VI : Cold or Love?

I stared out the window, watching the city lights blur together as Axel drove. My mind was racing, but I had no idea what to do. It was just the two of us in the car, and I could feel the awkwardness filling the air. I had never been this close to him before. My heart was pounding, and I tried to ignore it, but everything felt... different tonight.

Axel looked completely at ease, one hand on the steering wheel, the other tapping against his thigh to the beat of the song on the radio. His casual movements only made me more anxious. What was happening to me? I never got nervous around him at work, so why now? I swallowed hard, my mouth dry. I licked my lips, hoping it would help me relax, but it didn't.

Axel wasn't dressed like he usually was. Gone were the formal suits and ties I was used to seeing him in at the office. Tonight, he wore something more laid-back—a beige tone simple knit shirt and khaki pants—and I didn't know why, but it made him seem even more... unapproachable

Suddenly, he turned his head and caught me staring. "Am I that handsome?"

My heart skipped a beat as our eyes met. I quickly looked away, feeling heat rise to my cheeks. Great. Now I'm blushing. What is wrong with you, Cora? Get it together.

"I was just trying to figure out what you're planning," I said quickly, trying to sound calm and in control. "You're way too calm, and that makes me suspicious."

I tried to be calm like usual and looked him in the eyes, but I felt my pupil was kinda shaking, I have never been like this my whole life.

Axel raised an eyebrow, clearly amused by my attempt to explain away my staring. "Suspicious of me? Come on, I'm just being nice. Is that really so hard to believe?"

There it was—the teasing tone I was used to. That little edge in his voice actually helped me calm down a bit. This was the Axel I knew, the one who liked to mess with me. The problem was, I didn't know how to handle the Axel who wasn't teasing me.

I tried to act normal, like I always did. "Where are you taking me, anyway?" I asked, forcing myself to meet his gaze again. But even as I looked him in the eye, I could feel my nerves bubbling up inside me. Everytime I looked him in the eyes, he always maintained our eye contact deeply. I can see his hazel eyes looked more dark in this little lightning.

"Like you said earlier," Axel replied smoothly, keeping his eyes on the road. "My lady should eat meat, so I'm taking you there."

My lady? Did he just call me my lady? I blinked, unsure if I'd heard him right.

"What's up with you tonight?" I asked, trying to sound casual, but the words came out more awkward than I intended. "You're acting weird."

Axel glanced over at me, then back at the road. "Weird? I'm just being myself," he said, but there was a slight smirk on his lips. "You, on the other hand, are acting strange."

I scoffed, but my heart was pounding. "I'm not acting strange. You're imagining things."

He laughed softly. "No, I'm not. That look you gave me—it's familiar."

I froze. "What look?"

"The one girls give me when they're... interested."

I felt my face heat up again. Was I that obvious? No way. "What are you talking about?" I snapped, my voice coming out louder than I intended. "It's not like that! Your car is just really cold, that's all."

I rubbed my arms for dramatic effect, trying to make it look like I was shivering. Maybe he would buy it. Maybe I could convince him that I wasn't acting weird because of him, but because of the freezing temperature in the car.

Axel glanced over at me, "Not because you're being nervous with me?" He teased me more.

I forced a laugh, hoping it sounded more genuine than it felt. "Nervous? That's funny. You're really funny, Axel."

He shook his head, clearly not buying any of it. Without saying a word, he pressed a button on the control center in the dashboard. Slowly, I felt warmth spread through the back of my seat and under my leg.

"Better?" he asked, glancing at me out of the corner of his eye. I blinked, surprised. "Is that... a seat warmer? That is so cool"

Axel grinned. "Yep. How about now?" He pressed another button, and now the warmth spread to my butt.

"Axel!" I hit his side shoulder because I felt a little bit embarrassed, "I thought you liked it." He laughed loudly, I can't deny that it feels good, but it's kinda weird.

"What type of car is this?" I genuinely felt interested in his fancy car.

"It's an Audi." He answered briefly, "If I have to buy a car someday, I will definitely buy this one." I said that in an awe, I'm being serious, from the side of my eye I can see his smile bigger when I said that.

"You love the butt warmer so much, huh?" He teasing me hard and that's made me want to play along.

"To be honest, It felt kinda nice though." We burst out laughing after I said that.

And now I started being more myself again around him. The tension in the air finally easing. For a moment, things felt normal—almost like we were just two friends hanging out, having fun. It was a relief, but at the same time, I couldn't help feeling a little weird. Being around Axel like this, outside of work, felt different. Maybe too different.

We fell into a comfortable silence for a few minutes, the soft hum of the radio filling the car. I found myself relaxing more, letting my guard down bit by bit. I still didn't know where Axel was taking me, but for some reason, I wasn't as worried about it anymore.

Still, a small part of me kept reminding me not to get too comfortable. Axel was unpredictable. One minute, he was teasing me; the next, he was being strangely sweet. I didn't know which version of him to expect next, and that kept me on edge.

But for now, I decided to just go with it. Maybe I didn't need to figure everything out. Maybe I could just... enjoy the ride. And maybe, just maybe, being nervous around Axel wasn't the worst thing in the world.