The summer sun was just beginning to set as Kris Ellsworth and his

younger sister, Sophia, made their way through the cobblestone

streets of their small village. They have been living there for their

whole lives, but Sophia was supposed to leave for university. A hint

of excitement filled the air, as the local festival was gearing up,

the sounds of music and laughter wafting through the evening breeze.

As they approached the main square, the sight of the grand stage

came into view. A makeshift platform constructed by the townsfolk was

adorned with colorful banners, and a small orchestra was tuning their

instruments, preparing for the night's entertainment. Kris' eyes

scanned the area and settled on a group of performers gathering near

the stage, their bright, colorful costumes catching the attention of

those passing by. And then he saw her. A girl with golden hair that

fell in waves around her shoulders, and eyes the color of lush,

emerald leaves. It was as if time slowed down, as if the world had

suddenly become still, as he gazed upon her. She was breathtaking,

and he couldn't tear his gaze away.

Across the square, Alice Harvey adjusted the straps on her costume, her heart fluttering

nervously as she prepared for her performance. An accomplished dancer

from the nearby city, she had been invited to perform at this

festival, and the thought of dancing in front of a small-town crowd

was both thrilling and intimidating. As Alice took her place on the

stage, ready to start her routine, her gaze swept across the

audience, taking in the faces of the people gathered to watch. And

then, her eyes landed on a boy standing towards the back, his sister

beside him. He was staring at her, his eyes full of undeniable

fascination and something else, something almost like enchantment.

The music started playing, and Alice's body moved gracefully to the

rhythm. Each step, each twirl, was perfectly executed, and her

presence on stage was captivating. She was mesmerizing, like a

firefly dancing amongst the stars, and Kris found himself bewitched,

unable to look away. The music started playing, and Alice's body

moved gracefully to the rhythm. Each step, each twirl, was perfectly

executed, and her presence on stage was captivating. She was

mesmerizing, like a firefly dancing amongst the stars, and Kris found

himself bewitched, unable to look away. Her dance was a mixture of

elegance and grace, each movement executed with the precision of a

master. As she spun, her hair flared out behind her like a golden

halo, and her green eyes sparkled with an intensity that matched the

passion of her dance. The audience was enraptured, clapping and

cheering with each pass of her lithe form, but Kris could barely hear

them, his focus completely drawn to the woman on stage, the woman who

seemed to hold his heart in her slender, dancing fingers. Beside

Kris, his younger sister, Sophia, noticed the change in his demeanor.

His eyes were fixed on the stage, his face a mixture of wonder and

what could only be described as fascination. She followed his gaze

and noticed the golden-haired dancer moving effortlessly across the

platform. It dawned on her, and a small, knowing smile played on her

lips. She elbowed her brother gently, a lighthearted tease in her

voice.

"You're smitten," she whispered. "I've never seen you look so enraptured."

Kris jerked his head to the side, his attention broken. He looked at his sister, a mixture of surprise

and denial on his face. But the flush on his cheeks betrayed him, and

she could see the truth in his eyes.

"I'm not smitten," he replied, trying to sound

nonchalant, but his voice was too gruff, too lacking in conviction. Sophia laughed softly, her eyes flickering back to the dancer on

the stage. "Oh, come on. I know that face. You're completely

captivated by her. Admit it."

Kris opened his mouth to protest,

but the words died on his lips as he returned his attention to Alice,

a slight shiver running down his spine as she executed a particularly

difficult move. He swallowed, his throat suddenly dry. "Okay, maybe I'm a

bit...intrigued."

Sophia chuckled, her gaze locking with her

brother's. "Intrigued, huh? That's a polite way of putting it.

You're practically drooling."

Kris rolled his eyes, trying to

hide his embarrassment. "I am not drooling," he retorted,

but there was no heat in his voice, only a hint of defensiveness.

"But I have to admit," he continued, his eyes glued to

Alice's every move, "she's an incredible dancer. I've never seen

anything like it."

Sophia smiled, her expression suddenly

turning sly. "You should introduce yourself. Go talk to her

after the performance."

Kris snapped his gaze to his sister, his eyes widening. "What?

Are you kidding? I can't do that."

"Why not?" Sophia leaned in, a mischievous grin playing

on her lips. "It's not like she's going to bite your head off."

Kris swallowed nervously, the thought of actually approaching

Alice making his palms sweaty. "But...what if she's not

interested? What if she thinks I'm a country bumpkin?"

Sophia rolled her eyes. "You're seriously overthinking this, you know

that? You're a good-looking guy, Kris. Give yourself some credit." She gave him a gentle shove. "And besides, what's the worst

that could happen? She says no? Life goes on. But at least you'll

know you tried."

Kris sighed, running a hand through his hair.

He knew she was right, but the thought of rejection was a real fear.

Still, he couldn't deny the pull he felt towards Alice, the way his

heart thumped in his chest every time she moved on stage.

He looked back at the stage, catching a glimpse of her emerald

green eyes as she spun. "Okay, I'll do it," he said

quietly, more to himself than to Sophia.

His sister beamed, giving him a quick pat on the back. "That's

the spirit! Now, let's get closer. I don't want to miss this."

They moved closer to the stage, Kris' heart thudding in time with the

music. He couldn't take his eyes off Alice, his breath catching in

his throat each time she made a particularly graceful move. His sister leaned in again. "Don't forget to breathe,"

she teased.

Kris shot her a glare, his heart still racing. The dance was

nearing its end, and the realization that he was actually going to

speak to Alice made him feel both excited and terrified. He wiped his

sweaty palms on his trousers, his mind already running through a

hundred different scenarios.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the dance ended with a flourish, and the applause of the

crowd rang out. Alice took a bow, her cheeks flushed from exertion,

her eyes scanning the audience. It was then that her gaze landed on

Kris, their eyes meeting for a brief moment before he quickly looked

away, feeling the heat rise in his cheeks once more.

"She saw you," Sophia whispered, her voice full of excitement. "She

totally saw you. Now's your chance!"

Kris' heart was in his throat, but he knew that his sister was right. He took a deep breath,

steeling himself. "Okay, I'm gonna go," he mumbled. He took a step forward and made his way towards the side of the

stage where Alice was exiting. As he approached, Alice was surrounded by a group of her fellow

performers, each of them congratulating her on her performance. Kris

hovered on the edge of the group, his heart pounding, until one of

the performers noticed him.

"Can we help you?" a performer asked, a hint of

suspicion in her voice.

"Um," Kris stuttered, "I was wondering if I could

speak to the dancer who was just on stage for a moment?" The

performer looked him up and down, taking in his country-boy charm,

before turning to Alice.

"Hey, there's someone here to see you," she said,

gesturing to Kris.

Alice, who had been talking to another performer, turned towards

him, her eyes locking with Kris'. The corners of her lips quirked up

in a small, curious smile.

"Yeah?" she asked, her voice carrying an air of

confidence, but there was a hint of intrigue in her gaze. She stepped

out of the little group, her eyes never leaving his. "What can I

do for you?"

Kris swallowed, suddenly finding it hard to form words. She

was even more beautiful up close. "I...uh..." he started,

his eyes flickering around nervously before settling back on her

face, "I just wanted to say that your dance was incredible. I

mean, breathtaking."

Alice's smile widened, a small blush

tinting her cheeks. "Thank you," she replied, the simple

words filled with a shy gratitude. "I'm glad you enjoyed it."

Kris found himself lost in her mesmerizing eyes, the green of them

like a cool, inviting lake on a hot summer's day. He swallowed again,

trying to find something else to say, something that didn't involve

drooling like an idiot. Luckily, Sophia chose that moment to step in.

She'd been watching the scene unfolding from a distance and decided

it was time to give her brother a bit of a push. She moved to Kris'

side and looked at Alice with a friendly smile. "Sorry to

interrupt," Sophia said cheerfully, "but my brother here is

a big fan of yours. He's been staring at you all evening."

Alice's eyes flicked to Kris, her smile turning more amused. "Is

that so?" she asked, her voice laced with teasing.

"Sophia! You're making me sound like a creep..." Kris said with blush

forming on his face.

Sophia laughed, completely unrepentant. "I'm just stating the facts, bro. You were practically drooling!"

Kris shot his sister a glare, his cheeks burning. He was never going

to live this down. He took a deep breath and turned back to Alice,

silently pleading with her to ignore his sister's teasing. But rather

than look annoyed, Alice seemed more amused as she laughed quietly,

the sound like soft, melodious chimes.

"I don't mind a bit of drooling," she said, her gaze sparkling with mischief. Even

Sophia looked surprised, not expecting that response. She glanced

quickly at Kris, whose cheeks were now a deep shade of scarlet,

before turning back to Alice with a wide, amused smile.

"You hear that, Kris? She doesn't mind it."

she said, nudging him again.

Kris groaned, feeling like he was being toyed with. But despite

his embarrassment, he couldn't deny the thrill that shot through him

at Alice's words. He risked a glance at her and was met with a smirk

that said she was enjoying this as much as his sister was.

"I...uh..." Kris stuttered, his brain suddenly

short-circuiting at the sight of her smirk. He was saved from further

embarrassment by one of her fellow performers calling out to her.

"Alice, we're about to head to the pub for a drink. You joining

us?" the performer called out, breaking the tension. Alice turned to look at her friend, before glancing back at Kris

and Sophia.

"You're from here, right? Maybe you two could show us

the local pub...so we won't get lost." Alice smiled

mischievously, knowing damn well that one of the performers' dad is a

local and she could easly lead them there.

Kris blinked, taken aback by her directness, but then he couldn't help but smile. She was

clever as well as beautiful. He looked at Sophia who gave him an

encouraging nod, her eyes practically gleaming with excitement.

"Sure," Kris replied, feeling a newfound confidence at

having been presented with a clear purpose. "We can lead the

way."

Sophia hid a grin behind her hand, silently enjoying her brother's

newfound courage.

"Great!" Alice said, her eyes sparkling. "Give us a

minute to change out of our costumes, and we'll be right with you."

With that, the group of performers moved off back towards the

makeshift backstage area, leaving Kris and Sophia alone.

Kris stood there, his heart pounding in his chest, staring after

Alice. He couldn't believe that she was really coming to the pub with

them. Sophia, meanwhile, was grinning at him like a Cheshire cat.

"Smooth, Kris. Real smooth," she teased, giving his arm a

light punch. "You're actually going to show her around town. I'm

impressed."

"Shut up," Kris retorted, though there was

no real heat behind his words. He was too busy trying not to get his

hopes up.

"Oh, come on," Sophia said, slinging an arm

around his shoulders. "You're doing great. Just be yourself,

don't do or say anything stupid, and you'll be fine. She's clearly

into you."

Kris looked at her skeptically. "You think so?

She's a professional dancer, Soph. From the city. She probably meets

guys like me all the time."

"You're selling yourself short, bro," she replied,

rolling her eyes at his self-deprecation. "So, she's a city

girl. So what? She's still here, asking you to come hang out with

her, isn't she? She could've just said bye when her friends told her

about the pub...but instead..." Before she could continue, Kris

cut her off with a scoff.

"She was just being polite, Soph. She

probably felt sorry for me for being such a gawking idiot."

Sophia shook her head, exasperated. "You're hopeless. Just...

don't overthink things too much, alright? You've gotten further with

her than you ever have with any other girl. Just...relax, and see how

the night goes, yeah? And hey, she invited me too, so I'll be nearby

if you need me to save your ass in case she turns out to be a psycho."

Kris couldn't help but chuckle at that. Despite her teasing, he knew

Sophia had his back. "All right, all right," he conceded.

"I'll try. But I swear, if you embarrass me in front of her..."

Sophia chuckled and pushed him playfully. "You'll manage that

without me, Krissy." she teased. Kris rolled his eyes, but a

small smile played on his lips. He shoved her playfully back, and

they both laughed. The tension of the situation eased a bit as they

waited for Alice and her group to reappear.