I booked an Uber and pinned the location: Redwood Cocktail Bar. As I slid into the car, my mind drifted to the afternoon—the warmth of his hand, the way he looked at me, and how Tequila had wagged her tail so eagerly. I ran my fingers over the hand he'd held, feeling my cheeks flush.

By the time I arrived at the event venue, the lively chatter of guests and upbeat music filled the air, grounding me in the moment. I took a deep breath. Focus, Kz. It's work time.

After checking in with the client, I slipped into host mode: making announcements, mingling with guests, and keeping the energy alive. But even as I smiled and greeted people, my thoughts kept drifting back to Tyler. Was he still thinking about our conversation in the park? I shook my head, trying to silence the distractions. Not now, Kz. My clients are counting on me.

As the night unfolded, I moved through my duties with practiced ease, yet something faintly pulled at my attention. Every so often, I felt the weight of someone's gaze on me—not heavy or intrusive, but warm, like a gentle presence lingering just out of sight. It wasn't the fleeting glances I often got from guests. This felt... softer.

I tried to shake the feeling, chalking it up to the lively energy of the room, but it persisted. There was an undeniable sense that someone was watching, not with scrutiny, but with a quiet curiosity that made me acutely aware of myself. When I chanced a look toward the crowd, my eyes caught the faintest glimpse of someone—a figure half-hidden in the sea of faces. Though I couldn't make out who it was, there was something about the way they lingered, their attention steady and unhurried, that left me both curious and strangely flattered.

It wasn't unsettling, just... different. Almost as if, for a moment, I'd become the subject of someone's quiet admiration.

I brushed it off as the event went on, but the feeling didn't fade. And when I reached the bar for a quick drink, it hit me like a wave. His voice. That familiar sound, deep and soothing, catching me off guard.

"What are the odds?"

I froze, heart thudding in my chest. 

Is it...

Slowly, I turned toward the bar, meeting his eyes for the first time since earlier. He looked... different. The Tyler I'd met in the park was shy, guarded, almost hesitant. But now? Now, he was confident. His white shirt was crisp and sleeves rolled up. His posture was casual, relaxed, as if he belonged here, but there was still something about him that felt new. Something that made my breath catch just a little.

"Tyler?" I stammered, unsure if I was saying his name to confirm this was real or if I was just... surprised.

"Yeah," he replied, his tone warm but tinged with something I couldn't quite place. There was a slight awkwardness, but it felt familiar, like I wasn't the only one caught off guard.

"You didn't tell me bartending was one of your skills," I teased, trying to cover my nerves. I hoped it sounded playful, like the witty banter we'd shared earlier, but part of me wondered if I sounded too eager.

"There's a lot you don't know about me," he said with a soft chuckle. And for a moment, I felt like we were back in the park, two strangers with a connection, simple and unspoken. He wasn't just the guy who owned Tequila anymore. There was more. Something that lingered between us, unacknowledged but present all the same.

He raised an eyebrow, offering to get me a drink, and I almost refused. But the moment he told me it was on the house—"Consider it a thank-you—for earlier"—something stirred in me. Maybe it was the sincerity in his voice, or the way he looked at me as though he hadn't quite figured me out yet. Or maybe it was that smile, warm and unguarded, that made me feel like I could let down my own walls.

"For what? Letting a stranger hold my hand in the park?" I teased, trying to mask the fluttering in my chest.

His laugh was genuine, and the sound of it made me feel... good. "For giving me a little hope."

Hope. The word hung between us, charged with meaning I wasn't sure I was ready to unpack. I blinked, thrown off guard by the sincerity in his tone. But then, just as quickly, the warmth in his gaze swept it all away. I smiled. Something about him felt so disarming. So real.

I took a sip of the drink he made for me, feeling the coolness slip down my throat, but my mind was still racing. What was this? There was something about Tyler—something I couldn't explain. It wasn't just that he was attractive or that Lucky and Cleo liked him. It was more than that. He made me feel... noticed. Seen in a way that I hadn't been in a long time.

As I took another sip of the drink, my thoughts kept returning to him. He was... different. Not like the others I'd met before. I wasn't sure what I was feeling, but I knew one thing for sure: maybe it's fate.