on to her excitement.
She didn't even know why she felt the need to hide her joy. All she knew was that revealing too much of it felt like losing something inside, making her feel unsteady and anxious.
"Of course I remember. Didn't you say you wanted to eat the whole restaurant out of business?" Braden teased, deliberately twisting her words.
"I also remember you calling me silly, goofy, clumsy, and just plain dumb," Elise replied, turning her head away as she happily sipped the drink he'd bought for her, secretly laughing to herself several times.
"Wait, how are you adding more to that list?" Braden kept his eyes on the road, oblivious to how her joy over that one drink had lasted so long.
The torrential rain showed no sign of letting up, causing heavy traffic that delayed them by an extra hour before they finally reached the famous restaurant Elise had been craving.
Since time was tight, he got out, ordered everything she wanted, and brought it back to the car as takeout.
Braden returned to the driver's seat, holding her dinner. "Since we can only do takeout, you should just take it home to eat."
Taking her dinner, Elise suddenly remembered something. "But I have some script questions to ask you! And I still want to finish our Overcooked game!" Taking her dinner, Elise suddenly remembered something. "But I have some script questions to ask you! And I still want to finish our Overcooked game!"
"It's Overcooked..." Braden couldn't help but correct her.
"Whatever, you knew what I meant." Elise hugged her dinner, eager to go to his place and play on the Switch.
As soon as she entered his house, she dashed straight for the gaming console, expertly opening the TV cabinet. She found the Overcooked game she wanted to play, then spotted another game still in its unopened packaging.
She recognized it immediately. She'd even thought of pre-ordering it to play at his place, but it looked like he'd beaten her to it.
She turned the box over in her hands. "Didn't expect you'd get this one."
She plopped right down on the floor without a care, totally at ease.
Braden was used to her antics by now, but watching her light up over a game made him glad he'd bought something she'd enjoy.
Only, when he bought the game, he hadn't realized he'd end up liking her.
When did that even start? He couldn't quite pinpoint it.
"At least eat first before you start playing." He placed her food on the table, heading to the fridge to grab a cold beer, but then remembered he still had to drive her home later.
On second thought, his hand left the beer can, and he reached for an iced tea from the fridge drawer instead.
"I probably should have invited Ruth. We were supposed to beat the game together, and it feels weird playing it on my own," Elise muttered as she obediently made her way back to the dining table and sat down.
"Then how about you try Pokémon first? Didn't you want to play it?"
"But you haven't opened it yet! Don't some people have this thing where they want to be the first to play a game themselves before letting others try?"
"You're not 'others.'"
Elise's hands paused as she opened her dinner box. Her usually calm heart seemed to flutter because of him, suddenly speeding up in a way she couldn't control.
Unlike her, Braden didn't feel any discomfort. He always spoke to her in the same way, and she probably wouldn't notice that his feelings for her had changed.
He seriously scrolled through messages in the company chat on his phone, making everything seem ordinary, as though there were no unusual feelings in the air.
Only she was still feeling butterflies from that one sentence.
"Do you have anything else to drink?" Elise awkwardly started a new topic, a little embarrassed. "I finished the milk tea."
"Just alcohol left..." He looked down at the iced tea in his hand. "But I haven't opened this yet. You can have it."
"So you..." Elise hesitated, unsure if she should accept his offer.
"There's also iced water," Braden replied, still focused on his phone, not sparing her a glance.
After a bit of consideration, she decided not to take his iced tea.
She didn't have to drive, but he did. Since that was the case, a drink or two wouldn't hurt her. As long as there was something to drink, she was fine.
He hadn't noticed her intentions, his attention was entirely on a message from Mylee.
Or rather, it was a message that bothered him.
"I'm not very happy with the script right now. If possible, could you replace me?"
The message was laced with a clear threat. He knew it was directed at Elise.
He stayed in invisible mode, not wanting her to know he'd already read the message, all the while pondering how to handle her.
In his line of work, sometimes it wasn't just about appeasing clients; maintaining harmony with coworkers was essential too. It wasn't like he could ignore her just because he wanted to.
Even if he wanted to, for the company's sake, he couldn't afford to.
That was why his feelings for her were so cautious, a love he couldn't fully embrace. At least until the collaboration ended, he had to keep things as they were, unable to make any bold moves, just to avoid hurting Elise.
By the time he snapped back to reality and focused on Elise, she had already downed three or four cans of cold beer.
Their dynamic had always been like this—casual and familiar, no need for formalities at each other's places, and their parents had never objected. In fact, his mom had once hoped she'd marry into the family.
Seeing this girl who'd grown up by his side, always so thoughtful, she couldn't help but think of her as a future daughter-in-law.
Braden looked at her with alarm. "Did you just drink all that?"
Elise nodded, pointing at the iced tea with an innocent expression. "I figured you'd have the tea. I'll borrow this for now and repay you next time..."
"That's not the issue. It's late, and you've got work tomorrow. Drinking this much... it might make you feel unwell." His words betrayed his worry for her.
Would she… care? "Really?" She barely got the words out before covering her mouth as a burp slipped. "Maybe it was a bit much..." "It does feel that way."
"I told you, you're a bit of an airhead, and you never believe me." He looked at her helplessly, unable to bring himself to actually scold her.
"And let's not forget, clueless, silly, scatterbrained, and a little careless..." she mumbled, giggling as she slumped over the table.
Instead of explaining himself, Braden leaned in, studying her intently. "Do you really want me to think of you that way?"
"No, I just thought you might," she replied with a faint smile, tracing circles on the table with her finger. "Are you and Mylee close? Like, as close as you and I are?"
"No one could ever take your place in my heart. It's always been that way." His voice was warm, and his gaze remained fixed on her.
"But last time, you let her link arms with you." Elise held his gaze, feeling a growing frustration tighten around her, leaving her a bit unsettled.
"She's still a woman, after all, and with so many people at the company, I didn't want to brush her off so harshly." Braden soothed her, promising, "There won't be a next time." "She's still a woman, after all, and with so many people at the company, I didn't want to brush her off so harshly." Braden soothed her, promising, "There won't be a next time."
He figured she was probably tipsy, which was why she was even bringing this up, so he shared his honest thoughts with her without holding back.
"But if there's another woman who does the same, would you still have to consider her feelings?" Elise's words spilled out, like a long-bottled-up jealousy she hadn't even realized existed, each sentence carrying her hidden care for him.
He gazed deeply into her confused eyes, giving her one more firm assurance. "There won't be a next time."
Elise didn't say a word. She braced herself on the table, her bright eyes fixed on him, and felt a void inside her slowly filling up, her heart growing more content with each promise he made.
"I'll get you a glass of water." Without reading too much into her actions, he got up and walked to the kitchen, planning to pour her a cup of warm water.
He had just finished rinsing a glass when his phone vibrated in his pocket. Glancing at it, he quickly hit the silent mode and slipped it back in.
Slender, delicate arms wrapped around his waist, and her soft warmth pressed firmly against his back.
A light scent of camellia surrounded her, different from her usual perfume, but it was intoxicating all the same.
Maybe if it was her, he had no reason to resist.
"Do you remember? When I was little and felt sad, and my parents were too busy at work to pay attention to me, I'd go to you, crying, and ask for a comforting hug…" Elise's voice was soft as she confided in him, leaning into his warmth.
All reason had long left her, replaced by a surge of intoxicated boldness, making her do things she'd normally never dare.
But Baden's reason remained intact. He gently removed her delicate fingers from his waist, looking at her calmly.
"You really shouldn't drink this much," Braden murmured. Just as he spoke, his phone began buzzing with notifications.
He'd barely pulled the phone out of his pocket, intending to silence it, when she grabbed it from him, swift as a thief.
"Mylee?" she slurred, reading the name of the caller, then handed the phone back to him, a slight pout on her flushed face.
What was his relationship with Mylee, anyway? Did he really have no feelings for her?
She didn't know why these thoughts crept in, but a bitter feeling settled over her, sharp as a needle prick, leaving her uncomfortable.
"It's just work stuff she wants to discuss," Braden said, slipping his phone back into his pocket, doing his best to cover it up. He didn't want her knowing about Mylee's complaints.
Elise didn't care about his explanation. She rose on her tiptoes, looped her hands around his neck, and kissed him, lost in a haze of emotions.
He'd thought about stopping her, but the sweetness of her kiss stirred something inside him, awakening every nerve and rekindling the long-buried feelings she had inspired.
Unable to hold back any longer, he wrapped his arms around her slim waist, returning her kiss with a burning passion. His tongue slipped past her lips, savoring her sweetness, exploring every part of her.
The intensity of his affection caught her completely off guard, wrapping her in his gentle yet overwhelming love. As her thoughts slipped away and reason abandoned her, she found herself slowly falling into the depths of his tender embrace. Suddenly, she felt herself sway, losing balance in his arms. Sensing her unsteadiness, he eased his grasp on her, then pulled her close and lifted her delicate frame with swift, effortless strength.
He set her down on the ivory-colored cabinet beside the counter, leaning in as his palm brushed against her cherry-red cheeks. He kissed her again, and her breath hitched, weaving into soft, teasing gasps that could make anyone blush, sparking a sense of longing in the air.
The soft, staccato sighs that escaped her as their lips and tongues intertwined only fueled his addiction, making him want more, driving him to claim the sweetness her lips offered.
Suddenly, he felt his body grow warmer, like flames sparking to life, his pulse racing with urgency. Just before his last thread of self-control slipped away, he managed to stop himself.
