"Steemit Challenge s28wk6: Unexpected Chat's True Twist

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Antony kept stirring as Tina walk toward her car, her figure gradually blending into the rows of parked vehicles. The light from the mall reflected off the windshields, and for the first time that evening, the noise of the world came back. He stood there for a moment, replaying her laugh in his head, the way she tilted her head when she listened, the warmth of her hand squeezing his.

“This was… amazing,” he had said, and for once, he hadn’t rehearsed it.

He drove home with a ridiculous smile, the kind that made his cheeks ache. Dinner next week. Best food, all her idea. He lay awake that night imagining things; candlelight, shared plates, maybe even the courage to finally talk about the things he usually kept hidden; his dreams, his fears, his quiet ambition.

The next few days passed gently. Antony caught himself checking his phone regularly, rereading their brief messages. Tina wasn’t that romantic in text, but she was thoughtful enough to ask how his day went, sending a photo of a new dress display at the shop, adding a simple “This made me think of you.” That was enough.

When dinner night arrived, Tina chose a small restaurant away from the busy streets. The food was as good as she promised, but Antony barely noticed. Something about her felt different tonight, she looked focused and almost purposeful.

Halfway through dessert, she set her spoon down and took a breath.

“Antony,” she said gently, “can I tell you something without sounding awkward?”

His heart skipped. He nodded, bracing himself for either confession or rejection.

“I really enjoyed meeting you. Truly,” she continued. “But I also didn’t ask you out just because I liked you.”

The words landed softly but firmly.

Antony’s smile faltered. “Oh.”

She rushed on. “Please don’t misunderstand. I do like you, but I noticed how you spoke about ideas more at the café and how observant you are, how you see things differently. And then, I’ve been wanting to start something. A small clothing line, maybe and I need someone who thinks, not just sells.”

Antony blinked. Of all the endings he had imagined, this wasn’t one of them.

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“You’re asking me… to be your business partner?” he asked.

She laughed nervously. “When you say it like that, it sounds cold. I guess I’m asking if you want to build something with me. See where it goes.”

Silence set in between them, heavy but not uncomfortable. Antony looked down at his hands, the same hands that had trembled when he first asked her for coffee. He realized something then that romance, to him, had always felt like something easy, something he might ruin by speaking too much or too little. But this..., this invitation felt solid.

“I’ve spent most of my life waiting,” he said slowly. “Letting beautiful moments pass because I was afraid of reading them wrong.” His eyes met hers. “But I don’t want to do that anymore.”

Tina’s face softened.

“I don’t know if this turns into love,” he continued honestly. “But I know I want to try with you, in whatever way makes sense.”

She smiled, genuine, and relieved. “That’s all I hoped you’d say.”

They walked out of the restaurant together, not holding hands this time, but walking in step. The future no longer looked like a single path labeled romance or friendship or business. It looked like a wide road, unending, waiting for choices.

As they reached the parking lot, Tina paused. “So… partners?”

Antony smiled, feeling something steadier than butterflies.

“Partners,” he said.

And this time, the hug they shared wasn’t just about what they felt, it was about what they were about to create.

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I invite @sahmie @lhorgic @aviral123