Tangled in Desire

Zara stepped into her apartment, closing the door behind her with a quiet sigh. The events of the evening were still fresh in her mind, and she was glad to be home. The limo ride with Xavier had been as awkward as expected, but there was something about the way he reacted to her music that kept replaying in her mind. *I can't believe he actually looked shocked,* she thought, shaking her head as she hung her coat up. *Does he even know what real music is?*

With a deep breath, she pushed the thoughts of Xavier aside. She had a routine to follow, and it helped her wind down after a busy day. Zara quickly changed into her comfy robe and started her nightly beauty routine. The familiar scents of her skincare products filled the air, and she let herself relax, feeling the coolness of the creams as she massaged them into her skin. 

She connected her phone to the speaker, pressing play on her playlist. **"Type Shit" by Future, Metro Boomin, Playboy Carti, and Travis Scott** blasted through the speakers, the bass thumping in time with her movements. Zara let the music fill the room, knowing the beat would settle her mind as she finished getting ready for bed. 

Afterward, Zara made herself a quick, simple dinner. There was no need for anything fancy tonight. Just something to eat before she could fully unwind. Once dinner was done, she set her plate aside and grabbed her phone, scrolling through TikTok as she sipped on a glass of wine. Her feed was filled with funny clips and memes, and Zara smiled as she watched a few, leaving comments here and there.

Her phone buzzed, and she glanced at the message. It was from Lila.

**Lila:** *Hey, babe! I was thinking this weekend we could grab dinner at that new restaurant? I want you to meet my new boyfriend, and his friend is coming too—would be fun!*

Zara read it, hesitating for a moment. Dinner with Lila's boyfriend and his friend? She wasn't sure she was in the mood for a social gathering, but she knew Lila had been wanting to introduce them for a while now. *Fine,* she thought. *For Lila's sake.*

**Zara:** *Ugh, I wasn't planning on going out, but alright. I'll come. Tell him to bring his friend, though. You know how I am.*

It didn't take long for Lila to reply, as always.

**Lila:** *Yesss, can't wait! I'll text you the details. It'll be a good time, I promise!*

Zara smiled to herself as she set her phone down. Lila had a way of making everything sound more exciting than it actually was. She wasn't sure about the whole idea of meeting new people, but she would go. For her best friend.

A little later, Zara finished browsing through some work emails, checking over a few documents for the upcoming projects. She still couldn't shake the thought of the night ahead. *Dinner with some strangers,* she thought with a smirk. *Maybe I'll get lucky and meet someone interesting. Or maybe they'll just bore me to death.*

Her phone rang again, and it was Lila. Zara answered, lying back on the couch with a relaxed sigh.

"Zara, I swear, you're gonna love him," Lila said excitedly. "I'm so glad you're coming. It'll be so much fun! Plus, his friend is cute. I told him to bring someone to lighten things up!"

Zara chuckled at her friend's enthusiasm. "You always do this," she teased. "But fine, fine, I'll be there. Just don't expect me to pretend to be thrilled about meeting random people."

"Don't worry," Lila said with a laugh. "You'll have a good time, I know it."

They chatted for a few more minutes, Zara agreeing to everything Lila had planned, despite her initial reluctance. After hanging up, Zara felt a little more at ease. It wasn't going to be the worst night. Besides, she had a tendency to enjoy herself once she got into the groove of things.

As she finished her last sip of wine, Zara sent a quick message to Lila confirming the dinner details and then turned in for the night. Tomorrow would be another busy day, and she needed her rest.