"As I said sometimes people don't reply because they're too dumb to notice they have a message."
She hit send and immediately regretted it. Was it too much? Too self-deprecating? But then, almost instantlyâ
Yoko:
"I'm glad you noticed this time. Maybe there's hope for you after all."
Faye exhaled a soft laugh. She leaned back against the headboard, her eyes glued to the screen as she typed her reply.
Faye:
"I wouldn't want to disappoint you twice."
Seconds later, the typing indicator appeared.
Yoko:
"Good. I don't handle disappointment well."
Faye felt her heart race, the banter taking on a life of its own. Yoko was quick, confident, and effortlessly charming. It was both exhilarating and terrifying to be on the receiving end of her attention.
Faye:
"Ouch, Are you going to keep reminding me how slow I am?"
Yoko:
"Depends. Are you planning on being slow again?"
Faye bit her lip, thinking. She knew Yoko was teasing, but there was a challenge hidden in those words.
Faye:
"Not tonight."
There was a pause, just long enough to make Faye wonder if she had said the right thing. Thenâ
Yoko:
"Good. Because I don't have time for slow tonight."
Faye's heart skipped a beat. Her fingers hovered over the keyboard, unsure of how to respond. But Yoko beat her to it.
Yoko:
"By the way... you never answered my question."
Faye frowned, scrolling back through the conversation.
Faye:
"Which question?"
Yoko:
"How are you going to make it up to me?"
Faye stared at the message, her mind racing. She hadn't expected Yoko to circle back to that, but here they were. She typed slowly, choosing her words carefully.
Faye:
"I'm open to suggestions."
Yoko:
"Open to suggestions? Dangerous offer, don't you think?"
Faye smiled, her fingers hovering over the keyboard. She could already feel the playful tension building between them.
Faye:
"I like a little danger. Keeps things interesting."
Yoko:
"Interesting, huh? Well, now I have to think carefully. I wouldn't want to disappoint."
Faye:
"I doubt you could ever disappoint."
There was a pause before Yoko's next message popped up.
Yoko:
"Flattery will get you everywhere, Faye."
Faye's heart skipped a beat. She could practically hear Yoko's teasing tone in her mind.
Faye:
"Good to know. I might have to use that to my advantage."
Yoko:
"You're already doing a pretty good job."
Faye:
"I aim to please."
Yoko:
"Then tell me... how far are you willing to go to make it up to me?"
Faye's breath caught. Yoko's words were playful, but there was something more beneath themâa challenge, a dare.
Faye:
"As far as you want me to go."
Yoko:
"Careful, Faye. I might hold you to that."
Faye bit her lip, her heart pounding with anticipation.
Faye:
"Maybe I want you to."
The typing indicator appeared again, but this time Yoko took a moment longer to respond.
Yoko:
"You're playing a dangerous game."
Faye:
"And you seem to like it."
Yoko:
"Maybe. But I'm curious... what would you do if we weren't separated by miles right now?"
Faye leaned back, imagining the scenario Yoko had just suggested. Her fingers moved slowly, typing the truth.
Faye:
"I'd probably be sitting across from you, watching how you react to every word I say."
Yoko:
"And what would you say?"
Faye hesitated for a moment, then let herself lean fully into the moment.
Faye:
"I'd ask if I could hold your hand... just to see if it feels as warm as I imagine."
Yoko's reply came almost instantly.
Yoko:
"Bold. And what if I said yes?"
Faye's pulse quickened.
Faye:
"Then I'd hold it a little longer than necessary."
Yoko:
"Just a little?"
Faye:
"Depends. Would you let me?"
Another pause. Then Yoko's next message sent a shiver down Faye's spine.
Yoko:
"I might let you hold more than just my hand."
Faye swallowed hard, her mind racing.
Faye:
"You're making it really hard to focus right now."
Yoko:
"Good. Because I've been waiting for you to notice me, and now that I have your attention... I'm not letting it go."
Faye's fingers hovered over the keyboard, her heart pounding in her chest.
Faye:
"Believe me, you've had my attention since the very first moment I laid eyes on you. You've captured me completely.
The typing indicator appeared again, but this time Yoko took a moment longer to respond.
Yoko:
"Perfect. Because this is only the beginning."
A smile tugged at Faye's lips. Who knew a simple conversation could feel so... electric? It had been a week of longing, second-guessing, and now, here they wereâflirting like old friends who had finally caught up with each other.
Her fingers hovered over the keyboard. She wanted to keep things light, fun. After all, it had been too long since she'd allowed herself to enjoy a moment like this.
The conversation flowed naturally after that, shifting from teasing remarks to small glimpses into their lives.
Yoko:
"So, what's New York like? I've never been."
Faye:
"Busy. Loud. But beautiful in its own way. I barely had time to explore though. Fashion week keeps you on your toes."
Yoko:
"I can imagine. I saw some clips from the show. You looked... focused."
Focused. Faye wondered if that was Yoko's polite way of saying she looked exhausted.
Faye:
"Focused is a nice way of saying stressed out."
Yoko:
"No, I mean it. You looked like you belonged there."
Faye's heart skipped a beat. It was a simple compliment, but coming from Yoko, it felt differentâgenuine.
Faye:
"Thanks. It's been a lot of hard work. But seeing it all come together was worth it."
Yoko:
"I could tell. It showed in the way you carried yourself on that stage."
Faye felt a warmth spread through her chest. She hadn't expected Yoko to notice details like that.
Faye:
"You've been paying attention, huh?"
Yoko:
"Of course. Haven't you?"
The question lingered in the air. Faye had been paying attention, more than she'd like to admit. She remembered every detail of Yoko from the interviews, the photos, and the videos she had quietly saved.
Faye:
"Maybe."
Yoko:
"Maybe? Come on, Faye. I think you've noticed more than you're letting on."
Faye grinned. Yoko wasn't going to let her off the hook that easily.
Faye:
"Alright. I might have noticed a few things."
Yoko:
"Such as?"
Faye paused, debating how much to reveal.
Faye:
"Your smile... it's not just beautiful, it's contagious. The way it lights up a room, effortlessly drawing people in. And the way you speak, how your words seem to wrap around people like a warm hug. t's rare, that kind of energy, and it makes everyone around you feel like they've just found a safe place to be themselves."
There was a pause, then Yoko's reply came in quickly.
Yoko:
"I didn't expect that answer."
Faye:
"What did you expect?"
Yoko:
"Something more... surface level. Most people only notice the obvious things."
Faye:
"I'm not most people."
Another pause.
Yoko:
"No... no, you're not."
Faye's heart raced at those words, her mind swirling with the possibilities of what they meant.
Yoko:
"Speaking of noticing things... I noticed you haven't asked me for my number yet."
Faye's fingers froze. Was this Yoko's way of asking her to take the next step?
Faye:
"I didn't think you'd give it to me."
Yoko:
"Well, you'll never know unless you ask."
Faye smiled, feeling a spark of excitement.
Faye:
"Well, then... maybe I'll take the plunge. Can I have your number?"
Yoko:
"Hmm... how about my FaceTime ID instead? I think seeing each other is overdue."
Faye's heart leapt. Seeing Yoko face-to-face, even through a screen, felt like a step she hadn't realized she wanted so badly.
Faye:
"I think that sounds perfect."
Yoko sent her contact information, and Faye quickly saved it.
Yoko:
"Now you have no excuse to be slow."
Faye:
"No excuse at all."
Yoko:
"Good. Because I don't like waiting."
Faye's heart fluttered at the implication in Yoko's words. There was something thrilling about the way Yoko always seemed to take charge, always a step aheadâand yet, it made her want to catch up. Her mind already racing with the thought of their first video call. But for now, the conversation continuedâfilled with laughter, teasing, and a growing sense of connection that neither of them could ignore.
_____________________________________________________________________________
This was an unexpected turn of events. Faye sat back on the plush chair in her hotel room, her phone clutched tightly in her hands. The soft hum of New York traffic outside did little to calm her racing thoughts. Sonya and Namtan were fast asleep in the adjacent room, worn out from the whirlwind of the fashion show, the after-party, and their relentless teasing about Yoko after the TikTok live. They hadn't even made it to their own rooms, eventually crashing in her suite.
She should be exhausted too, yet here she wasâwide awake, heart caught between hope, confusion, and a spark of something else she hadn't quite named yet.
She couldn't stop replaying the live in her head. The moment she had joined, her heart had ached at the sight of Yoko on the screen. It was a dull, persistent painâa mixture of longing and regret. She hadn't even noticed the flood of comments until Sonya had nudged her, pointing out that Yoko had seen her join.
Faye still remembered the sharp jolt of realization when Yoko had said, "Oh, I see that someone has time to join my live but didn't have time to reply to my message."
For a moment, she felt a pang of jealousy. Who was this someone Yoko was talking about? She, Sonya, and Namtan had exchanged puzzled glances.
"Who do you think she's talking about?" Namtan asked, tilting her head.
Faye shrugged, still sulking. "I don't know," she muttered, though a flicker of hope sparked deep inside her.
"Why do I feel like she's talking about you?" Sonya asked, narrowing her eyes. "Sofia's been messaging me non-stop asking if it was you."
"Why would she message me?" Faye scoffed, trying to play it cool, though her heart was racing.
Sonya didn't buy it. Without warning, she snatched Faye's phone from her hand.
"Hey!" Faye protested, reaching for it.
Sonya ignored her, tapping the screen furiously. Her eyes widened. "You idiot! She did message you. Dumbo," she added with a grin.
Faye froze. "What?"
"She messaged you after the live... probably days ago." Sonya held up the phone, scrolling. "Yep. Here it is. She asked, 'Why did you give me the universe?'"
Faye blinked, snatching the phone back. There it wasâa message from Yoko, sitting unread for nearly a week. She stared at it, heart pounding.
"I... I didn't know," she whispered, more to herself than anyone else.
"Of course, you didn't," Namtan said, laughing. "If you had, you wouldn't have been sulking for the past days like some lovesick teenager."
Sonya burst into laughter too. "Answer her, you fool! What are you waiting for?"
Faye's hands trembled as she stared at the message. For a moment, she was frozen. Then, taking a deep breath, she tapped on the message and began typing.
Faye:
"I didn't see this until now. I'm sorry. And... about the universe... it was the only thing big enough to give to someone like you."
She hovered over the send button, hesitating. Her friends were watching her closely, holding their breath as if this were a life-or-death moment.
"Just hit send!" Sonya urged, rolling her eyes.
With one final deep breath, Faye pressed send.
A silence settled over the room. Faye stared at the screen, waiting for a response, her heart pounding so hard it drowned out the city noise outside.
Yoko didn't reply to her message immediately, which was understandableâshe was still on live. But that didn't stop her from teasing Faye non-stop throughout the stream.
Then, just after issuing that playful challenge, Faye's phone buzzed.
Yoko:
"Let's finish this conversation in private.
As the clock ticked 12 noon, Faye realized something.
Yes. This was just the beginning.
Author's Note:
It's Sunday where I am right now, and I just woke up from a super tiring event last night. I wasn't planning to update today, but because this special reader and constant supporter @BelindaRea8 requested it, here's the update, babe. This one's for you! ð"
And of course, a huge shoutout to my avid readers and voters: @Doryn25, @micarlene, @ArgentRegal, @Chumyoko2024, @MarkinaElena198303, @kTDOTC, @JonafeMaestre09, @Zak_thesin, @OhCrap6, @Introvert_Vibes, @LiJenKM. Drop me a comment, guysâI'd love to hear your thoughts on this!
Thank you for the love and support babe!ðð