DOMINIC’S POV
I parked at the same spot as yesterday, waiting for Saraya to come outside.
She was all I could think about last night. Her face, her energy, the way she ignored me continued to taunt me and I couldn’t shake it off. I woke up early, determined to see her again. Maybe it was a little creepy to follow her like this, but I don’t care.
I leaned against my car, watching her front door, my heart racing when she suddenly appeared.
She looked simple but stunning, wearing a black hoodie and gray joggers, her hair pulled back in a loose ponytail. She didn’t try to stand out, but somehow, she did.
I stayed a safe distance behind her as she jogged through the neighborhood. She ran like she was preparing for the Olympics. Her speed was tenacious.
Running after her was exhausting as hell as I gave up twenty minutes into the sprint but she went another forty minutes before stopping to catch her breath.
When she finally slowed down and stopped by a bench to catch her breath, I knew it was my chance.
I walked up to her and held out a bottle of water. “Here,” I said.
She looked up at me, her eyes roamed over my face like she was trying to place me. “Do I know you?” she asked.
I shook my head, giving her a small smile. “No, but I’d like you to. I’m Dominic. Dominic Leo.” I held the bottle out again. “Thought you might need this.”
She hesitated, her eyes searching mine for something I couldn’t quite figure out. “Thanks for the water but I’ll pass.
“Come on.” I urged her. “My hands hurts and it would be embarrassing if you don’t take it from me.”
“And why are you doing this?” She asked. “Is this how you go a out handing a bottle of water to every woman?”
I leaned in. “You’re the second woman, I’ve done this for. My mom is the first.” He replied. “I understand you’re being cautious around me, after all, I’m a stranger.”
“Glad you know that.” She said and tried to leave.
“But I like to be your friend.” I stood in her way.
“I’m not interested in goodwill or friendship,” she said, brushing past me without another word.
I stood there, frozen for a moment, watching her walk away again. There was a fire in the way she moved.
I tossed the untouched water bottle into a nearby trash can and smacked my lips. “You’re mine, Saraya.”
SARAYA’S POV.
As I jogged back home, I must have turned my back at least twenty times to make sure that psycho wasn’t following me.
As soon as I entered the house, I went straight to the kitchen to get myself some water to drink.
After quenching my thirst, I leaned against the kitchen cabinet thinking. “Why do I find him so familiar?” I asked myself.
I shook my head, “don’t overthink it,” I muttered to myself. trying to dismiss the thought. It didn’t matter. Familiar or not, I didn’t have the energy to deal with him, not when I have a date to worry about.
*
I walked into the restaurant, scanning the room until my eyes landed on Toby. He was seated at a corner table, fidgeting with his glasses and adjusting his tie.
He looked exactly like his profile picture-sharp features, slightly awkward posture, and an unmistakable “nerd” vibe.
I sighed internally, bracing myself for the evening. This wasn’t exactly my idea of fun, but I’d promised Mary I’d give this blind date a chance.
Toby stood as I approached, offering me a tight smile. “Saraya?”
“That’s me,” I said, shaking his hand briefly before sitting down.
He gestured to my seat. “Glad you could make it but I think you should know you’re six minutes late.” He blurted out.
I was shocked beyond words the easy he pointed it out but I thought it right to apologize. “I’m sorry about that, I’m new to this neighbourhood and couldn’t find my way on time.” I explained hoping that would suffice.
But Toby wasn’t done. “Still, courtesy demands you should have called me, you’re a businesswoman, Saraya. You should know such acts are called courtesy.” He went on. “I only waited because your grandma set up this meeting.”
“Wow!” Was the only thing I could mutter.
Before the conversation could go further, a waiter arrived, handing us menus. Toby immediately took control. “We’ll have two glasses of sparkling water to start with,” he said without even glancing at me.
I raised an eyebrow at how quickly Toby took over the ordering, not even pausing to ask what I wanted. I brushed it off, reminding myself to give him a fair shot.
As we looked through the menus, his phone buzzed loudly on the table. He glanced at it, swiped the screen, and chuckled softly to himself before setting it back down.
I ignored it the first time. But when it buzzed again-and again-it became impossible to concentrate on the menu, much less the conversation we were supposed to be having.
“Popular tonight, huh?” I said lightly, hoping he’d take the hint.
Toby didn’t even look up. “It’s just work,” he muttered, typing a quick reply.
The waiter returned with the sparkling water, and Toby barely acknowledged him. “We’ll have the grilled chicken for her,” he said, motioning vaguely at me, “and the steak for me. Medium rare.”
My mouth fell open. “Actually,” I interrupted, glaring at him before turning to the waiter. “I don’t like grilled chicken, I’ll take salmon, please.”
The waiter smiled at me, but Toby rolled his eyes at the waiter. “Why are you smiling at her? Is she your friend, huh?”
The smile quicky disappeared from the waiters face. “I’m sorry sir.”
“Sorry for yourself.” Toby said in a harsh tone. “Go get the salmon for her,” he said dismissively, turning back to his phone as if the waiter had vanished.
“I’m on it sir.”
“Thank you,” I said to the waiter, making it a point to smile apologetically at him.
When the waiter left, I took a sip of my water and tried to reset the mood. “So, Toby,” I began, “what do you like to do for fun? Outside of work, I mean.”
“Fun?” He scoffed, finally putting his phone down. “I don’t waste time on trivial things like that. Life’s too short to spend it on distractions packaged as fun.”
I blinked, stunned by his tone. “Excuse me?” Leaning back in my chair. My mind scrambled to process the sheer arrogance in his words.
“You heard me,” Toby said, his expression smug. “All these hobbies people cling to, they’re just excuses to avoid being productive. I mean, what’s the point of spending time on things that don’t add measurable value to your life?”
I stared at him, biting the inside of my cheek to keep myself from snapping. “Well, I’d argue that hobbies give life balance. They make people happy.”
He smirked, waving his hand dismissively. “Happy? That’s a fleeting emotion. Success, money, power-those are real goals. Everything else is just noise.”
His phone buzzed again on the table, interrupting him. This time, I didn’t even wait for him to apologize-because, of course, he didn’t. Instead, he grabbed the device, typing away while muttering something about a ‘critical work email.’
The waiter returned with our food, setting the plates down carefully. I noticed how he avoided making eye contact with me, probably still stung from the earlier comment.
I smiled warmly at the waiter. “Thank you. Everything looks great.”
“Enjoy your meal,” the waiter replied, his tone was professional but wary.
Toby didn’t acknowledged him. As soon as the waiter left, Toby glanced at my plate and sneered. “Salmon, huh? Not a fan, the sight makes me pokes.”
I set my fork down slowly, my appetite vanishing with every word out of his mouth.
“Excuse me?” I asked again, my voice sharper this time.
“What?” He asked, shrugging. “Just letting you know I don’t like salmon.”
“And that is none of my business.” I snapped at him. “You don’t even know anything about me, Toby.” I let out a sigh. “Who are you to judge my preference just because I wouldn’t eat what you want for me?”
“I’m not judging your preferences and a matter of fact, I’m trying to get to know you,” he said with a smug grin, picking up his fork. “Isn’t that the point of this little setup?”
That was it. I couldn’t take another second of his condescension.
“You’re right,” I said, standing up abruptly. “This was supposed to be about getting to know each other. And now I know enough.”
Toby blinked, clearly surprised by my reaction. “Wait, what are you doing? You’re not leaving, are you?”
I leaned down slightly, meeting his confused gaze. “In my grandma’s words, Toby, you seemed like a good man. But meeting you in person has proved otherwise.”
His mouth opened and closed, as if he couldn’t decide how to respond. “Saraya, come on, let’s be reasonable. I wasn’t trying to-”
“I don’t have time to waste on someone who doesn’t respect others or understand basic decency,” I said, cutting him off.
I grabbed my bag, turning toward the door. Before I walked away, I glanced back at the waiter, who was watching from a distance. I gave him a small smile. “I’m sorry you had to deal with that.”
The waiter nodded, a faint smile returning to his face.
As I stepped out into the cool night air, I felt a surge of relief. The evening hadn’t gone as planned and I was grateful for it.
“Where next?” I asked myself with no intention of going back home immediately.