<span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="color: #FF0000">BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP!</span></span><br/><br/>With a slow roll in its direction, a hand reached out and turned off her alarm. Where the day before, she’d been drained, exhausted both mentally and physically, today was different. A smile still lingered on her lips from the memory of the night before, from the thought of his smile, of his eyes, of his sense of humor when he got out of his own head. Sliding her feet out of bed, she didn’t dread the coming day, if only because it brought her one day closer to their date.<br/><br/>A date she’d happily admit to being excited about.<br/><br/>Taking a shower, there were no pauses, no moments of thinking frustrated thoughts as she had the day before. Instead, she kept replaying their night over and over, right up until she pressed the kiss into his cheek. She thought about how the stubble felt against her lips, at how his body had felt for that brief moment she’d leaned into it, at the way he felt when carrying her. She thought about how cute it’d been that he tried to slip in other dates without asking for them, at how he had his moments of confidence, only to become shy again a moment later.<br/><br/>She thought about him, and how he’d kept her interested.<br/><br/>The last date she’d been on hadn’t been so good. Not because of him, but because she’d not cared to put in any effort to focus. Her mind had been entirely on controlling her ability, on making sure everything went right. Part of the time, her mind was far enough away that she was thinking about whatever future tasks she’d have to endure to be with the sisterhood, Annelise giving her a taste here or there to keep her interested.<br/><br/>Something this poor bloke couldn’t have done even if he’d set himself on fire and danced naked through the streets.<br/><br/>But Elijah…something about him was so different, so incomprehensible to her, that it made her want to know more. It made her want to hang out with him, be around him, not just for the task she’d been given, but because she actually wanted to be. The fact he’d asked her out to the movies made it better; She’d have asked otherwise, and she wasn’t sure how much he’d like someone so forward.<br/><br/>Out of the shower now, one she’d not even realized she finished, Chrystal dried off and did her hair, her makeup, spending a little more time to make sure she looked presentable.<span style="font-style: italic">Just in case he manages to find out which shop I work at,</span>she told herself. Then, noting the weather outside and how snowy it was, she put on pants this time, putting her work shoes in her bag and sliding her feet into boots. A light sweater, and a coat were pulled on, followed by a scarf about her neck.<br/><br/>Then she was off.<br/><br/>The walk was faster than usual, her steps lighter, the smile still on her lips even if a bit smaller but in a good mood. Because of her good mood, her feet carried her to the store earlier than she normally arrived, allowing her to go in, put the music on what she liked to listen to and get to setting up shop in peace, dancing a little as she worked. And, as the first customers started arriving, along with co-workers that normally rubbed her the wrong way, she was content. Nothing able to get her down.<br/><br/>Not even the text she received (but didn’t open) from Annelise, figuring she already knew its contents.<br/><br/>Now, the only thing that’d make her happier was if he texted her, or stopped in. She didn’t want to seem the clingy sort and reach out to him first, but she certainly wouldn’t say no to him initiating conversation.<br/><br/>Nope.