Chapter Two; Are You a Virgin?

The drive home was peaceful. I gazed out the window, taking in the scenery of the ever-bustling city as we drove through the night.

The buildings lining the road blurred past, a soft sigh leaving my lips as the evening breeze combed through my curls. The moon hung low in the sky, casting a soft, ethereal light over the landscape.

I tucked a loose strand of my hair behind my ear as I stole a glance at Caspian, the soft glow of the streetlights illuminated his face, highlighting his perfect features. His hair, a tousled mess of dark waves, framed his face perfectly, giving him a slightly unkempt but effortlessly handsome look. His eyes were a striking shade of blue, like the depths of the ocean on a clear day, and they seemed to sparkle with an inner light. His smile was warm and inviting, with a dimple appearing on his left cheek when he grinned. His features were strong yet gentle, creating a captivating combination that drew me in every time I looked at him.

My heart skips a beat when he catches me staring, and I whip my head forward, my cheeks bursting into scarlet as I hear his amused chuckle.

“Get yourself together Aurelia,” I mutter to myself, returning my gaze to the window as I anxiously pull my bottom lip between my teeth.

My apartment building comes into view, and Caspian parks his car in the driveway. “Thank you.” I began with a genuine smile, breaking the silence and he dismissed me with a casual wave of his hand. “It's nothing, what are friends for?”

I felt an ache in my chest as he tagged me as his friend, and although I was flattered, I wanted more. I took a deep breath, nervously fidgeting with the hem of my sweater as Caspian turned off the car engine. "Um, Caspian, would you... uh, like to come in for a bit?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

He turned to me, his eyebrows raised in surprise. "Sure, if you need anything. What's up?"

My heart raced as panic gripped me. "Oh, I, uh, just needed you to check one of my pipes. It's been acting up, and, um, you're good with that sort of thing, right?" I blurted out, mentally kicking myself for my awkwardness.

Caspian chuckled, shaking his head. "Sure, I can take a look."

As we entered my apartment, my nerves threatened to overwhelm me. I led Caspian to the bathroom, where the troublesome pipe awaited inspection. As he got to work, I tried to muster up the courage to confess my feelings, but each time I opened my mouth, my words failed me.

After a few minutes, Caspian straightened up and turned to me with a grin. "Well, good news, there's nothing wrong with the pipe. Seems like it just needed a little tightening."

My heart sank, my cheeks flushing with embarrassment. "Oh, um, great. Thanks for checking."

Caspian chuckled, patting my shoulder. "No problem. So, anything else you need?"

The gears in my head begin to spin as I desperately searched for a way to salvage the situation. "Uh, well, we could, um, watch a movie or something? I mean, if you're not in a hurry," I stammered, my voice trailing off uncertainly.

Caspian smiled, amusement dancing in his eyes. "As tempting as that sounds, I've got an early start tomorrow. Rain check?" And with that, he had already shut the window of opportunity, leaving no room for any further advances.

I forced a smile. "Yeah, of course. Thanks for coming over, Caspian."

He ruffled my hair playfully. "Anytime, Aurelia. Goodnight."

“Goodnight Caspian,” I replied, my voice coming out a little too high as I worked to mask my sadness.

As he made his way to the door, I watched him go, a mixture of disappointment and relief flooding me. Once he was gone, I collapsed onto the couch, burying my face in my hands.

"Well, that couldn't have gone any worse," I muttered to myself, mentally kicking myself for my missing such a good chance.

“Fuck !” Overwhelmed by frustration, I cursed out loud, not caring if I wake the neighbors groaned into the couch.

I'm soon greeted by the calming purr of my cat, Chelsea. The Turkish Angora struts towards me in a graceful stride, her tail snaking around my feet as she rubs her nose against my legs. My heart warmed at the cute gesture, and I crouched down to her eye level, earning a satisfied purr as I ran my hands through her shiny white fur.

“Tonight wasn't the night Chelsea,” I tell her solemnly, and as if sensing my sadness, Chelsea tilts her head to the side, her blue eyes shining with curiosity. “I'm going to die a virgin at this rate.”

After a long well-needed bath, I sat in the darkness of my bedroom. Chelsea slept peacefully in the corner of my desk, her breathing soft and calm.

My hands soothe her fur as I go through my current designs, the light emitting from my laptop screen illuminating my features. Working served as a perfection distraction for me to forget my worries, if not I would continue to wallow in self pity at my failed attempt to kick things of with my crush.

Now I was dressed in my comfy pajamas, my curly ginger hair wrung into a messy bun on top of my head. The loose tendrils framed my face as I pressed a thoughtful finger over my lips, my gray pupils thinning at the small message box that had just popped up on my screen.

Out of sheer curiosity, I clicked on it and a new tab opened, causing my brows to furrow in confusion as I read through its content.

My attention was immediately drawn to the question that displayed on the screen

“Are you a virgin?”

*If yes; then would you like to play a game?*