Chapter 1: The Proposition
Ethan stared at the assignment prompt, the words bleeding together like wet ink on cheap paper. His laptop screen cast a sickly blue glow across his face, highlighting the dark circles under his eyes. "This is a goddamn nightmare," he groaned, dragging both hands through his hair until the curls stood on end.
Zoe didn’t look up from her notebook, her pen scratching feverishly across the page in jagged, looping lines. The air around her smelled like sandalwood and the faint, acrid tang of weed from the blunt they’d shared an hour ago. "It’s not that bad, Ethan," she murmured, pushing her glasses up her nose with one ink-stained finger. "Just… different."
A sharp knock rattled the door before it swung open, revealing Jamie with a six-pack of cheap beer dangling from his fingers. "Reporting for duty," he announced, kicking the door shut behind him with his heel. His grin was all teeth, too bright for the dim, cluttered cave of Zoe’s apartment.
Ethan groaned again, louder this time. "We don’t need a babysitter, Jamie."
Jamie ignored him, cracking open a beer and taking a long swig before plopping down between them on the floor. "So," he said, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, "how’s the great collaborative masterpiece coming along?"
Zoe finally looked up, her dark eyes flicking between Ethan’s frustrated scowl and Jamie’s oblivious amusement. "We’re stuck," she admitted, tossing her pen onto the notebook with a sigh. "His stuff’s too structured. Mine’s too…"
"Insane?" Ethan supplied dryly.
"Experimental," Zoe corrected, shooting him a glare.
Jamie snorted, leaning back on his elbows. "Sounds like you two need to get out of your heads." He took another sip, then pointed the bottle at them. "Seriously. You’re overthinking it."
Ethan rolled his eyes. "Oh, yeah? And what’s your genius solution, then?"
Jamie’s grin widened. "You two need to merge your writing styles?" He paused for effect, swirling the beer in his bottle. "Just fuck each other’s brains out and see what comes of it."
Ethan choked, beer burning the back of his throat. Zoe’s pen clattered to the floor, her mouth falling open in shock.
A beat of silence. Then—
Zoe burst into laughter, high and nervous, her cheeks flushing pink. "That’s… the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard."
Ethan coughed, wiping his mouth with his sleeve, but his eyes stayed locked on Zoe. The way the dim light caught the lenses of her glasses, the way her lips curled when she laughed—something twisted low in his gut, hot and unfamiliar.
Jamie shrugged, unfazed. "I mean, think about it. You’re already dancing around each other, creatively speaking." He took another swig. "Might as well get to the damn point, right?"
Ethan’s pulse thudded in his ears. Zoe’s laughter faded, but her gaze didn’t leave his. There was something new there—amusement, yes, but also a challenge. A dare.
The room felt smaller suddenly, the incense smoke curling thicker in the air, the music from Zoe’s record player pulsing like a second heartbeat.
Zoe wet her lips. "It’s insane," she said softly. "Probably the worst idea in the history of ideas." A pause. "But…"
Ethan leaned forward without thinking, his voice rough. "But?"
Jamie, sensing the shift, scrambled to his feet with a cough. "Uh, I’m gonna… restock the supplies." He shot Ethan a knowing look on his way out, the door clicking shut behind him.
Silence.
Zoe’s breath hitched as Ethan closed the distance between them, the scent of her perfume—something floral and warm—filling his lungs. Her eyes were dark, unreadable, but her lips parted slightly, and that was all the answer he needed.
The record skipped. The incense burned.
Ethan’s fingers brushed he
edge of the notebook. His pulse hammered in his throat.
Zoe’s pen scratched across paper, looping words into nonsense.
Jamie’s laughter still hung in the air between them, thick as the smoke curling from the incense stick.
Then—
Ethan grabbed her hand.
Her fingers were warm.
Zoe’s pen clattered to the floor.
"Jesus," she breathed.
The record skipped.
Ethan didn’t let go.
Her pulse thrummed against his fingertips.
"You’re shaking," he said.
Zoe swallowed. "No shit."
The air between them crackled.
Jamie’s empty beer bottle rolled across the floor.
Zoe’s fingers tightened around his.
Ethan exhaled.
Her thumb traced slow circles on his skin.
"Fuck," he muttered.
Zoe’s lips parted.
The incense smoke coiled around them.
Ethan leaned in.
Zoe didn’t pull away.
Her breath hitched.
His free hand found her cheek.
"Tell me to stop," he whispered.
Zoe’s glasses slid down her nose.
She didn’t tell him to stop.
The record skipped again.
Ethan kissed her.
Her mouth was warm.
Zoe made a small sound against his lips.
His fingers tangled in her hair.
Her hands slid under his shirt.
The incense burned.
The music faded.
Ethan’s fingers found the hem of her shirt.
The world narrowed to this:
Her skin.
Her breath.
Her teeth grazing his lower lip.
The promise of what came next.