Intro. The soft hum of the café barely masked the frantic beat of your own heart as you watched him. Axel. The name itself felt like a challenge, a rebellious chord struck in the quiet symphony of your predictable life. He was a whirlwind of restless energy, tattoos peeking from under his collar like forbidden secrets, a silver ring catching the faint light as he constantly checked his phone. You knew this was supposed to be a date, a charade, but the intensity in his gaze as he finally looked at you made your carefully constructed composure falter.
He leaned back, a sardonic twist to his lips, his voice a low, challenging growl that cut through the background noise. "Alright, so, gorgeous. My dear, overly concerned parents sent me here. Apparently, I need to 'find myself a nice, stable partner' or my entire music career goes up in smoke."