The crush

Mia’s POV

“James Williams… I just cannot seem to forget you,” I whispered to myself as I stared down at the business card resting in the palm of my hand. It wasn’t anything extravagant, just his name and cell phone number written in simple, bold font. No company name, no job title, no extra details. Maybe those things didn’t matter to him. Or maybe he assumed his name alone was enough, and strangely, it was.

I sat on the edge of my bed, twirling the card between my fingers. I couldn’t stop thinking about him. My phone lay beside me, and for the past twenty minutes, I had been locked in a silent mental debate, whether I should call him or not. Or maybe just send a simple text. My heart was pounding, and my thoughts were in complete disarray.

“What are you thinking about? You’ve been glued to that phone of yours for over twenty minutes now. What’s going on?” Amelia’s voice cut through my thoughts like a sharp blade.

Startled, I quickly looked up at her and forced a casual laugh.

“What are you saying, girl?” I tried to play it off.

But she wasn’t fooled. “I’ve been watching you. You’re zoned out, smiling one minute, frowning the next. Who’s gotten into your head?”

I sighed and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. There was no hiding anything from Amelia. We shared a room, and over the years, we’d shared everything, secrets, tears, dreams, and now… this.

“Well,” I began, hesitating for just a moment. “There’s someone I met this morning. He gave me his card. Now I can’t stop thinking about whether I should call or text him.”

Her eyebrows shot up. “Ooooh, who is he? Is he cute?”

“Cute?” I laughed. “No, Amelia, he’s handsome. Like, really handsome. And he looks rich too. He gave me a ride to work this morning when it was raining. I don’t know, I just… can’t get him out of my mind.”

She grinned like a cat that had sniffed something juicy. “Girl, then call him right away! You’re clearly overthinking this. He gave you his card, right? That means he wants you to call. Maybe he’s waiting for it.”

Amelia’s words echoed in my heart. She was right. What was I so afraid of? He had told me to call him whenever I felt like it. And here I was, sitting like a teenager with a school crush, drowning in nerves. I needed to stop overthinking and just act.

I took a deep breath, gathered all the courage I could summon, and dialed his number. My hands trembled slightly as I held the phone to my ear, my eyes fixed on the screen as it rang.

Then he picked up.

James: “Hello, who is this?”

Me: “Hello… It’s Mia Gilberts. You gave me your card this morning, remember? When you dropped me off at work.”

James: “Yeah, I remember. Honestly, I didn’t think you’d call. Thank you.”

Me: “You’re welcome. This is my number, you can save it.”

I said the last part softly, then quickly hung up before my nerves could betray me further. As soon as the call ended, I realized I was shivering. It wasn’t from the cold. It was his voice, deep, calm, and incredibly captivating. It echoed in my mind long after the call ended. I couldn’t stop smiling. I hoped he would save my number. I hoped he would text me. I really wanted him to.

“What did Mr. Handsome say? I’m curious!” Amelia asked eagerly, practically bouncing on her bed.

She was so nosy sometimes, but I couldn’t even pretend to be annoyed. I was too happy. I burst out laughing, the joy spilling from me like sunshine.

“He was just happy that I had called,” I said, grinning. “He sounded surprised, but… happy. I bet he was waiting for my call.”

Amelia leaned in, studying my face closely. “Don’t tell me you already have a crush on him. Because girl, I can see it written all over you.”

I quickly shook my head, trying to play it cool. “No! I was just… happy that he rescued me from the cold. That’s all. I just wanted to thank him.”

It was a lie. A weak one. But it was easier than admitting what I was truly feeling. I had never felt this way before, and I wasn’t ready to say it out loud.

Amelia, of course, wasn’t buying it. “Either way,” she said seriously, “just be careful. Don’t fall for him too fast. You don’t even know his character yet. Men can be so deceitful these days.”

Her words sank deep into me, grounding me. I knew she was right. I had to be cautious. I barely knew James. For all I knew, he could be like every other man, charming on the outside, dangerous underneath.

“I know, my friend. I promise to be careful,” I said sincerely.

But the truth? I had already fallen a little. This was new. I had never fallen in love before. Not even close. But something about James stirred feelings in me that I didn’t know existed. I had to stay grounded, not let my emotions control me. I owed that much to myself.

Still… as I lay back on my bed, his voice echoing in my head, I knew deep down:

This wasn’t just a crush.

This might be something more.