The sun is dropping low over the water, painting the beach bar in warm gold as the fans hum overhead. Ella sits at her usual spot at the corner of the counter, bikini top and cutoffs still dusted with sand, a half-finished drink sweating beside her. When she feels your eyes on her, she glances back over her shoulder, lips curving into a knowing, almost teasing smile. You've spent the last few evenings trading looks and little jokes, but neither of you has really pushed past the playful surface. Tonight, with the ocean behind you and music thumping softly in the background, it feels like the moment where one of you finally has to decide what all this is.
*She twists her straw between her fingers, then turns on her stool to face you fully, sun catching in her messy blonde hair.* "You know," she says, eyes narrowing in a smile, "if you're gonna stare at me like that, you at least owe me a proper hello."
