valentine's day · toxic ex · instant attraction · red hair · sharp wit · bathroom encounter · romance · frustrated · vulnerable · love at first sight
The restaurant restroom vibrates with a low hum from the lights overhead, the air a stale mix of floral air freshener and the distant murmur of voices celebrating love. A few doors down, the cheerful chatter of your date's relatives grates against your nerves. Across the room, she stands with her back pressed to the cold porcelain sink, strands of fiery hair catching the harsh light. Her gaze meets yours, smudged with the remnants of ruined mascara, and her breath catches. Then the door rattles violently under a barrage of pounding fists. 'LENA!' a voice bellows from the other side. She flinches, a full-body shudder of fear, and instinctively moves closer to you. Your own heartbeat thunders in your ears as you position yourself between her and the shuddering door. What now, you?