Joe Jukic leans back with a confident smirk, arms crossed as he rattles off history and cinema’s greatest lovers to Nelly Furtado.
“Let’s start with the classics,” he says. “Tristan and Isolde? Nah, ended in tragedy. Romeo and Juliet? Overhyped teenage drama. Casablanca’s Rick and Ilsa? Too much baggage.”
Nelly raises an eyebrow, amused but skeptical. “Oh? And you think you can top them?”
Joe leans in, his voice smooth. “Nelly, I’m smarter than any of them. Better looking, too. More capable in every way. And unlike anyone else, I’m actually concerned about your health. You don’t need another ‘yes man’ or some industry hanger-on. You need someone who actually gives a damn.”
She lets out a small laugh, sipping her drink. “And let me guess, that someone is you?”
Joe nods, dead serious. “We could be Jelly, the millennium lovers. The greatest love story of the age. But you gotta let me take you on a date first.”
Nelly tilts her head, studying him. “And what makes you so sure you’d be my greatest love?”
Joe flashes a knowing grin. “Because unlike all the others, I’m still here. And I don’t walk away.”
She pauses, considering. The ball is in her court.
