Antilove Drug

Chapter 1

#antilovedrug #maryamvalis #romance

As the evening settled in, I headed home tired from work. The heaviness of the day weighed on me, and I could see the faint shimmer of fatigue in my eyes. I moved through the busy crowd at a steady but slower pace than those around me. Even in my exhaustion, I couldn't help but admire the city's charm. The streetlights glowed, leaves rustled, and warm laughter spilled out from cozy eateries.

During my walk, I unexpectedly came across a spontaneous street performance that stopped me in my tracks. A troupe of dancers had drawn a crowd, their movements perfectly in sync with the city's heartbeat. They seemed to defy gravity, twisting, leaping, and bending with breathtaking grace and energy. The audience around me erupted in cheers and applause, their faces glowing with awe and delight. I couldn't help but pause, my fatigue fading as I joined the captivated spectators. At that moment, I felt a spark of joy, my spirits lifted by the shared energy of the performance.

As the music played, something inside me awakened. Almost instinctively, my feet started to tap, gradually matching the rhythm of the dancers. My body moved smoothly, swaying with the melody like autumn leaves carried by the breeze. The fatigue that had burdened me all day vanished, replaced by a lively energy that flowed through me, as if the music had become a part of my very being. Tension in my forehead eased, my eyes sparkled with new light, and for the first time that day, a genuine smile appeared on my face. Surrounded by music, laughter, and life, I thoroughly let go, surrendering to the pure joy of simply being.

Lost in the rhythm, my senses sharpened and became more alive. Then, I felt a faint pressure near my hand. Turning, I saw a man standing beside me, his warm smile catching me off guard. Without saying a word, he reached out and gently took my hand, his grip firm yet inviting. I froze for a brief moment, startled but intrigued, as I met his gaze. His eyes shimmered with a playful warmth that reflected the evening's happiness, and in that instant, the rhythm of the night shifted into a new, unexpected melody.

"I'm Max Calderon, choreographer with the New York City Ballet," he said, his relaxed smile easing the formality of the title. "Feel free to call me Max. May I have a moment to speak with you?" he added, offering a warm, friendly smile.

I blinked, my mind briefly short-circuiting under the weight of his unexpected words. My eyes flicked to his, and I was sure my expression—somewhere between disbelief and amusement—could have been painted on a canvas. Finally, I found my voice, and a dry chuckle escaped me.

"Seems you already are," I said, a smile hiding my surprise.

Max offered his charming smile, reaching out and taking my hand, and I was momentarily freed from the chaos of the crowd by what seemed like theatrical gallantry. With unwarranted confidence, he cleared a path, and surprisingly, the crowd parted, forming a dramatic aisle that led us away from the chaos. He refocused on me, his gaze intense, like a spotlight shining on me during some surreal performance.

"May I have your name?" his voice warm with playful confidence. I could sense his curiosity simmering beneath the surface, as if I were some intriguing new character in his ongoing ballet of life. The whole scene was so absurd that I almost laughed out loud. Instead, I quipped back, layering my words with sarcasm as I pulled my hand free from his.

"It's Margaret," I said.

As expected, his eyebrows lifted slightly, as if trying to remember my name and match it to his impression of me from our brief encounter. Margaret—the name seemed humorously mismatched with the chaos and curiosity surrounding us. I gave a dry smile, amused by the universe's little joke. Max's expression remained unreadable, kept behind a carefully neutral look.

"Could you please visit our dance studio in the coming days? I'm preparing a performance and would be honored to have you participate," he asked suddenly, his voice softening. His eyes, however, were filled with a surprising amount of hope.

Before I could fully grasp what was happening, Max eagerly took out his phone and began writing down my number. I barely noticed the moment as I automatically recited it to him, feeling too surprised to object.

And just like that, he vanished into the crowd with a quick "I will call you," leaving me standing there, wondering what on earth had just happened.