"Take your time," Alex said eventually. "But know this, Emily: I want to see you again. I want to talk to you, get to know you better."

The dinner invitation lingered in her mind, taunting her. She couldn't shake the feeling that she was on the cusp of something momentous, something that would change her life forever.

Emily's heart skipped a beat. No one had called her beautiful in years.

The line went quiet, and for a moment, Emily wondered if he had hung up.

Alex was a friend of a friend, someone she had met at a dinner party a few weeks ago. Tall, dark, and handsome, with piercing blue eyes that seemed to see right through her, he had left an indelible mark on her psyche. They had exchanged flirtatious banter, but nothing more, and yet, Emily couldn't shake the feeling that she had just been...seen.

"I'll think about it," she said finally.