The game slowly lost its energy.
Jane checked her phone, sighed, then stood up. "I need to take this," she said casually. "I’ll be back in a minute."
She left the room without waiting for an answer.
The door closed.
Silence.
Lisa suddenly became very aware of the space around her. The room felt bigger now… and much quieter.
Ron stayed where he was, leaning back slightly, watching her.
Neither of them spoke for a few seconds.
Lisa shifted in her seat. "So… you just got back recently?"
"Yeah," he said calmly. "A few days ago."
His voice was steady, low. Not loud, but it filled the room anyway.
Lisa nodded, unsure what to say next.
He stood up.
Not quickly. Not aggressively. Just… slowly, confidently.
Lisa felt her body tense without understanding why.
Ron walked past her toward the table, then stopped. He picked up the empty bottle, turning it slightly in his hand.
"You seemed very comfortable earlier," he said.
Lisa blinked. "What do you mean?"
"When you said you were okay with the game."
Her cheeks warmed. "I just didn’t want it to be awkward."
Ron looked at her for a moment. Not smiling. Not judging. Just observing.
"You try very hard to stay in control," he said.
The words hit deeper than she expected.
Lisa looked away. "I don’t know what you mean."
He stepped a little closer—not too close, but enough that she could feel his presence more clearly now.
"You do," he said quietly.
Lisa’s heart started beating faster. She wasn’t scared exactly… but she wasn’t relaxed either.
There was something intense in the way he looked at her. Focused. Calm. Certain.
She stood up too, almost instinctively.
Now they were facing each other.
"Jane talks a lot," Ron continued. "But she doesn’t always understand people."
Lisa crossed her arms lightly. "And you do?"
A small pause.
Then, a faint smile.
"More than she thinks."
The silence returned, heavier now.
Lisa felt it again—that strange mix of tension and curiosity. Like she should step back… but didn’t want to.
"Relax," Ron said after a moment. His tone softened just slightly. "You look like you’re expecting something bad."
Lisa exhaled quietly. "I’m just… not used to this."
"To what?"
She hesitated.
Then answered honestly: "Being here. Alone. Like this."
Ron nodded slowly.
"That’s fair."
Another pause.
Then he stepped back, giving her space again, as if nothing had happened.
"You don’t have to stay if you’re uncomfortable," he said.
But his eyes said something different.
Lisa didn’t move.
"I know," she replied softly.
And she stayed.
Lisa hesitated for a moment, then lifted her hand to her neck, rubbing it slowly as if only just noticing the tension there.
"Actually…" she said, her voice softer now, a little unsure. "My neck kind of hurts. I think I might just go home soon."
Ron watched the small movement of her fingers against her skin. His expression didn’t change much, but his attention sharpened.
"Your neck?" he repeated calmly.
Lisa nodded, rolling her shoulder slightly. "Yeah… it’s been stiff all day."
A short pause.
Then he spoke, just as steady as before.
"I can help with that."
She looked at him. "What do you mean?"
"A massage," he said simply. "Sit down."
Lisa blinked, caught off guard. "Oh, no, it’s okay, I—"
"It’s nothing complicated," he added, his tone still calm, almost reassuring. "You’ll feel better. If it’s just tension."
There was no pressure in his voice. No insistence. Just quiet confidence.
Lisa hesitated again.
Part of her wanted to refuse, to keep things simple, safe.
But another part… the same part that had made her stay… was curious.
"It’s really not a big deal," she said, though she hadn’t moved toward the door.
Ron gave a small shrug. "Then sit for one minute. If you don’t like it, you can leave."
That made it harder to say no.
Lisa exhaled slowly… then, almost without thinking too much about it, she sat back down on the chair.
"Just for a minute," she said.
"Of course."
Ron stepped behind her.
Lisa felt it immediately—the shift. Not seeing him made everything feel… different. More intense.
Her shoulders tensed slightly.
"Relax," he said quietly.
His hands hovered for a second… then gently rested on her shoulders.
Warm. Firm.
Lisa inhaled sharply, surprised by the contact.
"Too much?" he asked.
"No…" she said quickly. "It’s fine."
His fingers began to move slowly, pressing into the muscles at the base of her neck. Not rough, not soft—controlled.
Lisa closed her eyes for a second.
She hadn’t expected it to feel… good.
"You hold a lot of tension here," he murmured.
"I guess…" she replied, her voice quieter now.
His thumbs pressed a little deeper, moving in slow circles. Lisa’s shoulders dropped slightly without her noticing.
The room felt even quieter now.
More focused.
"Better?" he asked.
Lisa nodded, then realized he couldn’t see it.
"Yeah… a little."
His hands moved higher, closer to her neck.
Lisa’s breathing slowed… but her heartbeat didn’t.
Something about the closeness, the calm certainty in his touch—it made her more aware of everything. Of him. Of herself.
"You see?" he said softly. "Not so bad."
Lisa swallowed lightly.
"No…" she admitted. "Not bad."