freshly manicured fingertips ran the length of her thigh high mini dress, attempting to smooth any wrinkles that may have formed in the fabric. alycia was definitely in her 'having fun' phase, and she was looking forward to her date with michael. she had always admired the older male from afar. his work was legendary, and to even be a glimpse on his radar was enough of an ego push for her. he was talented, he was drop dead gorgeous, and she didn't take this opportunity lightly.
with one final glimpse of herself in the mirror, she wiggled her fingers a few more times to shake free any tangles in her shoulder length, brown hair, before she turned away from the mirror to collect her bag and any other essential items she would need throughout the night. 'i'm on my way!' she shot him a quick text to let him know she was enroute to his location, the excitement for the evening building in the pit of her stomach as she began to commute to his home.
the butterflies in her stomach began to flutter the closer she got to his address. logically she knew that he liked her, that was obvious because he had invited her over, but there was still a small part of her that was nervous he'd like the online version of her more than who she actual was. "phew, here we go." she mumbled to herself as she pulled into the driveway. she didn't immediately jump out of the car, instead she gave her hair and makeup one final look over through the visor mirror before she got out. she wanted to look perfect, at least as close to perfect as she could.
she was finally out of the car and collected her bag from the passenger seat, before she was on her way up the sidewalk that led to his front door. she lifted her hand to knock, each one more delicate than the last. there was a chance he wouldn't have heard them in a house that size, but luckily they lived in an era where ring doorbells were pretty much standard, so either way he knew she was there. as she waited for him to answer she took in the sight of his property. it was a beautiful location, and of course he had a killer scene of the los angeles sunset from there. @michaelbjordcns
michael had seen her before, of course—red carpets, interviews, streaming on his screen during late-night wind-downs—but seeing her now, in real life, standing at the threshold of his home in that little black dress that hugged her like it had something to prove? that was different. that was real. she looked like a painting he didn’t remember commissioning but somehow captured everything he liked—elegance, sharpness, a soft defiance that lingered in her jawline when she held her head high. she knocked again just as he opened the door, and for a split second, he let himself linger in the moment—the way her hair fell just past her shoulders, the glint of nervousness in her eyes she was trying to hide behind a trained, effortless smile.
"hey," he said, leaning on the frame like he hadn’t been pacing behind it five seconds ago. the word came out smoother than he expected, but he didn’t show his surprise. "you look—damn." it wasn’t rehearsed. it wasn’t meant to be slick. it just slipped out because anything else would've sounded like a lie. her laugh—light, but not shy—filled the space between them, and just like that, the whole front entrance felt warmer. he stepped aside to let her in, eyes trailing her movements with casual discretion. the sway in her walk, the way her fingertips clutched her little bag just a bit tighter—it all told him she was trying to play it cool. he respected that. hell, he was doing the same.
as she walked past him, he caught the faint scent of her perfume—something floral, understated, expensive without needing to scream it. it mixed with the low-burning sandalwood candle on the shelf and grounded him, made the house feel more alive than it had five minutes ago. he shut the door behind her gently, then placed a palm at the small of her back to guide her toward the living room. it wasn’t a move meant to dominate, but to reassure. the contact was brief, but her warmth lingered on his hand longer than he anticipated.
he led her to the couch and motioned for her to sit while he veered toward the open kitchen. "i hope you're hungry," he said, lifting one of the plate covers to peek inside. the salmon still looked edible—moist, seasoned well, at least by his standards. the asparagus hadn’t gone limp. the rice was, okay, slightly suspect. “i cooked. or at least attempted to.” he glanced back at her with a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips, watching the way she leaned into the plush cushions like she was already beginning to settle in. “but don’t worry—postmates is on high alert if this turns into a domestic disaster. i’m not above surrendering to pad thai.” her smile came easy this time, and michael felt something loosen in his chest. this wasn’t about impressing her anymore. she was already here. now it was about being real enough to make her stay.
