His fingers, slowly and with deliberate ease, undo the buttons of his shirt without once taking those slanted eyes off me. He takes my hand, inviting it to stroke the softness of his neck; once I touch him, he pulls me toward him with force, bringing his lips inches from mine. Just as I am about to feel his warm breath…

I wake up.

"Ah… not again… just a little longer," I whispered unhappily as I opened my eyes. The morning light was flooding my room.

I sat up in bed, disappointed, unsure if the cause of my letdown was having dreamed such a thing, or having woken up, once again, before my desire could be consummated—at least in my imagination.

It had been a week since I saw that man at the restaurant. Since then, I repeatedly found myself delirious, whether awake or in dreams, in constant fantasies starring him.

I picked up my phone to text my friend. That night, I had to run and tell her everything… seeing myself in front of my boyfriend, consumed by an uncontrollable and intense thirst caused by another man, made me feel incredibly vulnerable, but above all, uncomfortable with him and our relationship. I couldn't talk about this with anyone else, and the fact that I felt the need to speak of it, over and over again, was evidence that this encounter hadn't been just "anything" to me.

I hugged my legs and buried my face in my arms. My eyes got lost in the dust motes dancing in the light from the window. My cheeks burned with the flush of shame, as if upon waking, I had been caught doing something forbidden.

I have to… see him.

The morning felt eternal. I devoured every task at the office, one after another, without stopping to check the clock from time to time. The hand moved slowly, giving me a terrible sense of distance between the hour of my departure and me.

The phone vibrated, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Where are you?"

My friend Erica, who was in a cubicle diagonal to mine, messaged me.

"I’m here, right where you’re looking".

"I asked because you looked lost, like… on an astral trip to China".

"In that case, you just pulled me out of my astral trip".

She left a very obnoxious emoji sticking its tongue out at me; when I looked up to give her a dirty look, she emulated the emoji, letting me see her equally obnoxious tongue.

There are no messages from him yet. I inhaled sharply and left the phone on the desk. We know less and less about each other as time goes on; however… I can't say I feel entirely bad about it. It’s something I knew would happen at some point. It just makes me feel a bit… nostalgic.

I looked at the photo of us on my desk.

The sunset tints the white walls with a very pleasant pink hue. The place is empty. Like a heavy wave, my eyelashes fall over my eyes. In my mind, the image of that man’s hands appeared, his dark and silky hair settling distractedly over his forehead. Once again, I fantasized about sliding my fingers through it.

I caught my cheeks with my hands to wake myself from this dream. It’s time to go. I decided it was prudent to walk for a bit to clear my thoughts. In other times, he would come to pick me up from work, anxious to see me; but today, he hasn't even written a simple "Hello, have a good day".

After a few steps and a bit of anger as I remembered his neglect, the sky seemed to read my mood and unleashed a cold curtain of rain to match it.

Here I am. The rain has brought me to this place, to seek the warmth of a spot that is not my home, from a man who is a stranger.

"Is the lady expecting someone else?"

My hair and clothes were dripping onto the floor.

"No, this time it will be just me".

The reddish lamps were lit today. The man offered me a clean, white towel to dry myself.

I sat in a corner, at one of those tables meant only for two.

"They sent this to the lady; let me know when you are ready to order".

I looked up but didn’t see that familiar face. A warm ginger tea had been placed on my table, and on the small saucer beneath the cup, a delicate and beautiful sweet.

"Ah!" I exclaimed, after remembering the dessert he had placed on the table that other time. "Has… it been him?"

The bells of the mobile hanging in front of the employees' door rang, drawing my attention; no one came out, but I saw the waiter talking to someone. My body was starting to feel terribly cold, and my lips were shivering. The tea had done its part, but my clothes were still wet.

"May I?"

H-his voice was calling to me. Beside me, extending a dark shawl, stood his stylized and attractive figure. His raspy voice coiled in my ear, causing a spasm, and for a few seconds, I couldn't respond.

"Y-yes".

He covered me with the shawl with great delicacy, making sure to bundle me up well. His scent enveloped my body, intoxicating it instantly. He wore a sweet but robust perfume that suited him.

"Shall I serve you another?" he asked, pointing his hand toward the empty cup.

My cheeks flushed violently.

"Yes, thank you".

After turning around, he left with the cup. I brought my hand to my chest, containing the agitated speed of my breathing, the rhythmic sound of my heartbeats echoing the raindrops. Somehow, his voice continued to repeat in my head like an echo. We had barely crossed words of courtesy, but for me, this was enough to completely unsettle me.

The phone vibrated on the table just as the other waiter left a new tea and my dinner in front of me. When I turned it over, I saw that my boyfriend was calling.

His cheerful voice answered on the other end: "Hello! Where are you?"

"I’m at… I already left work".

"Why didn't you tell me to pick you up, eh? Where are you?" he asked again, but I… I didn't want to answer.

"You hadn't written and I didn't want to bother you… I’m at the restaurant you took me to the other day; I came to eat and wait for the rain to stop".

"Your mother called me; she asked if I was with you. Since I told her no, she got very worried. She wants me to take you to her house; she invited us to dinner".

I listened to the sound of horns and the bustle of the street.

"Ah… but they’ve already served my dinner," I said, glancing at my plate.

"I’m not that close; you have time to eat while I arrive. I’ll let your mom know that only I will be eating"—he laughed as he said it, as if he hadn't spent the whole day without calling, or as if he hadn't picked me up from work in weeks until my mother asked him to.

"Alright".

After hanging up, I took a bite. That man was watching me from the bar, behind the counter, arms crossed while the waiter spoke to him. His piercing gaze observed my every move until he finally went somewhere else, and then at last, I was able to finish eating without feeling like I was the one being devoured.

The message on my phone said my boyfriend was very close. I took my bag and the bill. I headed to the counter and slid my card and the receipt over the bar.

"Did you enjoy the tea?" He, who was the one receiving the payment, tilted his head while registering my data on the computer. His hair flirtatiously brushed against his cheekbone, inviting me to appreciate him.

"I liked it very much, and the small dessert that came with it, too… Do you make them here? It was very beautiful". I dared to look him in the eyes with a hint of shyness and innocence; it’s curious how some women, without realizing it, begin to flirt by feigning to be timid, prudent, and measured.

"I made it myself. They say it has a very tender flavor, and a delicious appearance…" His words played along with my game, sliding softly into my ears while his eyes seemed to do the same to my neck and my blouse.

He extended his hand with my card. I gripped the edge to receive it, but before I could pull it away…

"I hope… it was to your liking". Looking at me steadily, from below, he caught my fingers with his for just a few seconds, grazing them softly, like a fleeting caress.

"Come back soon… Please".