1- Destiny Trolls Me

Have you ever woken up with the feeling that something strange is going to happen? Like déjà vu?

Well, that's exactly how I, Kyra, felt when I woke up. I'm not exactly sure what my sixth sense has in store for me, but deep down, I sense trouble.

I decided to jump out of bed and check what I had planned for the day. Seriously, I really need to use a calendar app on my phone to remember my appointments. I was startled when I looked at my schedule and saw that I had an interview in an hour. "Damn!" I exclaimed as I grabbed a few cookies and hastily put on my interview outfit (trying to do two things at once never works well for me).

After getting dressed, I rushed to the bathroom to brush my teeth and put on some foundation. Amazingly, it took me 20 minutes to get ready. I called a taxi using the app and went downstairs from my apartment to wait.

I started off on the wrong foot, didn't I? The protagonist should introduce herself, say what she does for a living, and make those clichéd romantic comedy appeals... Well, that's not me, the protagonist. It would be too audacious to think that my life would revolve around romance. There might be comedy, but it's more like the drama of a woman in her thirties. I don't have a "thirty crisis," but my family and friends worry that I haven't found my "perfect match" yet. Between you and me, dear viewer, life is not just about that, and my concerns are different. Let me tell you how I got here.

When I was in my twenties, I fell in love (who hasn't, right?), but it wasn't the right time or the "perfect guy" (in my mind, he was, unfortunately) because he broke my heart. I met him in college while pursuing my Bachelor's degree in Business Administration. He was gorgeous with his dark brown eyes, black hair, 6 feet tall, square jaw, and broad shoulders. Who wouldn't fall for him in their right mind? He was in his thirties at the time and gave lectures on writing and management. I found it incredible how he saw the world. My friend Lucy and I were leaving the college auditorium, and our economics professor called us over to introduce him (Lucy was the top student in our class).

— "Look, Dante, this is Lucy, the smartest girl in my classes," Professor Louis said.

— "Hello, Dante!" Lucy greeted him enthusiastically.

— "Hello, girls," Dante smiled.

— "Hi," I said, feeling uninspired. At that moment, I wasn't jealous of my friend, but I felt like a "fish out of water," if you know what I mean. Lucy pinched me because of my lack of enthusiasm, and I responded by poking her and laughing at her despair. To my surprise, Dante didn't miss a beat of what was happening.

— "What's your name?" Dante asked me. I widened my eyes (making them even bigger than they already are). Huh?

— "I'm Kyra."

— "Now that everyone is introduced! Did you enjoy the lecture?"

— "I loved it! How do you manage to integrate both worlds?" Lucy asked excitedly.

— "All you need is to enjoy what you do, apply techniques for dealing with people, inspire the team, and the results will come with time."

I studied him while he spoke because I like to analyze people's profiles, and I didn't discover much about his personality. He was brilliant at what he did, seemed popular with women (Lucy was drooling), and was being kind to two college students. Dante seemed to notice that he was being scrutinized, as he looked at me with curiosity. He winked and smiled at me, conveying a message: "I know you're studying me."

Immediately, I raised my hand involuntarily and placed it on my forehead, shaking my head in a negative gesture, completely disapproving of being caught.

— "Lucy, come with me. I want to introduce you to the board representative," Professor Louis said.

— "But professor, I haven't finished exchanging ideas with our speaker."

— "It's okay, Lucy. We're going to have dinner together. Now, come!" The professor said, already pulling Lucy away from us.

I couldn't help but laugh at the situation, seeing the professor dragging Lucy away and her throwing a tantrum like a little child.

— Dante looked at me with curiosity, approached closer, and asked, "Did you find what you were looking for?"

— "Huh?" I stopped laughing and looked at him confused. I didn't understand his question.

— "You were analyzing me. What did you find?"

— "Oh... You were talking about that," I said, surprised. "I found very little, actually. I'm still in the process of analysis, and professionally speaking, I liked some of the strategies you use for dealing with people."

— "Oh... So, you were analyzing me professionally,"He said, feigning offense. — I thought you were analyzing me with malice in your eyes. - He winked at me and smiled.

— Come on! Why would I do that? - I smiled and winked back at him. - You're not my type. Saying that, I left and went to talk to João, my confidant friend who was in the same course as me and said the things I needed to hear.

— Oh my, friend! So many handsome boys at that lecture! - he said with a smile.

— Friend, I didn't see that many... Where are they? - I asked, making a playful face, pretending to search among the crowd.

— You were talking to the most handsome one! How did you not take advantage of the opportunity?

— Ahhh... He's not for me. - I said, making a grimace.

— How is he not? He's handsome, successful, kind, and... I didn't let him finish his sentence.

— If you think you're God's gift to women, full of puns, and a danger to me, you're not my type.

— Ahhh, I see! He's the famous 'heartbreaker,' right?

— Exactly! I ran away from him... Literally.

— What do you mean? - he asked, astonished.

— I told him he wasn't my type and fled from there. - I said, laughing.

— You coward! How could you miss such an experience?

— Well, that way my heart stays intact! I have to focus on my studies. I'm no longer the top student in class, and opportunities don't just come out of nowhere. I have to create them.

— I understand (coward), but are you going to the class dinner?

— I'll try to avoid him. I'm not good at making friends.

— Take my advice? Make that sacrifice, - he said, pouting.

— Oh noooo, I want to go to my room and eat a big burger!

— What are you running from? - a strong presence asked from behind me. My friend was surprised and, at the same time, drooling. Well, about the voice that spoke, well, it was the speaker.

— I'm not running, I just don't want to go to the class dinner! What interest do you have in a student with no prestige in college? - I asked, furrowing my brow.

— Well, you were the only student who told me that I'm not your type!