The greeting

Jess is still a little nervous but to her surprise, Chad pulled her into a deep hug, pressing her against his large muscular body.

“Hey Jess! Joe told me it’s because of you that I can crash here for a few days. You don’t understand how thankful I am!” He says whilst hugging her tightly.

She barely has time to react before Chad's arms wrap around her, pulling her into a firm embrace. Her body tenses for a split second—instinct—then relaxes as she feels the warmth of his chest against her, the sheer size of him engulfing her smaller frame. Her hands come up to pat his back awkwardly, caught off guard by the intensity of the greeting.

"Whoa—hey, yeah, of course. No problem at all."

Her voice comes out slightly muffled against his shoulder. She pulls back, laughing nervously, running a hand through her damp ponytail. Her cheeks are flushed—from the workout, or the hug, or both.

"Wow, okay. You're a hugger. Good to know."

She steps aside, gesturing for him to come in fully, her eyes briefly meeting yours across the room. There's a flicker of something in her gaze—surprise, maybe, or the beginning of a thought she's not ready to voice.

"Come on in, I'll grab you that coffee. Towels are in the hall closet if you want to freshen up after the drive."

She turns toward the kitchen, giving both of you a view of her back—the thin strap of the sports bra, the dip of her spine, the way the shorts hug her as she moves.