Chapter 5 Untitled Chapter
Zoe couldn't recall the last time she'd laughed this hard. Somewhere between the overly sweet drinks, the dizzying lights, and Adrian's charming sense of humor, she'd forgotten all about her thesis deadline, her unpaid rent, and the pile of stress waiting for her back home.
For the first time in ages, she was focused solely on the present, the warm bar lights, the hum of the music, and the interesting man beside her, who exuded both mystery and calm.
It felt wonderful.
No, freeing.
Dangerously freeing.
Adrian seemed more relaxed too. The stiff demeanor he had earlier had eased, replaced by a softer, more open expression as he sat angled toward her, resting his elbow on the bar counter, fully engaged with her as if no one else in the room mattered.
And that gaze… it quickened her heartbeat.
“So, hypothetically,” Zoe said, leaning against the bar and injecting mischief into her voice, “if I asked you to choose between fighting a hundred duck-sized horses or one horse-sized duck, which would you pick?”
Adrian blinked, momentarily thrown off. “What?”
“Choose wisely,” she warned, pointing a finger at him. “This is a critical test of character. Your choice will determine our potential friendship.”
He stared, eyebrows raised, as if trying to figure her out. “A hundred duck-sized horses?”
She nodded solemnly. “Or one horse-sized duck. There are no wrong answers. Just judgement.”
He let out a breath, a helpless grin starting to form. “I feel like there are hidden meanings to this question.”
“There are,” Zoe affirmed. “It reveals your soul. Freud would've based an entire theory around it.”
He tilted his head, amusement in his eyes. “So what's the right answer?”
“There is no right answer,” she replied, feigning seriousness. “Just the one that will help me decide if you're trustworthy.”
Adrian laughed, a genuine, hearty sound that drew attention from the nearby tables. Zoe couldn't help grinning, absurdly proud of herself.
When his laughter faded, he gazed into his drink, a faint smile still on his lips. “You’re… uniquely different.”
“Different as in strange?”
He shook his head. “Different as in refreshing.”
Her heart performed an ungraceful flip. “Thank you! I do my best to confuse people.”
The bartender approached, gathering empty glasses. “Another round?”
Zoe raised her hand quickly. “No, thank you. I still need to recover from the first one.”
Adrian held up two fingers. “Just one more.”
Zoe raised an eyebrow. “You think that's a wise decision?”
He responded with a small, knowing smile. “Probably not.”
The bartender chuckled as he walked away.
Zoe observed Adrian thoughtfully. “Are you trying to get drunk?”
He stirred the ice in his glass. “No. Just looking to escape my thoughts for a little while.”
Her voice softened. “Heavy stuff?”
His jaw flexed briefly before he relaxed again. “Something like that.”
Though she didn't press further, curiosity buzzed within her. She sensed that whatever troubled him wasn’t minor.
The new drink arrived, and Adrian took a slow sip, his gaze momentarily drifting in the crowd.
The music shifted to a louder, pulsing dance track that sent ripples of energy through the bar. Neon lights flickered across faces and glasses. A group of dancers erupted onto the dance floor, full of chaos and laughter.
At that moment, Maya appeared out of nowhere, glittering in a sequined top, her eyes filled with mischief. “Zoe! Come dance with us!”
Zoe froze. “Absolutely not. You know I dance like I'm electrocuted.”
Maya snorted. “Come on! Just one song!”
“No, you guys go ahead,” Zoe insisted, waving her off. “I’ll cheer from here.”
Maya shot a glance at Zoe and Adrian, a grin spreading across her face. “You two good?”
Zoe elbowed her playfully. “Don't start.”
Adrian smiled politely. “We’re fine.”
Maya nodded knowingly, as if she had just unraveled a cleverly disguised plot twist. “Right. Text me if you need a rescue.”
“MAYA!” Zoe groaned, but her friend had already disappeared into the crowd.
Adrian chuckled softly. “She’s protective.”
“She is,” Zoe replied, smiling. “That’s her way of showing love, protection and chaos.”
He laughed. “You've got a good friend.”
“The best.”
The atmosphere around them buzzed, yet their little corner felt oddly quiet, as though the noise couldn’t reach them. Adrian glanced down at his drink before leaning in slightly closer.
“Can I share something with you?”
Zoe sat up a bit straighter. “Always.”
He hesitated, searching for the right words. “I didn’t plan to be here tonight.”
“Neither did I,” she confessed. “Maya dragged me out, saying I needed to ‘touch grass,’ whatever that means in Vegas.”
Adrian nodded slightly, but his gaze drifted. “I... needed space.”
“From what?” she asked gently.
He opened his mouth but faltered. His jaw tightened slightly before relaxing. “Let’s just keep tonight simple,” he finally said.
Zoe studied him for a moment, tilting her head. “That sounds like something complicated people say.”
He gave a quiet smile. “Maybe I am complicated.”
Without thinking, she replied, “I like complicated though."
Her mind screamed at her for saying that, but before she could retract, Adrian’s expression softened instead of shutting down.
“I can tell,” he said softly.
Her heart tightened.
Before she could process that, the speakers erupted once more, announcing over the music:
“Ladies and gentlemen, the roulette table is hot tonight! Who’s feeling lucky?”
Zoe’s friends cheered excitedly from the dance floor.
Adrian’s eyes sparkled. “Feeling lucky?”
“I don’t gamble,” Zoe said immediately.
“Not even a little?”
“Nope. I refuse to find the neon overlords.”
He laughed, a low, easy sound. “Just one game.”
“No.”
“Come on,” he urged, leaning closer. “One spin. No stakes, no pressure. Just for fun.”
She squinted at him. “You want to see my financial downfall?”
“Desperately.”
Zoe burst out laughing. “Fine. Just one spin.”
He slipped off the stool and extended a hand toward her.
Zoe hesitated for a moment. His hand was steady, warm, and oddly grounding. After a moment, she took it.
The contact sent a spark through her chest, quick, bright, undeniable.
Adrian’s expression flickered, as if he'd felt it too.
He led her through the crowd, hands still linked, weaving between tables and flashing slot machines until they arrived at the roulette wheel.
The casino floor shimmered under the glow of gold and crimson lights. People shouted, laughed, and held their breath. The wheel spun, clicking rhythmically like a heartbeat.
Adrian turned to her. “Pick a number.”
Zoe shook her head. “Absolutely not.”
“Why not?”
“Because I’ll lose. I always lose.”
“But that's the point,” he teased.
“Losing is definitely not the point.”
He grinned. “Just pick one.”
Her gaze flicked over the spinning numbers, her mind, fuzzy from drinks and laughter, settling on one impulsive choice. “Twenty-one.”
“Twenty-one,” Adrian repeated. “Bold choice.”
He placed a chip on the number as the wheel began to spin.
Zoe held her breath. The ball rattled, clicked, danced across the colors...
...and missed completely.
Zoe threw her hands up in exasperation. “See?! I’m cursed! I told you!”
Adrian laughed, that same full, unrestrained laugh that made her heartbeat quicken.
“You’re really terrible at this,” he teased.
“I know!” she replied, but she was laughing too hard to care.
“And yet,” he said quietly, “I had fun.”
Her laughter diminished, and the words lingered.
He had enjoyed himself, with her.
Something stirred in her stomach.
Before she could respond, a tipsy couple stumbled by, bumping into her shoulder. Adrian instinctively steadied her by placing his hand against her warm and firm.
Zoe inhaled sharply.
He realized the contact at the same time she did and quickly withdrew. “Sorry.”
“No,” she said quickly, her voice barely above a whisper. “It’s fine.”
A charged pause hung between them, electric.
The casino lights glowed brighter around them, shimmering in his eyes. The noise faded away, as if the world had drawn closer.
Adrian swallowed. “Zoe.”
Her heart raced. “Yeah?”
He looked like he wanted to say something meaningful, something that could change everything...
...but just then her phone buzzed violently in her purse.
Zoe jumped, fumbling it out. “Sorry, just a moment.”
Adrian stepped back, giving her some space.
It was a message from Maya:
MAYA: Where are you? We’re heading out soon!
Zoe looked up reluctantly. “I should probably go.”
Adrian nodded slowly. “Of course.”
She hesitated, wishing she didn’t have to. “What about you?”
“I’ll stay a little longer.”
“Are you sure?”
A faint smile teased at his lips. “Unless you want me to follow you.”
Her pulse raced. “I—uh—I’ll see you later. Maybe?”
He looked at her as if he already knew the answer. “Maybe.”
Zoe turned toward the crowd, her heart somersaulting. Halfway across the floor, she glanced back.
Adrian was still there. Watching.
Still standing in that halo of golden light.
Still seeming like she had changed something within him, something neither of them could quite articulate yet.
Zoe faced forward again, unaware that she had just walked away from the man she would unintentionally marry before sunrise.
