Abby I wake up early the next morning, my body feeling surprisingly refreshed despite the events of the past few days. The room is bathed in a soft, golden light filtering through the curtains, and I can hear the gentle rustling of leaves outside the window. With a yawn, I stretch my limbs, feel
As I make my way over to the weights, I steal another glance at Karl’s form. He’s lifting heavy weights, his muscles flexing with each repetition. He grunts a bit, and sweat glistens on his skin. My heart races, and I feel a familiar warmth spreading through me. “Hey,” he says, smirking as he plac
Abby After my workout, I head back to my room, feeling invigorated and a little sore in a satisfying way. The hot bath is calling my name, promising to soothe my tired muscles, and I eagerly slip into the warm water, letting out a contented sigh as I sink down into the bathtub. The steam rises i
Abby “Hey. Looking for a sous chef tonight?” Karl’s unexpected presence in the kitchen startles me, and my heart skips a beat as I turn to face him. For a moment, we just look at each other. His easy smile and the mischievous glint in his eyes make my cheeks flush with warmth. The proximity be
Over the next hour, I get to work scrubbing, shaving, plucking, and rinsing, followed by styling my hair and putting on my makeup. I opt for an understated shimmery eyeshadow since I’ll be wearing a mask, and a plum red lip—a color which, thanks to Elsie, is now my favorite on myself. Then, I care
Abby Karl leads me onto the dance floor, his hand warm against my back. The soft strains of classical music fill the air, and the elegant masks of the other guests twinkle in the dim light of the ballroom. As we start to move together, his hand wrapped securely around mine, I can’t help but feel a
“All I ever wanted was to make you feel like a princess,” Karl says as the twirl ends and I come close again, so close that our bodies are pressing up against one another. “Nothing short of that.” As the music swells around us, our movements become more fluid, more intimate. The world seems to fad
Abby “Can I sit with you?” Karl is standing in front of me, his mask in his hand, his hair tousled by the chilly wind. His brown eyes are full of concern, although I think he’s trying to hide it just a little bit. I nod, moving over to let Karl sit beside me on the cold metal bench. The night