naaz.

          ‘ stop, it’s not even your look.. well, actually it is because i didn’t meet you in a formal way. but also i think i just expect therapists to be really serene and ? i don’t even know, it’s just a typical preconceived notion. i see it, though ! i can picture you sitting down in your fancy-schmancy, ’ she rolled her neck playfully, ‘ office with a note pad. ’ though she found humor in it, she was sincere and expressed that with a warm smile. ‘ seriously, though. i may find myself on your lounge chair. please give me a discount or else, thank you. and i probably do watch too much television, ’ she admitted as she threw her leg over the other to situate herself in a more comfortable position. ‘ made my dad sick when i was younger, ’ she muttered with a slight chuckle and a shake of her head. ‘ i understand the need to explain things, though. i’m a visual thinker, so the more people say to me, the clearer the visual i have in my head is as i’m processing. ’ at his question she rolled her dark orbs, shifting her gaze away from his as she pulled her hand away from his. ‘ you’re gross, ’ she scoffed and feigned disgust before laughing softly. ‘ do you know what, i’ve literally never had a hoagie, whatever that is, so yeah i would take you up on that. i’m gonna need a personal tour guide ! ’ she smirked, quieting down to listen to his response about long distance relationships. she nodded slowly, partly distracted at the instructor approaching them. when DRO rose to follow the man, so did she, leaning to the side to peer ahead of them curiously. ‘ no, i’m terrified, ’ she answered dramatically when they reached their table. she hooked her bag on the handle of her chair, taking a look at the raw ingredients that were organized neatly on the large grill in the middle of the table’s surface. her hands rose to her ears so she could tuck any loose strands of her hand behind them to avoid the locks being in her way. ‘ okay, where do we start ? ’ she asked the instructor who appeared amused at her petrified expression. ‘ are you having a laugh, mate !? ’ her jaw dropped before she expelled a laugh.

          ‘ a therapist ? ’ she raised her brows as her brain put the pieces together. ‘ i wouldn’t of guessed that at all, but it makes sense now. and yeah, you’re right ! but pressure makes diamonds and you’d be rewarded for the effort, ’ she promised. NAAZ placed her hand in his, encasing it with her fingers to use it as an anchor to pull herself out of the car. she thanked the driver before shutting the door and following DRO inside, lifting her face towards the ceiling to look around. his voice was still a prominent point of her focus as she took in the atmosphere and decor of the restaurant, pleasantly in awe of the ambience. ‘ i wonder what’s waiting for me on the other side, ’ she mused, more to herself than him, finding his encouraging eyes again as they sat. ‘ yeah, i think i am figuring it out, ’ she smiled, shifting her body towards his to bump her shoulder against his. ‘ but no that’s the thing, sociopaths are very transparent, it’s mad ! while i don’t have valid credentials, i watch a lot of criminal minds and i could be a behavioral profile analyst if i wanted to off the strength of that alone. i KNOW these things, ’ her eyes widened slightly as she stressed her last sentence. ‘ i don’t feel like you talk too much, though. i really like talking to you. and swell is a great compliment ? something tells me you’re greedy and you like your ego stroked, ’ lightly she grazed the tips of her nails over his hand and smirked, eyes glinting. ‘ maybe i’ll stroke it. gonna have to consult my ‘what men deserve’ book first and get back to you on that, ’ her melodic laughter rang out around them. ‘ i’ve never been to philly, or most places in the U.S. to be honest, ’ she stated after he answered her question. ‘ i’m from the U.K., manchester to be specific. me too, though. physical touch and quality time are a must for me in terms of how i receive love, so long distance isn’t necessarily ideal for me. i’m used to unconventional situations though, ’ she shrugged. ‘ it’s not a deal breaker and i’ve done it before. clearly, it didn’t work ouuut, ’ she snickered. ‘ but i’m in a position in my life right now where i want to do more traveling and i would love experiencing in a new space.. hence me even being on this show. now if i accidentally burn down this restaurant i get kicked off.. i’m taking you down with me. ’

          ‘ now hold on, hold on ! you don’t even know me like that yet to be clocking me so hard already. i don’t know if i should be impressed or take the credit because my personality is mostly an open book. that sounds lovely, though. men that cook give me.. fanny flutters, ’ she sighed as her cheeks flushed. ‘ and it’s giving.. personal chef tease, ’ she mimicked his previous imitation in a lower tone then giggled. ‘ okay fine, i’ll go toe to toe with you. since you now know i’m dramatic, just know i’ll be both the kid on the masterchef junior show whipping his cream like his life depended on it, and the other kid flipping his burger and crying because you’re giving me gordan ramsay vibes. ’ her fingers aimlessly rolled over the silver watched hanging off her wrist as he spoke and she nodded to express her understanding, paying attention to the changes in his body language. ‘ thank you, i appreciate you saying that, ’ she smiled genuinely, glancing down at her hands before diverting her gaze back to his. ‘ it’s the only way to move.. if i give up that means i endured the disappointments for nothing. besides, everything is actually going my way whether i realize it in the moment or not. i think it’s great that you’re viewing it as a learning experience, though. i’ve definitely faced some things about myself that i didn’t know were there. like i’m the same, or was in terms of pushing back my feelings. trying to not be that person anymore, ’ she explained her switch to past tense, ‘ but i tend to get in my head about things and it causes resistance when it comes to being open and vulnerable. nothing good comes out of that, so i hope i can shed that skin. i didn’t spend most of my life watching rom-coms for fuckin’ nothing ! i think you have a good chance, unless you’re hiding a sociopath behind everything. from what i can tell, you’re kind of swell. just a taaaad ! ’ her lips curled into a smirk as she inwardly chuckled. ‘ where are you from and what are your thoughts on long distance ? ’ 

        NAAZ couldn’t help the playful eye-roll that followed his declarative statement. she thanked him for the door and entered the vehicle, scooting onto her seat. the brunette placed her bag in her lap and she reached for the seatbelt as she watched him, almost snorting at his imitation. ‘ i may be the one doing the returning because that was dark-sided. it sounds fun, though ! i’m a bit lazy when it comes to cooking, not gonna lie, so i’ll thank you before ordering it. do you cook ? this is a very important question, ’ she expressed as she secured the lock of her seatbelt in place and reclined against the sturdy cushion. ‘ i think i had higher expectations regarding that at the beginning, yeah, ’ she answered his question after taking a moment to contemplate. ‘ i was a little naive about it all. now i have managed expectations and i’m not sure. it would be great to walk out of here having found a partner, someone i really align with. i’m still very much a hopeful romantic, ’ she admitted with a soft smile. ‘ what about you, why did you come on the show and what do you hope to find ? ’