Chapter 883

Chapter 883: Chapter 883

Man, I had almost missed our date. Thankfully I still managed to show up at her place right on time. In one hand I carried a bag of sushi; in the other, a cold bottle of Coke. Weird combination, sure, but who was I to judge? There was a time I used to drink two beers for breakfast.

The door opened. Layla stood there in an oversized casual t-shirt that still somehow managed to show off the soft curve of her pregnant belly. Underneath she wore a pair of shorts that ended just a finger’s width above her knees. Even like this, no makeup, hair a little messy, barefoot, she looked quietly sexy. The pregnancy had filled out her body in all the right places: fuller tits straining lightly against the thin fabric of the shirt, hips a little wider, that soft rounded stomach that somehow made her look even more inviting.

"Hey," I smiled, holding up the bag. "Sushi and Coke here."

"And you." She smiled back. ℯℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

"And me." I nodded.

"Come in."

I stepped inside. Layla gestured toward the kitchen. I walked over, set the bag on the counter, and started opening the sushi containers. Behind me I heard her open a cupboard and try to reach for plates. She stretched up on her toes, one hand resting on the swell of her belly for balance, the oversized shirt riding up just enough to show a thin strip of skin above her shorts. She couldn’t quite get them.

"Let me help you," I said, already moving closer.

"Ah... thank you."

I stepped in right beside her. The kitchen was small enough that our bodies almost touched. I reached up easily, grabbed two plates from the higher shelf, and brought them down. For a second we were standing very close, the soft press of her pregnant belly brushing my side, the faint scent of her shampoo in the air. A quiet, unspoken tension settled between us for half a heartbeat. Then we both stepped apart a little too quickly. I carried the plates over to the small dining table and set them down.

"We could’ve just eaten out of the boxes the sushi came in," I said, "but they always fall apart. That’s why I only gave them four stars in the review."

"You like sushi?"

"Like I told you before, I’m not a big fan. But I’ll eat it anyway."

"Right."

I started arranging the pieces onto the plates, the California rolls, the salmon nigiri, the tuna, a few pieces of avocado roll, while Layla watched. When I finished I looked around.

"Glasses?"

She pointed to a cupboard near the sink. I grabbed two, poured the Coke, and carried everything to the table. We both sat down. I picked up a pair of wooden chopsticks, still joined at the top.

"Alright," I said. "You tear them apart like this."

I snapped the chopsticks cleanly and showed her. Layla copied the motion, though one side ended up a little uneven. I didn’t comment.

"Now, hold them like this, one rests between your thumb and the side of your finger, the other one moves. Like a little pincer."

I demonstrated slowly. Layla watched carefully and tried it herself. She was a quick learner; after only a couple of awkward attempts she managed to pick up a piece of sushi without dropping it, even if her grip still looked a bit amateurish. We both started eating.

For a short while the only sounds were the quiet clack of chopsticks and the occasional sip of Coke. The silence stretched just long enough to feel noticeable.

I cleared my throat. "So... anything fun happen at work today?"

Layla swallowed her bite and smiled. "Actually, yeah. This couple came into the shop around noon. The guy was trying to act all confident, picking up one of the bigger vibrating wands and talking about how they were going to ’level up their nights.’ His girlfriend just stood there with this dead-serious face, then calmly picked up a beginner’s set and said, ’Honey, last time you couldn’t even figure out the remote on the small one. Let’s not get ambitious.’ The look on his face... I had to walk into the back room so they wouldn’t see me laughing."

I laughed. Layla laughed too, the soft sound warming the small kitchen. For a moment the awkwardness faded.

We went back to eating. Another short silence settled over the table, quieter this time, but not uncomfortable. Just two people sharing food while the afternoon light came in through the window, Layla’s pregnant belly gently rising and falling with each breath under that oversized shirt.

This was weird... but not in a bad way.

We kept eating.

"How about you?" Layla asked, picking up another piece of sushi with her chopsticks. "Anything fun happen at work?"

"No. Just rearranged some meetings and that." I shrugged. "Honestly, I think we should switch places. You’d do well in my position."

"No, thanks. I’d rather not get bored out of my mind the whole day."

"Eh, valid point."

She swallowed her bite and made a small face. "By the way... I think I don’t actually like sushi."

"Not for everyone," I said. "Want me to order something else?"

"No, I’ll finish this." She shook her head. "But for future reference, I should probably research the food I’m craving before I ask for it."

"I mean... it is sushi. Raw fish."

"Yeah. Well, still." She gave a small, self-deprecating smile. "Don’t listen to pregnant women, Evan. We can be stupid."

"Hey, it’s normal. Don’t worry about it."

"How much were these, anyway? I should pay for my share."

"A million bucks," I said without missing a beat. "I can take the money now, thank you."

Layla chuckled, the sound soft and warm. One of her chopsticks slipped from her fingers and clattered onto the table. She picked it up, still smiling, and covered her mouth with her other hand while she finished chewing. Damn. Even like this, oversized t-shirt, messy hair, chopsticks in hand, pregnant belly gently rounding out the fabric, she looked genuinely beautiful. It was hard to put into words. There was just something about the way she carried herself right now that made it difficult to look away.

"Seriously, though," she said once she swallowed.

"Next time the meal’s on you," I answered. "I’ll take a burger. With fries."

"Deal."

"Sweet."