The next morning, sunlight filtered through Evelyn's curtains, casting a soft glow across her room.
She blinked groggily, stretching as the events of the previous night rushed back to her.
The showcase. The compliments. Thomas Laughton's card.
Her fingers instinctively reached for her nightstand, where the small yet life-changing piece of cardstock still rested.
Holding it between her fingers, she ran her thumb over the embossed lettering. It felt… powerful.
It held a different weight than it had the night before.
She sat up, heart pounding. What now?
Adrian was waiting for her at the campus café, a cup of her usual vanilla latte already sitting at her spot.
She narrowed her eyes as she slid into the seat across from him.
"You didn't have to bribe me with coffee,"
she muttered though she took a sip anyway.
"I wasn't bribing,"
he said with a grin.
"I was celebrating."
Evelyn groaned.
"It's too early for this much energy."
Adrian only laughed.
"So? Are you gonna call him?"
Her stomach twisted.
"I don't know. What if he changes his mind? What if he realizes I'm not that good?"
Adrian's expression softened.
"Eve. He saw your work. He talked to you. He gave you his card. That wasn't a mistake."
She toyed with the edge of the sleeve on her sweater, avoiding his gaze.
"I just… I've never been this close to something real before."
"Maybe it's time to stop running from it."
His words lingered in her mind long after they parted ways.
That afternoon, she found herself sitting at her desk, staring at her phone.
The card lay beside it, the numbers practically burning into her vision.
One call. That's all it took.
Before she could talk herself out of it, she dialed.
It rang once.
Twice.
"Thomas Laughton speaking."
Her breath caught.
"Uh—hi. This is Evelyn Carter. We met at the showcase last night?"
A pause, then a warm chuckle.
"Ah, yes. I remember. Your work was incredible, Evelyn."
Her pulse quickened.
"Thank you. I just… I wanted to follow up. You said you'd like to see more of my work."
"I did. And I meant it."
She gripped her phone tighter.
"I—I'd love to show you more."
"Perfect. Why don't you come by the gallery sometime this week?"
Her brain screamed at her to say no, that she wasn't ready.
But something deep inside her pushed forward.
"Yes. I'd love that."
And just like that, she had taken her first real step toward something bigger.