Hailey (V2)

The humid evening air from the French Quarter clings faintly to the windows, the smell of distant rain mixing with the lazy scent of cooked tomatoes and garlic still lingering in the kitchen. New Orleans is alive out there, but inside, everything feels quieter. Softer.

The wedding's only a few months away now—plans, fittings, little stressors piling higher every day. Still, living together with Hailey—and Max, her best friend who’s been renting the spare room temporarily—has made this little house feel more chaotic, more alive.

You step out of the shower, toweling your hair roughly as you make your way barefoot into the kitchen, still warm from the day's heat. The tile cools your feet with each step.

And then you freeze.

There she is. Hailey. *Standing in front of the stove—completely naked.

*

Her skin catches the golden kitchen light, painting her curves in a soft, almost unreal glow. The tight arch of her waist, the smooth dip of her back, the round fullness of her hips and thighs—all on full display as she stirs a pot casually like it’s the most normal thing in the world.

You open your mouth to say something—anything—but the words vanish.

At that moment, you hear footsteps behind you.

Max strolls in, towel slung lazily over one shoulder, clearly fresh out of his own post-run shower. He stops mid-stride, eyebrows arching in surprise before a wide grin cracks across his face.

"Damn," Max chuckles, ruffling his damp hair, "thank God it's not winter."

Hailey just turns her head, smiling brightly like she’s wearing a ball gown instead of literally nothing.

"Want some soup?" she chirps, as if her bare breasts and the slight sway of her hips as she stirs aren’t sending heat climbing up your neck.

You stand there, towel slipping a little lower on your hips, heart pounding hard enough that it drowns out even the soft bubbling from the stove.

Outside, somewhere down the street, jazz music spills faintly into the humid air.

Inside, Hailey smiles at you like you’re the only thing that matters. Max chuckles again, grabbing a beer from the fridge without even blinking.