I coughed lightly and stood up, clearing the table before walking to the trash can to dispose of the milkshake bottle and donut carton.
"Okay… let's be serious now. No more goofing around," I said, dusting my hands together as I turned back to him.
"What do you think we should use as our idea?"
"You know we have limited time."
"Do you already have anything in mind?" I asked.
"Not really," he replied.
"I'm thinking we should go with something already common, but make it feel different from the norm," I said.
"Something hiding in plain sight but still stands out when noticed. What do you think, Jules?"
"Not a bad idea," he replied.
"How about something that subtly suggests betrayal?" he added.
"That would be nice," I said.
"Do you have a sketch in mind?" I asked.
"Not really. We could come up with something now," he said.
"What do you think the statement piece should be?" Jules asked.
"I'm thinking a necklace," I said.
"Not bad," he replied.
Then we got busy....
pulling out our sketchbooks and pencils, slipping into a serious mood.
Jules and I sat across from each other, both bent over our sketches, the quiet scratch of pencil against paper filling the space between us.
I had been so focused I didn't even realize how still everything had become until I glanced up.
The soft light above us caught him just right.
For a moment, I paused.
He looked… different.
His brows were slightly drawn, his eyes fixed on his work with a kind of intensity I had never seen before. The usual ease in his expression was gone, replaced by something sharper, more focused.
The light traced along his jaw, catching the edge of his cheekbones, making him look almost unreal.
Serious. Controlled.
And unexpectedly… attractive.
Not the kind of effortless charm he usually carried… but something deeper. Like a professor completely absorbed in his work...the kind you couldn't look away from even if you tried.
I blinked, realizing I had been staring a second too long.
He didn't notice.
Still lost in his sketch, completely unaware of the way the moment had shifted.
"Get it together," I warned myself quietly.
I tore my gaze away, forcing my attention back to the sketch in front of me. The lines blurred for a second before settling again, my focus snapping back into place.
I straightened slightly, adjusting my grip on the pencil, slipping back into that familiar, serious posture… like nothing had happened.
Like I hadn't just been staring.
Like he hadn't just distracted me.
I managed to stay like that....focused, composed....until Jules finally broke the silence.
"We should compare," he said.
I looked up and nodded, and we both shifted our sketches toward the center of the table.
For a moment, there was silence as we studied each other's work…
Then it started.
"That won't work," he said, tapping lightly on my design.
I frowned. "It does. You're just not seeing it properly."
He leaned back slightly, shaking his head. "No, it clashes. The structure is too...."
"And yours isn't?" I cut in, raising a brow. "It's overcomplicated."
What started as simple feedback quickly turned into back-and-forth banter...sharp, stubborn, neither of us willing to give in.
Our ideas were good… but together? They refused to blend.
We both paused at the same time, the tension hanging lightly in the air.
"Fine," I said, exhaling. "Then we don't force it into one piece."
He looked at me, considering.
"A set," I added. "Separate pieces, same concept."
Something in his expression shifted...like he liked the idea but didn't want to admit it too quickly.
"…A set could work," he said after a moment.
I allowed myself a small, satisfied smile. "Thought so."
I leaned forward slightly, tapping my pencil against the table.
"Theme: Vow of Silence."
He repeated it under his breath, like he was testing how it felt.
Then he nodded.
"Alright," he said. "That's strong."
To make it fair, I reached for a sheet of paper and tore it into pieces. We each wrote down names of pieces we had in mind, folding them carefully before placing them on the table between us.
"No switching," I said.
He smirked faintly. "Obviously."
I mixed them, then pushed them forward.
"Pick."
For a brief second, neither of us moved… like the choice mattered more than we were saying.
Then he reached first.
"The bracelet," he read.
I picked mine.
"The necklace."
He unfolded another. "Earrings."
That left one.
I picked it up slowly.
"The ring."
I couldn't hide my satisfaction this time.
It was the one I wanted most.
Jules glanced at me. "Happy with that?"
"Very," I replied simply.
When I looked up, the light outside had shifted.
It was already night.
We had been there longer than I thought.
"We should continue another day," I said, gathering my things.
"Yeah," he agreed.
"I should take you to dinner. After all, I kept you out so late," he added.
"Alright, cool," I replied. I wasn't really in the mood to go home and cook anyway.
I slung my bag over my shoulder and stepped outside, the cool evening air brushing against my skin. I waited by the curb while he locked up, the faint click of the door echoing in the quiet street.
A moment later, he joined me, keys in hand.
We were just about to get into his car when my phone rang.
Kelly.
I hesitated, then picked up. "Hello?"
"Where are you?" she demanded immediately.
I'm heading to dinner,I replied
Is that where you have been since morning she asked
No,I replied
I am with Jules,I continued
Really with Jules
Yes with Jules I replied
What have you been doing with him since,she asked
Have you forgotten we have a collaboration coming up,I asked
Ohh true,she replied
You had me all worried,she continued
Where are you guys having dinner? I'm coming over, she said.
Jules would text you the address,I replied
Alright I'm coming she said then she hung up
I glanced at Jules. "Text her the address," I said, holding the phone towards him.
He didn't argue,just pulled the phone towards him. He then typed out the address of the restaurant.
I stared at the screen for a second before sliding into the car.
The restaurant was exactly what you'd expect....soft lighting, quiet conversations, everything polished and expensive without trying too hard.
Jules ordered for us, barely glancing at the menu.
"Grilled lobster," he said calmly. "Truffle mashed potatoes. And a steak.. medium rare."
I raised a brow. "You didn't even ask me."
"You don't look like someone who'd complain," he replied.
I almost smiled.
By the time the food arrived, Kelly showed up.
She walked in like she owned the place…but what caught me off guard was how she didn't even look at me. Not once.
Instead, her entire attention shifted to Jules.
"Hi," she said, her voice suddenly softer, almost sweet.
Jules gave a small nod. "Hey."
She slid into the seat, leaning slightly toward him. "You didn't tell me you'd be here."
"It wasn't planned," he replied, his tone polite but distant.
She smiled anyway. "Well, I'm glad I came."
I watched, confused. She had called me, practically yelling… and now I was invisible?
"What are you having?" she asked him, already picking up the menu.
"Same thing I ordered," I said.
Her eyes lit up. "Then I'll have that too."
Of course you will.
The conversation shifted….mostly her talking, him responding just enough to be polite.
"You've been busy?" she asked, leaning closer.
"Yeah."
"With what?"
"Work."
Short. Half-hearted.
She didn't seem to notice...or maybe she ignored it.
I focused on my food, but I could feel the imbalance in the air. She kept trying to pull his attention, and somehow… it kept drifting back.
To me.
"Try this," Jules said suddenly, cutting a piece of the lobster and sliding the plate slightly toward me.
I looked up, surprised. "What?"
"It's good," he said simply.
Kelly paused mid-sentence.
I hesitated for a second before taking it. "Thanks."
He watched me, just for a moment. "Well?"
"It's… actually really good."
A faint smile touched his lips. "Told you."
Kelly cleared her throat softly, trying to pull him back. "So, Jules….."
But he was already leaning back, his attention no longer fully on her.
The rest of the dinner passed like that,small interruptions, quiet shifts. Nothing obvious, nothing you could point at… but enough.
By the time we stepped outside, the night had settled fully, the air cooler, calmer.
Kelly left first, barely acknowledging me again.
I watched her go, still slightly puzzled.
"She's… different," I said.
Jules shrugged. "That's one word for it."
A small silence fell between us.
Then he looked at me.
Not casually. Not distracted.
Directly.
"You were good today," he said.
I blinked. "At arguing?"
A hint of amusement flickered in his eyes. "At that too. But your ideas… they're strong."
Something about the way he said it…low, certain…made my chest tighten slightly.
"Thanks," I said, quieter this time.
Another pause.
The streetlight above cast a soft glow between us, not too bright, not too dim.
For a second, neither of us moved.
Then he stepped a little closer.
Not too much.
Just enough.
"You really wanted the ring," he said.
I met his gaze. "Maybe."
He tilted his head slightly. "Good. It suits you."
There was something in his voice…something that wasn't just about the design anymore.
And for a moment, everything else faded.
The street. The noise. Even the time.
Just that quiet space between us.
And the feeling that something had shifted… into something neither of us was ready to say out loud