"Hey, Sasha" Luca's voice came through the phone, steady and professional as always.
"H-hey.." she managed to reply, conscious of Kavya leaning in beside her, a look of feverish curiosity on her face.
"Are you free tonight? For our second date?" His words were delivered with a clipped, robotic precision, sounding less like a romantic invitation and more like a mandatory meeting notification.
"Uhm… I… Iam sorry. At what time?" Sasha stammered, scrambling for a coherent thought.
"Actually.. I have to go to Al Ghubaiba to meet someone." The lie felt clumsy on her tongue, but she needed a reason for being out of the house, a shield of existing plans.
"I see. That's okay. I didn't want to bother you on your day off tomorrow. And you said Ghubaiba, right?" Luca's voice betrayed no sign of annoyance, only efficiency.
"As it happens, I'll be in that area myself. At what time will you be free?"
"Uhm… at.. seven" she said hesitantly, surprised that her vague destination had been so quickly coopted.
"That's perfect. So, are you okay to meet at that time?" he asked. His tone still confident and determined, as if confirming a lucrative business deal.
"Yeah… yeah… Sure. And-.." She paused, the words catching in her throat.
Kavya, eyes wide with silent demand, squeezed her arm to urging her to speak.
"Yes, tell me Sasha" his voice prompted.
Every time he used her name now, she felt a subtle, different rush.. A strange mix of professional respect and personal acknowledgment that completely threw her off balance.
"Is it okay to meet at the Abra Park? Near the metro station?" she finally managed to ask, suggesting a public, open location.
"Sure" his answer was quick and confirmative.
"Okay, thank-.."
"So, let's meet there at seven. Bye Sasha." He ended the call, leaving her standing there with the phone still pressed to her ear.
Sasha let out a deep, heavy breath, realizing she'd been holding it hostage since the moment the call connected.
"Oh God, why am I being this overreactive?" she muttered to herself.
"Heyyy Spill the tea, Someone is waiting here curiously" Kavya exclaimed, grabbing Sasha's hand and shaking it gently. Desperate to hear the details of the CEO's call.
°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•
Across the city, Ayaan was beaming with pride, clapping Luca on the shoulder with a dramatic flourish.
"Hmm… good job bro. You are a quick learner, my perfect mannn" Ayaan cheered.
Luca reacted instantly, flipping his shoulder and flicking his hand dismissively, as if brushing a speck of dust off his expensive suit.
"Whatever" Ayaan mumbled, easily shrugging off his best friend's usual coldness. He leaned against Luca's desk, arms crossed.
"So, what are you going to do when you meet her today?"
"Just… talk with her" Luca replied simply, already organizing the next day's documents.
"Talk what?" Ayaan pressed, raising an eyebrow.
"Just casual things. Her likes, her dislikes.." Luca said casually, as though describing an HR interview.
"Like what? Asking her, 'What do you like, Sasha? What do you not like, Sasha?' Just like that?" Ayaan mocked, his voice high pitched.
"What else? Don't people dating each other need to know about all that stuff?" Luca countered, genuinely confused by Ayaan's reaction.
"Of course, they should, but it's 2025 man, not the 1800s or 1900s! If you ask things like that, you might sound like… uhm… yeah, you will sound like you have a 'Dad Vibe.' You have to start a conversation and learn about her through that. Not just fire off a list of questions."
"Explain" Luca commanded, the single word cutting through the air, signaling his readiness to absorb the new theory.
"Okay fine. For example, when she arrives, let's say she is wearing red. You need to say something like, 'You look great. Red is definitely your color. Is it your favorite?' That way, you've complimented her and asked her about her likes. All in one smooth line."
Ayaan demonstrated the technique.
Luca nodded, processing the instruction like a complex algorithm, already planning how to execute the conversational theory.
"Say more" Luca urged, focused entirely on Ayaan.
"How should I ask about her favorite drinks or food? I read an article earlier that women tend to act gentle and simple during the initial stages of dating. To look delicate and cool, they might lie about their preferences…"
Ayaan stared at his friend in utter disbelief.
He had never seen the formidable CEO research a non business topic with such intensity.
"MAN! I am proud of you. You're really taking this seriously" Ayaan burst out.
"But please, don't read those stupid articles! Not everything in life can be studied to be robotically acted out in real life!"
Ayaan sighed dramatically, shaking his head.
"So… those were all wrong? It had many comments" Luca asked, slightly crestfallen, as if the data had been corrupted.
"The replies were probably by insecure people behind fake IDs" Ayaan scoffed.
"And look, it's not entirely wrong. But it's not entirely right either. Women are different. And especially in this century, good women act polite and mature rather than being fake on dates."
"Got it" Luca confirmed, processing the updated information.
Ayaan's face suddenly turned serious, his light hearted demeanor vanishing.
"Luca, I'm not rushing you, but you know you don't have much time left. You should be officially in a relationship. Or this is going to end badly, even for your career. Just a fake allegation or a rumor is more than enough in this country. You might have to be deported without getting a single chance for explanation."
The grave reality of the situation hung heavy in the air.
°•°•°•°•°•°•°
At the Abra Park near the busy Ghubaiba Metro Station, Luca was sitting on one of the benches, looking out at the water. The evening wind provided a cool relief from the city heat.
He had been to this area once or twice before, but always in the hurried context of business. Never had he stopped, sat down, and simply enjoyed the view.
Today, sitting there, he realized how incredibly peaceful the spot was. It felt familiar, mirroring the unexpected calm he found when staring out the window of his high rise apartment in Downtown Dubai.
Sasha spotted him from behind. He was impeccably dressed, even in the casual setting, his silhouette sharp against the twinkling lights across the water. She took a deep breath, mentally locking away her nervousness and putting on her composed mask and walked toward him.
[To be continued]