Try talking with David to see if comfort mode has made interacting with him any easier

You shift slightly in the booth, the warm buzz of Comfort Mode creating a pleasant, hazy sensation throughout your body. The constant mental screaming about your situation has quieted to a manageable whisper, and you find yourself genuinely curious if this newfound calm might make talking to David less awkward.

"So," you begin, turning toward David as Clara excuses herself to the ladies' room. "This has been... quite a day."

David's eyes meet yours, his expression a mixture of curiosity and lingering discomfort. "That's putting it mildly," he says, taking another sip of his gin and tonic. "One minute you're my hungover flatmate, the next you're..."

"A petite Irish redhead who just kissed you outside a salon?" you finish, surprised by how easily the words flow now. The Comfort Mode has taken the edge off your anxiety, making it possible to actually address the bizarre situation rather than panic about it.

David chuckles, the sound warm and genuine. "Exactly. Though I have to admit, this conversation feels... different. More natural somehow. Earlier today you seemed like you were about to crawl out of your skin."

"I felt that way," you admit, twirling a strand of your copper hair between your fingers—a gesture that seems to come naturally now. "But I'm trying to... adapt, I guess? At least temporarily."

His gaze softens. "It suits you—being calmer. Makes it easier to talk."

"Does it make it easier to forget who I really am?" you ask, leaning forward slightly, genuinely curious rather than accusatory.

David's breath catches. He studies your face—the makeup, the feminine features, the unfamiliar yet somehow fitting expressions. "I'm not going to lie to you. Sometimes I look at you and see absolutely no trace of Matt. Then you'll say something or make a particular expression, and I get this weird cognitive dissonance."

"And the kiss?" The question slips out before you can stop it, your new voice soft and lilting.

He swallows hard, adam's apple bobbing visibly. "That was... unexpected."

"But not unpleasant?" You're surprised by your own boldness, the words flowing with an ease that would have been impossible before Comfort Mode.

"Definitely not unpleasant," he admits, his voice dropping to a near-whisper. "Which makes this whole situation even more complicated."

You nod, understanding completely. "I don't know what's happening either, David. This morning I was me—Matt—and now I'm sitting here in this dress with these..." you gesture vaguely at your body, "...these everything, and somehow it doesn't feel as wrong as it should."

"Is that why you seem different now? More... comfortable?" David asks, leaning slightly closer.

"I think I'm just trying to roll with it," you reply, the half-truth coming easily. "Fighting it was exhausting."

Clara returns, sliding back into the booth with a fresh drink. "You two look cozy," she observes with a sly smile. "Have we moved past the awkward phase?"

"Getting there," David says, not taking his eyes off you. Something has shifted between you—a new understanding, perhaps even the beginning of acceptance.

22:45 | Saturday 2 August 2025 | Fox & Crown Pub, Putney