Dimitri turned in bed, half asleep. He listened for the sound of the doorbell. It came again, and he groaned, muttering in frustration as he snuggled his head deeper into the pillow and tried to block out the rest of the awakening day. It had been a long night at the office, signing documents, revising contracts and scheduling meetings. He intended to sleep into the morning until he was sufficiently rested, but whoever was at the door had other plans. The ringing stopped. Two rings and everything fell silent. Ordinarily, he would have continued sleeping, but he groggily sat up, looking at the clock and searching for his phone. If anyone of his family was at the door, they would have called when he didn’t answer after the third ring. When nothing happened, he sluggishly dragged himself out of bed and into the living room. Still hazy from his interrupted sleep, Dimitri padded to the door. He looked at the security monitor but only saw a woven basket filled with clear p

Sofia watched the young woman walk away, the skin of her palm biting into the leather of the steering wheel as she squeezed it hard. She had driven over to surprise Dimitri. She planned to run into him as he left for work, so she parked her car and waited, prepared to bite the bullet and invite him out for coffee. He insisted they could be friends, and she was ready to use her cards and sort things out. Little by little, like before, they would become closer again.Her plans and excuses went out the window when she looked through the gate to see him saying goodbye to her. She didn’t simply kiss him on the cheek, she hugged him, and he smiled at her with warmth. The same warmth she noted in his tone months ago when he spoke about helping her at the hospital.&n

Early in the morning, Dimitri was finishing his hike for the day when he walked out of the forest and noticed Ayesha sitting by the waterfront. Unlike the last time he had seen her in that exact spot, she had come prepared with a blanket and a lunch box. Casually dressed in dark leggings and a large navy blue t-shirt with a wide enough neck that one side hung off her shoulders.She appeared to be enjoying the day. Her hair was down, her hands stretched behind her, and her neck craned towards the sky as she relished the little sunlight that warmed her skin. Her legs were crossed at the ankles. She had taken her shoes off, so he noticed when she wiggled her toes through the socks.“Hey.”“Hey, right back. How are you?”“Fine, thanks. You?”“Spectacular. Are you finishing up on your hike?” He nodded, and she tapped an empty space on the blanket. “Want to join me?”“Sure.” H

“Come on up.”“No, I can’t. I might be all smiles, but I need to get warm.”“I bet. Which is what I am inviting you in for.” She looked out the windshield to the street. “It’s still raining quite heavily. I’ll wash and dry your clothes. You can change into them and enjoy a hot cup of tea. Don’t be so hard-headed. You’ve been shivering so hard your teeth are about to chatter out of your head.”He had no blanket in the car, and aside from the heater, there was nothing else he could use to get warm. The offering was tempting. He wouldn't deny that he dreaded having to sit through the traffic of cars in his still-drying clothes."I don't want to inconvenience your roommate."“Then you have nothing to worry about. He is spending the week at his girlfriend's place. Come in.” She pleaded, and this time he relented."Fine, but I have to find a better place to p

Ayesha whipped her shirt off her head and draped it on the bench before collapsing on the floor. Joseph brought Ayesha and Carol out to the stadium for a morning of exercise on the weekend. After going rounds on the basketball court, they were ready for a break. Carol joined Ayesha on the floor, leaning her back against the bench as she watched Joseph continue to practice."Hey." Carol began after chugging a good amount of water. "I heard you and Glen are getting pretty close at work."“Are we?”“I thought you were. He keeps you company when I am late and even has started sorting closer to your station?”“Hm. I haven’t noticed. He is a nice guy, but that’s about where it gets with me.”“Still on about Dimitri?” Carol waggled her eyebrows with a suggestive smile.“No, maybe, but that’s not the reason. Like I said, Glen is nice, and that’s it.”"He seems