As the conversation flowed, I found myself laughing more than I expected, the nerves I had earlier slowly melting away. But then, just as I was about to sip my coffee, Maddy did something that left me speechless.
"Hey, can you keep this for me?" he said, flashing me that same relaxed smile, and before I could even react, he was handing me his wallet, phone, and earphones.
I blinked in surprise. "Uh... sure, but why?"
Maddy just shrugged, his eyes twinkling. "I trust you. Plus, you're right next to me. I wouldn't want to risk losing all this. It'd be... inconvenient, you know?" His voice was casual, but there was an unmistakable playfulness to it, a light flirtation that was hard to ignore.
"Okay..." I said, still a little taken aback. I hesitated, unsure how to handle the situation. His warm touch lingered for a second as he passed me his things. My fingers brushed against his, sending a strange jolt through me.
"You're the best," he said with a wink, leaning back in his chair, looking at me with that look—half-mischievous, half-serious—that made my stomach flutter.
I quickly stuffed his items into my bag, trying to ignore the way my heart was racing. The fact that Maddy was already so comfortable around me, so… casual, unsettled me a little. Was this just his personality? Or was he really this bold with everyone?
The conversation soon drifted to a new topic. Our group had expanded, and more people were joining the table. As the chatter picked up, one of the guys mentioned something about their birthdays, and the discussion turned to ages.
"So, when's your birthday, Maddy?" someone asked.
Maddy smiled lazily, clearly enjoying the attention. "Ah, that's a secret. Maybe you'll find out one day," he teased, but then added with a laugh, "It's in March."
I couldn't help but notice the way he shrugged off the question with a mix of charm and mystery, as if he was intentionally keeping things close to the chest.
The conversation continued, and I, too, found myself answering a few random questions about my own age and birthday. As I spoke, the realization hit me: I was a few months older than Maddy.
"Wait," I interjected, my curiosity piqued, "you're born in March, right?" Maddy nodded, his eyes glinting as he waited for me to connect the dots.
"That means… you're younger than me?" I said with a raised eyebrow, feeling a small wave of amusement wash over me.
He grinned, his smile only growing more mischievous. "Guilty," he said with a shrug. "But hey, age doesn't matter, does it? It's all about the vibes, right?"
I chuckled, shaking my head. "You're lucky I'm not the type to mind. But that's funny. Mine's in June."
He leaned in slightly, clearly enjoying this back-and-forth. "So, I'm the baby of the group? I'll have to remember that."
I couldn't help but laugh at his playful tone. "Oh, don't get too carried away," I teased back. "One year isn't going to give you boss privileges."
Maddy raised an eyebrow, smirking. "You'd be surprised. I'm a March baby. We know how to get what we want."
We both laughed, but I could tell there was something deeper in the way he was looking at me. The teasing, the jokes—it was like he was testing the waters. Or maybe it was something else entirely.
But as the conversation continued, something shifted. There was a warmth between us, a connection that felt stronger than just a casual chat. We had found a rhythm, a dynamic that, despite the teasing and playful banter, felt... right.
And somehow, in that moment, the world around us shrank, and it was just him and me.