Chapter 3 A Saturday Kind of Feeling
I spent the morning tidying my apartment, checking messages, and trying to balance a few accounts I didn't finish at work. But my mind kept drifting to William.
I kept telling myself to focus on numbers first, and feelings later but it wasn't working. Every few minutes, I caught myself smiling for no reason, replaying small moments from our last lunch. The way he listened. The way he asked questions like the answers mattered.
Just as I closed my laptop, my phone lit up.
William.
A video call.
My heart jumped. I answered almost immediately, then paused and laughed at myself when his face filled the screen.
"Hey," he said softly, like he'd been thinking about me too.
"Hey," I replied, suddenly aware of my messy bun and plain T-shirt.
"You look good," he said anyway.
I rolled my eyes. "No I don't."
"Yes you do," I miss you Olivia he said
That did something to me. The kind of thing that brings warmth to your chest.
"I've been thinking about you all day," he continued. "Do you want to hang out today"? Get out of the house a bit."
I didn't even pretend to think about it. "Yes," I hurriedly replied.
We decided on a movie. Simple. Easy. Safe or so I thought.
By the time I got to the cinema, he was already there, standing near the ticket booth, scrolling through his phone. When he saw me, his face changed not dramatically, just enough to make my stomach flip.
"Movie date," he said. "I like the sound of that," I said to myself.
We stood in line, debating which movie to see, teasing each other about taste. He insisted on something action-packed; I wanted romance. We settled somewhere in between, laughing like it actually mattered.
Inside, we bought popcorn and drinks. He grabbed extra napkins without me asking.
"Prepared," I said.
"Experienced," he corrected.
During the movie, our arms brushed now and then. Not intentionally at least not openly but neither of us moved away. I barely remember the plot. I remember his quiet laugh, the way he leaned closer to whisper a comment, the shared silence that didn't feel awkward.
Afterward, instead of going straight home, he suggested a nearby playground.
"For adults?" I asked.
"For people who still know how to have fun," he replied.
We took turns on the swings, pushing off the ground, laughing like children who had forgotten what stress felt like. At one point, we raced, him cheating, me calling him out, both of us breathless and smiling too much.
On our way back, we stopped at a roadside spot and bought snacks, simple food, eaten standing, fingers slightly greasy. The night air was cool, calm.
Mid-bite, he went quiet.
I noticed immediately.
"William?" I said.
He looked at me, really looked at me, like he'd made a decision. "Olivia… I like you. Not just casually. Not just as someone to hang out with."
My heart started pounding.
"I want to be intentional with you," he continued. "I want to take you seriously. So I'll ask properly "will you be my girlfriend?"
For a second, the noise around us faded. Cars passed. People talked. But all I heard was my heartbeat.
"Yes," I said, smiling before I could stop myself. "I'd like that."
The relief on his face was instant. Genuine.
"Good," he said quietly. "I was hoping you'd say that."
As he drove me home later, the car felt smaller somehow, not uncomfortable, just… full. Music played softly. At one point, we both sang along to the same line without planning it, then laughed when we realized.
Nothing dramatic happened. No grand moment.
Just two people, a shared smile, and the feeling that something real had begun.
And for the first time in a long while, I let myself enjoy it without asking too many questions.