Sally
I watched as Colby sat next to Allison, enjoying the meal, obviously because he had to eat it next to her. They both were talking and laughing in the midst of it, and I could only stare, giving a hint of jealousy now and then.
“By the way, Sally,” Allison said, turning to me. “Your food tastes nice and even better than before.”
“Thanks, I decided to practice better,” I signed.
“Right, Colby?” Allison asked, turning to Colby, who only widened his eyes and then shrugged his shoulders, replying, “Well, she’s good.”
As we finished our meal, Allison stood up, announcing, “I should get going. I have some work to do at the dorm.”
I nodded and waved goodbye, watching as she turned to Colby.
“Are you coming?” Allison asked.
Colby hesitated, his eyes drifting back to the food. “I’ll stay for a bit. I want to savor this delicious food again.”
Allison laughed. “You can’t get enough, can you?”
Colby just smiled, and she waved goodbye, gathered her bag, and left the room.
Once she was gone, Colby’s expression shifted, his eyes narrowing as he turned to me. I met his gaze, a questioning look on my face.
“Should I get you the so-called delicious food?” I signed, a hint of sarcasm playing on my face.
Colby’s response was abrupt, his voice low and warning. “Don’t fuck with me, Sally. You know why I stayed back.”
I felt a shiver run down my spine as I searched his face, trying to understand what was going on. Was that why he was all over my DM a few hours ago, ranting and being all upset?
“What is it now?” I signed. “I haven’t seen you in days and even weeks, and the next thing is you being agitated. What the hell did I do this time?”
Colby’s question caught me off guard. “So, tell me, do you normally read books?”
I looked at him confused, signing, “Why do you ask?”
Colby’s expression turned impatient.
“Just answer the damn question, Sally. Do you read books?”
I bit my bottom lip, shrugging.
“What kind of books do you mean? There are motivational books, novels…” I trailed off, listing various genres.
Colby rubbed his face, frustration etched on his features.
“The book I’m talking about is… dark. Dark romance.”
I cocked my head, signing, “I do read that. Why? What’s wrong?”
Colby’s eyes seemed to bore into mine. “Then you might know… have you ever had any fantasies? Like, reading them, did you ever imagine…” He trailed off, his gaze intense.
Before I could respond, Colby pulled out his phone and showed me something. My eyes widened as I took in the image: a muscular, shirtless man with toned abs and a chiseled V-line, his face obscured by a black mask.
I swallowed hard, my eyes locked on Colby’s. “Why are you showing me this?” I asked.
Instead, he let out a scoff and leaned in, his voice low and husky. “How would you feel getting fucked by a man in a mask?”
I nearly choked, my face burning. Colby quickly handed me a glass of water from the table. I took a few sips, trying to compose myself.
When I finally set the glass down, I signed, “Why are you asking all this, Colby? It’s really weird.”
Colby smirked, reclining against the chair like a CEO claiming his throne. His voice was soft and velvety. “Because I want to make all your fantasies come true, baby.”
I felt a shiver run down my spine. I signed, “How do you plan to do that? Do you want to appear as a masked man or what?”
Colby’s eyes gleamed with intensity. “Just say the word, alright?”
I hesitated for a moment before signing, “Be my masked man, Colby.”
Here’s a rewritten version with more emotional depth, inner thoughts, and varied sentence structures:
As Colby’s words hung in the air – “Alright then, I’ll be your masked man, baby” – I felt a shiver run down my spine. But it wasn’t excitement or anticipation; it was unease. I chuckled nervously, trying to deflect the tension.
Colby’s face fell, his eyes narrowing as he searched for a hidden meaning behind my laughter. “What’s so funny?” he asked, his tone tinged with annoyance.
I shook my head, feeling a surge of frustration. Why was he pushing this? Didn’t he understand that I wasn’t interested?
I signed, trying to convey my exasperation. “I’m not interested, Colby. Sorry. Just because I read dark romance doesn’t mean I fantasize about that stuff.”
The air seemed to vibrate with Colby’s intensity as he leaned in, his gaze burning with curiosity. His eyes seemed to bore into mine, searching for a glimmer of desire, a spark of interest. But I had none to give.
“Why not?” he asked, his voice low and husky.
I rolled my eyes, feeling a wave of irritation wash over me. Why was he so fixated on this? Didn’t he understand that I just wasn’t interested? “Like I said before, I don’t fantasize about that stuff. I don’t want any of it.”
Colby’s expression turned thoughtful, his eyes clouding over as he pondered my words. For a moment, I thought I saw a glimmer of understanding, a flicker of acceptance. But then his face hardened, his jaw clenched in determination.
“Have you tried it before?” he asked, his voice dripping with curiosity.
I frowned, feeling a surge of annoyance. What did it matter? Why was he so obsessed with this? “I haven’t, and I don’t think I will.”
Colby’s eyes seemed to gleam with excitement, his pupils dilating as he leaned in closer.
“Why not?” he whispered.
I felt a shiver run down my spine as I met his gaze, my heart pounding in my chest. Why was he pushing this so hard? What did he want from me?
Suddenly, I was tired of the game, tired of the cat-and-mouse chase. I was tired of Colby’s intensity, tired of his questions. I just wanted him to leave.
“Look, Colby, I’m tired. I want to rest. Can you please just leave?” I signed, feeling a wave of exhaustion wash over me.
Colby’s face fell, his eyes narrowing as he searched for a hidden meaning behind my words. But I had none to give. I just wanted him gone.
As he stood up, his movements seemed almost deliberate, as if he was savoring the moment. He nodded, his eyes locking onto mine with an unnerving intensity. And then, just before he turned to leave, he whispered, his voice low and husky, “I’m still going to be your masked man, Sally.”
The words sent a shiver down my spine, but before I could respond, he was gone, the door closing behind him with a soft click. I let out a sigh of relief, feeling the tension in my body begin to dissipate. The silence that followed was almost palpable, a welcome respite from the charged emotions that had filled the room just moments before.