Chapter 18

I walked into the bar and spotted Ava sitting at the counter, her blonde hair cascading down her shoulders. She turned around and caught my eye, a mischievous grin on her lips.

“Hey there, handsome, what took you so long?” she said teasingly.

I took a seat next to her and ordered a drink, feeling the tension between us rise with every passing moment.

“I had some work to finish up,” I replied, trying to play it cool.

“Oh, so work is more important than me?” she said, playfully pouting.

I couldn’t help but chuckle at her antics. “Of course not; you know you’re the highlight of my day.”

She flashed me a bright smile and leaned in closer, her perfume intoxicating. “Well, if that’s the case, maybe you should buy me a drink,” she said, winking at me.

I obliged, and we continued to chat, our conversation flowing effortlessly as we shared jokes and flirtatious banter.

As the night wore on, the attraction between us grew stronger, our ey