Ruhi regretted agreeing to this the moment she stepped into the café.
Abhi had chosen one of the fancier places near campus, the kind where the menu didn't bother listing prices because, clearly, if you had to ask, you didn't belong there. She swallowed her discomfort and walked in, making sure her expression betrayed nothing.
Abhi was already seated by the window, effortlessly relaxed, one arm draped over the chair beside him. As soon as he spotted her, a slow smirk spread across his face.
"Look who actually showed up," he mused, tapping his fingers against the table.
Ruhi rolled her eyes, pulling out the chair across from him. "Don't flatter yourself. It's just coffee."
"Ah, but coffee with me is never just coffee."
She scoffed, placing her bag beside her. "If you say so."
A waiter appeared instantly, barely sparing her a glance. "Your usual, sir?"
Abhi nodded, then glanced at her. "And for you?"
Ruhi leaned back. "A black coffee."
Abhi raised an eyebrow. "Didn't take you for the 'bitter and brooding' type."
Ruhi smirked. "And I didn't take you for the type who orders the same thing every time. Where's the thrill, Mr. Golden Boy?"
His lips twitched. "Some things don't need to change. They're already perfect."
She let out a short laugh. "Spoken like a true narcissist."
Abhi didn't deny it. Instead, he tilted his head, studying her. "You're different."
Ruhi rolled her eyes. "Right, because no one has ever told a girl that before."
"I mean it." His voice had lost some of its teasing edge. "Most people either want something from me, or they're too scared to say the wrong thing. But you? You enjoy pissing me off."
She leaned forward slightly, resting her elbows on the table. "Maybe I just don't like entitled rich boys who think they own the world."
Abhi chuckled, shaking his head. "You say that like you're not sitting here with me."
"Tolerating you," she corrected.
"Yet, here you are."
Ruhi opened her mouth to snap back, but their coffees arrived, interrupting the moment. She picked up her cup and took a sip, wincing slightly at the heat.
Abhi watched her, amused. "You're trying too hard to act unaffected."
She exhaled through her nose. "And you're trying too hard to figure me out."
"That's because you're a puzzle."
Ruhi tilted her head. "And what if I don't want to be solved?"
Abhi's smirk softened into something almost thoughtful. "Then maybe I just enjoy the challenge."
She hated how easily he got under her skin. More than that, she hated how, despite her best efforts, she was starting to enjoy this game just as much as he was.
Shaking her head, she leaned back. "This was a mistake."
Abhi grinned. "And yet, you haven't left."
She stared at him, fingers tightening around her cup.
Damn it.
He was right.
...to be continued.....
Author's Note:
Well, well, well… coffee turned out to be steaming in more ways than one.
Ruhi came in ready to throw verbal daggers, but Abhi? He brought a whole armor of charm. And now they're both sitting there—sparks flying, walls cracking, neither ready to admit they're enjoying this twisted little dance.
Enemies? Lovers? Rivals?
Let's just say… it's getting deliciously complicated.
—From your author, sipping imaginary black coffee and whispering, "Damn it, Ruhi… he's getting to you."