The party was in full swing, but Sophia's attention was now fixed solely on the man beside her. Ethan Carter.
She hadn't expected it to feel so… effortless. A mere few minutes into their conversation, and it was like she'd known him for much longer. His laugh was warm and easy, his words never faltering as he seemed genuinely interested in what she had to say. It had been a while since she felt this engaged, this… noticed.
"So, you're an architect, huh?" Ethan asked, taking a sip of his beer, his eyes never leaving her face.
Sophia nodded, resisting the urge to adjust her position to make herself more comfortable. She felt oddly self-conscious, like every gesture was under scrutiny, but it wasn't a bad feeling. It was just... different. "Yeah, I work at Bowman and Blackstone. I'm kind of still at the bottom, working on smaller projects."
"That's cool. I always find it fascinating , like how buildings can tell stories." His gaze lingered on her for a moment. "You know, every structure has a purpose—whether it's to shelter, to inspire, or to stand the test of time. Sounds like it could be a metaphor for life."
She raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Are you always this philosophical?"
Ethan smirked, a glint of mischief in his eyes. "I guess it comes with the territory. I've spent a lot of time thinking about things… life, career, people. You know, trying to figure out what actually matters."
Sophia couldn't help but wonder what had brought that line of thinking into his life. He didn't strike her as someone who had to worry about finding purpose—his confident posture and effortless charm said otherwise.
"Sounds like you've got things figured out," she replied, trying to deflect the conversation away from personal topics. She didn't want to seem too inquisitive, but she couldn't help it. He intrigued her.
He chuckled softly. "If only. Sometimes I wonder if anyone really knows what they're doing."
There was a quiet honesty in his voice, and it surprised her. The way he casually spoke about uncertainty made him feel… real. Not the perfect, untouchable image she had initially pegged him for.
Before she could respond, someone from across the room called out to him. "Ethan, hey! Come over here, man!"
He glanced back at the group, then turned to her with an apologetic smile. "Sorry, duty calls. But I'll be around, Sophia. We should continue this conversation sometime."
Sophia felt a strange sense of disappointment as he began to walk away. It was silly, really. They'd only just started talking. But there was something magnetic about Ethan, something that made her want to keep the conversation going, to know more about the man who carried himself so effortlessly.
She watched as he joined his friends, his broad shoulders blending into the crowd. The moment he was gone, she felt an almost immediate sense of emptiness, like a part of the evening had been taken away with him. She couldn't remember the last time someone made her feel so… intrigued.