#could've worked out though I believe in the walnuts

[starpros-sunshine]

Cooking isn't even hmthat hard now if I only learn how to properly season then I might actually be good at this

[newyorkmylife]

Karaoke on the first date

I just got back home. It's a chilly night of summer. I can't believe it.

A few hours ago, at 5:30pm I was rushingly eating a yogurt with walnuts and adjusting my hair. I had asked a girl on Hinge to go to karaoke for the first date.

Karaoke? For the first date? With someone you've never met before?

Yep, I too thought it could be a bit strange or difficult to make it happen. She said yes though. And - later on - she revealed to me she too thought it was unusual for a first date.

Her English name is Chloe, she's from South Korea. Talking to her seemed natural and easy from the very beginning. She's full of positive energy and smiles. By pure chance they gave us a huge karaoke room and we also paid half price for 2 hours because of a summer BOGO. Amazing, right?

We started singing and although it could be embarrasing since we had just met... I actually didn't care. And we simply vibed. We talked about the songs we like and sang. And kept teasing each other.

After the 2 hours, we headed out and I was wondering what will happen next. I was convinced that would be it. I was ready to say bye and lose myself in a sea of doubts about what will happen next and how will I invite her for a 2nd date, is she gonna accept, is she gonna text back, what did she think about the date...

BUT

she suggested going to the park. And I was all for it! I love just hanging out and having a nice conversation at the park. It got dark and after a little walking we found a nice bench. We were sitting pretty close and she looked at me in the eyes deeply. Even though the conversation wasn't that romantic, I could feel something was in the air. I really wanted to kiss her. I came up with some cheesy line about her eyes and cuteness. At first I didn't think about the cheesiness much, I just thought I should compliment girls more on dates. As long as my thoughts were sincere. And I think... it might have worked. After I told her she has very pretty eyes she laughed, thanked me and said the line was sooo cheesy. Can't blame her there!

But I really really wanted to kiss her. I just waited for us lock eyes again. And. I leaned in for the kiss. She asked me "wait do you wanna kiss?". I stopped and got back. She then started telling me about the many differences in relationships and dating she had heard from her new friends from different countries like Brazil and France. She's been in Toronto for only 3 months and a lot of things are new to her. We talked about that a little and I told her I wanted to kiss her. She let me. I was so happy. I didn't quite expect what happened though. She didn't really know how to kiss with tongue. So we started playing the teacher and student. It was so much fun. I felt like I was really myself. I felt alive. I felt young. I felt like I was having fun. Like all of a sudden I was transported back to my late years of adolescence, to being 19 and innocent and naturally courageous for a lack of unexplainable cautiousness.

It was beautiful. Every moment of it was beautiful. Despite the night getting cold and the fact that I was getting tired because I didn't even have dinner... I wished that moment would never end. I wished we could be on that bench forever. Embraced with each other. Talking about the little things, talking about the more important things. And then kissing again, losing ourselves in a passionate kiss, completely absorbed by each other, the softness of our lips, our mild scents. The chilly summer night and the lively park that were accompanying us in that beautiful adventure simply added to the whole experience. Truly out of a romance book.

At the beginning she couldn't kiss well. And she kept interrupting the kisses to laugh and giggle. She was so cute even though she doesn't want to be. I just wanted to kiss her more and more and tell her more cheesy lines.

The night had to end at some point. Like all things in life. Our kisses got even more passionate and I felt like we could've gotten closer and closer, more intense and really steamy... but I didn't wanna push for sex on the first date. I didn't want it to be a random hook up.

We walked back to the station and since it was midnight (we kissed and talked for 3 hours!) she called an Uber. I got her number and kissed her quickly one last time as she was rushing to get in the car.

There's no knowing what will happen tomorrow.

But something important - and life-changing - has happened tonight. I'm here sitting in my room, feeling naturally and amazingly tired as if I had run for miles, but it was really just us kissing and kissing a lot. I turned 26 just a few days ago and tonight the curse was broken.

All the effort paid off. I can say it loud and proud. Finally I can say 39 matches on Hinge were not for nothing. Finally I can say every time I pushed myself beyond my limit to send that one next message, to go to that one more social event... it was not for nothing. Finally I can say that the teachings of Marcus Aurelius have truly become part of me and entered my subconscious in a way that has reflected itself positively in my life. Finally I can say I am happy. Happy to live this life. Happy to be here. Happy to be myself. Happy to have not given up on life. Happy to have trusted Chloe to sing together and get closer little by little but also very fast in this one memorable summer night.

I took the subway to go home and listened to Kenshi Yonezu happily as if I was 16 again, coming back home from school after my crush had given me a small compliment. I wanted to jump and dance. When I got back into my room, despite being so hungry, I didn't think about eating. I listened to music and cried. I cried because I knew one whole year of romantic devastation had finally come to a close. I have finally proven to myself that I am worthy of love, affection and attention. I am worthy of my own space on this Earth. I am worthy of this life.

Thank you, Chloe. I really wanna see you again. But if we don't... thank you anyway.

I've learned so much from you in just a few hours. And I hope you are happy with what you learned from me. Thank you.

[jojoreadwhat]

T W E L V E • A Gwilym Lee Story | 2. the one where the assistant goes missing.

chapter inspiration:

A/N: Priyanka Chopra is playing Keya. Enjoy 😊

+

Gwilym •

Keya lied, lounged across the vintage coral sofa. Her plump, rouge lips protruding into a heart shape. Sharpening the fullness of the bottom of her face. Relaxing the cream sheer fabric, clinging to her warm russet body.

The bronzing shine of her legs escaping from underneath it. Glistening against the bright lights centered on her. As I rolled my lens, trying poorly to focus on her face as she playfully loosened the fabric for me. Vividly showing off her the dark shade of her nipples.

"K, you're making me lose focus." Sighing after I had spoken.

I wasn't complaining too much about it, they were quite gorgeous like I remembered. Well-endowed, balancing out her curvaceous, golden physique.

She startled me when a unrestrained, blissful melody of a laugh fell from her full lips. Smirking as I watched her head fall back in restoration. Her long black waves dropping behind. Seductively meeting her hands to her legs as they curled up, bending at the knees. Now resting her elbows on them.

"Come on Gwilym, you know it's been a while." She insisted, like she has since she took off her street clothes for this magazine shoot.

Keya and I were never to be tamed in each other's presence. Proof was the way we left Room 34 in Los Angeles the last time we met up. After getting a few cocktails from the hotel lobby when we came back from Saint Laurent's fashion show.

Wide eyed at the thought, fumbling with the settings of Canon. "It has been a while," I began, bringing the camera back to my face. Wanting to catch up with our month drought. "Shame these photos should've been taken a week ago." I finished then, smirking before instructing for her next pose.

-

Our session finally ending, I stood at my white tall table. Organizing some of the film shots we had taken for the Renaissance theme, explaining all the nudity and vintage props clogging up the minimal interior of my studio. The permanent marker fumes colliding with the sandalwood cleaner used the night before. I scribbled my signature at the bottom, making piles of which went, where for my assistant Lolly. Trying to avoid any confusion.

"It was nice seeing you today Mr. Lee." Keya's Indian summer tongue pulling me from my concentrations. I looked up to her, slightly leaning on the top, fully clothed now with her bag over shoulder. "I wish I could say the same." I lied bluntly. Feeding into her.

Going back to organizing, avoiding her contact and hearing her tone shift. "What? Why's that?" She questioned, as I slowly place the stack neatly on the table. I turned to her, looking down at her brown eyes growing wide in wonder. Moving the long jet black hair resting heavily on her shoulder with my hand.

"You talked back too much for your own good today," I explained, before I wrapped my hand in it like a reminder. Pulling her close to me and my other hand meeting her jaw. She was never much for a soft gestures as her pretty teeth peered at me.

"I did?" She mocked, I nodded. Bringing my lips close to her ear, "Mhm," I reassured, "You're lucky I don't like messes in my studio." Tasting the edge of her jaw, still just as sweet as the last time.

Keya went on about her whereabouts for tonight, she was my last client today and my schedule had no intrusions. Plus she was Mika Agarwal's daughter, New York's finest gallery director. I've been killing for a spot on his grand white walls of Gallery Fusion on 23rd and Walnut. I'd make her come more than she has ever with me, as long as my name left her lips at the dinner table.

-

I excused myself, taking the three stacks of proofs and walking little ways down the hall to Lolly's office I gave her.

Lolly is this perky, twenty one year old strawberry blonde with a cute heart shaped butt in athletic leggings. She has been my assistant for about three months now, I think? I'm not exactly sure. At first I didn't think that it would be because the first set of proofs that I handed to her ended up at the wrong magazine building.

She improved shortly after she apologized and fought with no luck of getting them back. Her style changed, she came to work early giving her the opening job, her office and desk more organized. We fucked a few times after some long nights, alcohol coursing and we had some things in common. She was quite the chatter box when I'd down on her and she always tasted like tangerines.

As I grew closer, I noticed the light was off through the blinds of the glass walls. I furrowed my brows, adjusting my sleeve to look at my watch and remembering she came back from lunch earlier on with a coffee for me.

The door was unlocked, nothing had been moved except for a picture frame or two of her and friend and Paris that she wanted to visit soon. They were gone off the standing shelf nearby. Did she ask to leave early? I thought to myself as I walked around. Sometimes knowing my own self that I could've let it slip.

"Hm." I hummed to myself, taking a second glance before reaching her desk to write notes on her pink note pad. Noticing the keys placed on top of it.

The studio's keys. The ones she used to open for me, when I got conscious enough to make it to work. I went to continue the note when I began connecting the missing things and the keys and–

Fuck.

I heard a slight sigh from the doorway, Keya was now standing there. "Hold up?" She questioned my facial expression that was not equivalent to my racing brain.

"I think Lolly quit on me." I muttered, shuffling loudly through her desk drawers noticing some other things missing.

Keya walked closer to the desk, "Maybe you shouldn't hire them so young next time." She nagged, lightly giggling and it honestly was not the time to do so. She was right though, being young herself once and swarmed by naivety.

I ran my hand through my curls, sighing in frustration. I looked at the card key Keya left on the desk, the sound of the shedder ripped when I placed it through it. Clearing the notepad and finding a pen, planning what I was going to put into the newspaper this week. I was going to be here for while.

Now hiring for assistant position...

—————————————————————

Sylvia •

I had decided to take up Lucy’s offering of moving in with her, upstate in the Big Apple. I was a bit nervous, I won't shy about it. The sudden change was huge, for many and myself. The last time I ever did anything like this was when I got my first apartment... with Ben.

That was one thing weighing on me for the last 24 hours, Ben contacted me three days ago about something he forgot in our once shared closet. Luckily, he asked if we could meet at our used to be regular coffee shop. Avoiding the moving plan. I hadn't told him about New York. He looked good after two weeks of no contact, he cut his hair and got new shoes.

But I didn't buy it when he mentioned he missed me, because I had heard he was still couching it with a mutual friend of ours. Even with the inevitability of still feeling the miss of him. I know I deserved better.

I sat slouched back and my sandals resting on the glove compartment. The wind swarming in from the passenger window. Intertwining with the dark brown stands, tickling my skin.

A sudden stop from approaching a red light had taken me away from the bright screen of my phone. Looking past my feet and out the dashboard. Before Lucy hit the exposed skin of my thigh.

"Oooh we're going to have so much fun!" She spoke of excitedly, practically jumping out of the drivers seat. I was almost nervous about it when we swerved a little on the road after the light had turned.

Lucy hasn't stopped talking since she picked me up from Grand Central Station.

I chuckled at her high spirit, my eyes meeting the hem of my dress. "I can only imagine what you've planned." I replied, shooting a sweet smile at her and meeting her bright blue eyes.

As much as I was nervous about this whole, leap into a new atmosphere. It was so nice to see Lucy after a year and half. We parted ways after we graduated college. Her bright blonde hair was shorter than the last time I seen her. She had a pretty glow after coming back from Dubai, and she had quite sophistication now in her style with working in the modern fashion work.

She was still herself though. All smiles, eyes bright, still listened to radio tunes, loud and had no harms in telling you what's what. I had taken her phone call a week ago as a sign, a good one cause I knew she wouldn't let me fall into a hole even if I'd dig it myself.

"Mhmmm," She began, her eyes still on the road. "For starters, we're going to get you a new beeper." I furrowed my eyes,

"And why? I haven't even placed fresh undies into my dresser yet." I questioned, this girl never had any order. "We need to get you a new code and kiss all the losers goodbye."

I rolled my eyes, resting a little on our share console.

"Plus I bought a shelf of wine for unpacking tonight after seeing the boys!” She finished, taking a turn onto 24th street. My brows furrowed, “The boys?” I questioned. I couldn't believe that she had a double date ready. Trying to play match maker once again.

“I hope they're a gay couple." I replied, folding my arms across my chest.

Lucy just giggled loudly, "No you silly goose, they're our neighbors across the hall. Three nice lads that I have dinner with on Tuesdays."

And today is Tuesday. Splendid.