Joe lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, still trying to wrap his head around the events that happened at the beach. One moment they were having a heart to heart and the next she was running off. Did he say something to scare her away?
He wasn't going to deny it, he liked Dianne. Her bubbly personality, her laugh, her honey brown eyes, her smile. Everything about her was perfect. Yet, Joe sensed something slightly off. Like she was holding back.
Knowing that he wouldn't be able to sleep, he sighed and turned the bedside lamp on. Climbing out of bed, he ambled into the kitchen and slumping down on the sofa. He tilted his head back, and held the bridge of his nose. He was angry at himself for trying to get close to her. He was going home in a month and it was unfair. But something was pulling him back to her.
"I can practically hear those cogs turning in your head."
Joe snapped his head round, to see his friend standing there, looking half asleep.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you." Joe said, returning to his previous position.
"Might as well get the kettle on, so you can tell me about those thoughts of yours."
"No, Mike, it's fine. Go back to sleep. You have work tomorrow."
"Screw work. I feel bad, you came over here to see me yet I've been working most of the time. I was thinking of taking next week off, so I can show you around properly." Mike offered, while bringing over two mugs of tea. "You know what's I've missed since moving over here, a bloody good cup of tea." He joked, but Joe didn't crack a smile.
"Sounds good mate." Joe replied flatly, clearly not in the mood. "You should go back to bed, seriously. You'll thank me when you have to get up at 6am."
Nodding, Mike replied. "Alright, I'll see you tomorrow then. Try to get some sleep."
After hearing the door close, Joe let a tear slip from his eye, mostly from frustration. A woman he barely knew was making him cry. This wasn't normal for him.
"What the fuck are you doing, Joseph?" he muttered under his breath.
//
After much deliberation, Joe decided he couldn't let Dianne go. Whether that was a friend, or something more, he needed her. So, the next day he found himself sitting in the café from opening, hoping that a certain brown haired girl would walk through that door.
He checked his watch, seeing he had been there for nearly 4 hours. After ordering another coffee, he reached for his laptop, deciding to answer some work emails.
Another hour or so passed before Joe heard the bell ring. His head shot up. And there she was.
Feeling his heart shudder in his chest, he shut his laptop, willing her eyes to find his.
Suddenly she looked up and their eyes met. Dianne barely mustered out a smile before quickly moving into the back room. She returned a moment later in her work clothes, immediately greeting the first customer in line.
Hesitantly, Joe joined the back of queue, anxiously scratching the back of his neck. He suddenly regretted his decision to come here, thinking back to how she had run away from him yesterday. But before he could turn around to leave, he was standing in front of the counter.
"Latté, please." He said without looking up.
He reached into his back pocket for some change, and then heard the voice he had been craving to hear. Only after a day apart had he missed her. "Pull yourself together." He thought.
"3 dollars, please."
Joe recognised a timidness to her voice. One that hasn't been there the day before. He looked up and saw her outstretched hand. Placing the money into her palm, their fingers touched for a second, but that was long enough for Joe to feel something. The sparks he felt every time their hands had touched.
"Thank you." He said politely, before resuming the position in the seat he had been sitting in for hours now.
It was just getting dark when he saw Dianne starting to clean up, and he couldn't believe how long he'd been sitting there. Anticipation rose when he saw her approach his table with a cloth, and a lump formed in his throat.
"Hey, we're closing in 5, so if you wouldn't mind finishing up so I could clean." Dianne said all too professionally for Joe's liking.
He nodded in response. "Of course." He slipped his laptop back into his bag. "Dianne, I'm sorry about yesterday, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable or anything. I just want to make sure you're okay." Joe stopped himself from carrying on his little ramble incase words he didn't want her to hear slipped out.
Looking at her face, Joe saw a look a shock, and assumed that he'd caught her off guard. She cleared her throat, and he waited anxiously for her response.
"Honestly, don't worry about it. I was just being stupid." She almost spat out those last words, but Joe gathered that they were more aimed at herself more than at him. "Now, I'm sorry, but I really do need to finish cleaning up."
Disappointment hit him like a brick wall. Was that all she had to say?
"Can I come and see you tomorrow?" His eyes wide and pleading.
Turning her head for a brief second, obviously deciding her answer, she faced him again and slowly nodded her head.
"I'll be here, 8am sharp. I have a class to teach at 9:30 so don't be late." And with that, she walked off.
Joe felt himself smiling like an idiot, like he'd just won the lottery.
Heading towards the door, he looked back for a brief second to see her there, wiping down the last of the tables.
She really was breathtakingly beautiful.
An: hi again! i didn't expect to finish this chapter so soon! hope you enjoy!
