"Anita! Come on, I'm going to be late!" Stephanie's voice rang out from the hallway, half-laughing, half-frustrated.
Anita's groggy voice came from the guest room, "Steph, I haven't even had my bath yet!"
Steph poked her head into the doorway, looking both amused and apologetic. "I'm so sorry, Nita. My boss just called—urgent meeting. Apparently, I'm the only person in the city who can save this woman's career."
Anita, still wrapped in her robe, walked out of the bathroom with a towel on her head. "Wow. So I'm not the most important woman in your life anymore?"
"Don't start," Steph said with a guilty smile, pulling Anita into a quick hug. "I'll miss you."
"Who said I'm going anywhere?" Anita teased.
"I'll ask Leo to drop you off," Steph added, stepping away. "He's outside. Drinking coffee. Alone. Looking like he's carrying the weight of the entire world on his shoulders."
Anita rolled her eyes. "Fantastic. Send the brooding but beautiful man to deal with my emotional exit."
"Be nice," Steph said, grinning. "Maybe this is the universe's way of helping you two talk."
Anita didn't respond. She just let out a soft, almost undetectable sigh.
Downstairs, Leo sat at the dining table, a mug of black coffee between his fingers, his eyes lost in thought.
Stephanie gave him a sharp nudge on the shoulder. "Good morning, brooder."
Leo looked up, startled slightly, then smirked. "You're early."
"I have a morning meeting. I need a huge favor."
He straightened. "What's up?"
"Anita's flight is in a few hours, but I can't take her. Will you drop her off at the airport for me?"
Leo hesitated.
"She's upstairs," Steph added gently. "Getting ready. Please, Leo."
He exhaled, nodded. "Alright. I'll take her."
"Thank you." She leaned down and kissed his cheek. "Try not to fight her before you say goodbye."
Steph left, and Leo sipped the rest of his coffee in silence. Then, after a long moment, he stood and walked upstairs.
He paused at Anita's door. Then knocked.
"Come in!" she called out.
He stepped in—and instantly froze.
Anita was stepping out of the bathroom, steam trailing behind her like a misty curtain. She was in a towel, wet hair slicked back, her eyes wide with shock when she saw him.
"Oh my God! Leo—what the hell?" she shrieked, ducking back behind the door.
"I—I thought you were dressed!" he said, spinning on his heel. "I should've—sorry—I should've waited—outside."
"No kidding!" she called from behind the door.
A few seconds passed, both of them flustered.
"Why were you even coming in?" her voice echoed.
"I wanted to talk. Before you left."
A long pause.
"Okay," Anita said, voice softer now. "Give me ten. Don't go anywhere."
He nodded even though she couldn't see him and hurried downstairs, shaking off the embarrassment. He poured himself another cup of coffee, trying to ignore the flush on his face.
Ten minutes later, Anita came down. Now dressed in high-waisted jeans and a fitted top, she looked effortlessly beautiful. Her curls were tied in a messy bun, and there was a hesitant glimmer in her eyes.
"You wanted to talk?" she asked, leaning on the dining chair across from him.
Leo stood, then sat again, his fingers gripping his cup tightly. "Yeah. I owe you an apology. For being an ass."
Anita folded her arms. "Go on."
He chuckled. "I deserved that. I've been… weird. Distant. Ever since you told me how you felt."
Her jaw tightened a little. "You mean ever since I embarrassed myself."
"Don't say that." Leo leaned forward, earnest now. "I wasn't fair to you. I pushed you away not because I don't care but because I care too damn much."
Anita looked at him, confused and guarded. "That doesn't make sense, Leo."
"I know. But when I feel something deeply, I… panic. It's like high school all over again. Remember Carla?"
Anita's brows furrowed. "Carla… the girl who confessed and you told everyone about it to get out of it?"
He cringed. "Yeah. I was young and dumb. I didn't know how to handle it. Feelings terrify me, Anita. They always have."
"But I'm not Carla," Anita said quietly.
"I know. And I never wanted to hurt you. I thought if I stayed away, it would make things easier."
"For who?" Her voice rose slightly. "Because it didn't make it easier for me. I told you how I felt, Leo. I laid myself bare. And you made me feel like I was crazy."
"I was scared." His voice was quiet. "I've never met anyone like you. You're smart, hilarious, brutally honest. You challenge me. You make me want to be better."
Anita looked away, blinking hard. "Then why didn't you say something?"
"I didn't think I deserved you."
She laughed, a bitter sound. "You don't get to decide what I deserve."
"I know that now." He stood and walked closer. "But I need you to know this—I want you. All of you. Not halfway. Not when it's convenient. I want the real thing."
Anita's eyes searched his. "So what are you saying?"
"I'm saying… I want to ask you out. Properly. Not just slide into a label because we feel things. I want to take you on a date, hear about your favorite books, your worst fears, all of it. I want to be the man who chooses you every day."
She blinked, stunned into silence.
"I'm asking for a chance to do this right," he added, voice softer now. "I don't want to rush into something just to mess it up again."
She stared at him, emotions warring in her eyes—anger, affection, hope.
"Leo," she whispered. "You really are a mess."
"I am," he agreed. "But I'm your mess—if you'll have me."
Anita stepped forward. "So… you're saying you want to be the guy who waits around for me to come to my senses?"
He smirked. "Exactly."
She laughed, then looked up at him. "Okay. But I'm still mad at you."
"I can live with that," he murmured.
And then he leaned in.
She didn't pull away.
Their lips met in a kiss that was both sweet and slow, filled with everything unspoken. When they broke apart, Anita's eyes shone.
"You know this means I'm not going to the airport anymore, right?" she said, grinning.
Leo chuckled. "I had a feeling."
"You're buying me waffles."
"Done."
"And asking me out properly. Flowers, maybe a cheesy line or two."
He mock-bowed. "Whatever the lady commands."
She grabbed his hand. "Let's do this right."
He kissed the back of her hand gently. "With you? There's no other way."