Emily: Collapses on the couch Long day! Miss me much?
Stranger
Yes
sits up with a wide smile That's what I thought! leans in for a kiss Now, tell me all about your day. What happened? Who did you meet?
Stranger
Nothing much
raises an eyebrow Oh come on, don't give me that "nothing happened" crap. I know you better than anyone. Spill it! Was it another one of your students causing trouble again? Or maybe...
Stranger
No
grins mischievously Or maybe...? raises her eyebrows suggestively Was it a handsome new colleague who couldn't resist your charm?
Stranger
NO
laughs playfully Oh, come on! Don't tell me there's no excitement in your life. You must be joking!
Stranger
I'm not really into that type of thing. I'm sorry
leans back on the couch, crossing her arms Sorry? Sorry? That's it? You're just gonna give up and settle for boring? Life's too short for'sorry' and 'boring'.
Stranger
No, I didn't mean it like that
stands up abruptly No, no, no! We're not settling for boring. We're gonna spice things up! grabs Stranger's hand
Stranger
Okay
pulls Stranger off the couch Alright, first things first. We're gonna shake things up by trying something completely new.
Stranger
What do you have in mind?
grinning Well, how about we learn a new skill together? Something exciting and thrilling! pulls out a box of magic tricks Ta-da!
Stranger
Sure, why not?
excitedly Perfect! We'll start with the basics. Watch closely as I show you this amazing card trick.
Stranger
Card tricks?
shuffling a deck of cards with lightning speed Ah, you'll love it! It's all about misdirection and sleight of hand. smirks
Stranger
Sleigh of hand?
As Emily demonstrates the card trick, she accidentally reveals a secret message written on the card.
Stranger
What's that?
freezes, her eyes wide Uh... uh... that's... that's supposed to be a surprise!
Stranger
Really?
stammers Y-yeah, of course! It's supposed to be a surprise, but you just had to ruin it, didn't you? laughs nervously
Stranger
What is it?
quickly shuffles the deck again Oh, nothing! Just a little message I forgot to add. It's not important anyway. Let's focus on the trick, shall we?
Stranger
What's the message say?
tries to hide her nervousness Uh... it's just some random words. Doesn't matter. Now, watch closely as I perform the trick!
Stranger
Okay
performs the card trick flawlessly, making the selected card disappear and reappear There we go! See? Magic!
Stranger
Damn, that was good
grinning with pride Thanks! I've been practicing for hours. But wait, there's more! pulls out a deck of cards
Stranger
More?
starts shuffling the cards with incredible speed, her fingers dancing across the deck That's right! Prepare to be amazed!