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New York City was vast. Coming from a small town where anyone knew everyone, she had grown more confident than ever living behind the curtain of anonymity it brought. The possibility of running into a stranger twice was slim; yet, evidently not zero.
"... Rosalie?"
Hands on the expensive tailored fabric unclenched as she took short, irregular inhales. "I'm so sorry." She said under her breath in all her embarrassment. Rose stepped back, his hold around her waistline hardening for a second before letting go.
"Are you ok?" Alexander questioned, not sparing even a glance at Beth, who sneakily excused herself, smiling innocently from behind him at Rosalie.
There was no jacket to hide any part of his well-built physique. The sleeves of the tight button-up rolled to the elbows, shirt hugging his sternum and shoulders, outlining the muscles she held seconds before.
"Yes," she muttered. She returned her views to his face, praying that her wondering eyes were unnoticed. "Perfectly fine." Her cheeks flushed under the light-coverage foundation, a crimson blush overpowering the artificial pink she had put on, especially when she saw he was copping her actions. He had traveled his vision all the way down to her exposed legs, snapping his stare back up, when she did.
"What are the chances?" Alexander whispered. He grinned, showing the smiling lines on the thin skin around his eyes.
"That is precisely what I was wondering as well."
His toned forearms tightened at the cross of his arms. "You are not, by any chance, stalking me, are you?"
There was a playful glint betraying his serious facade that she didn't catch sight of, bringing her to fidgeting, defensively shouting 'No' which turned some heads, mostly of the personnel. "I mean," she lowered the volume, "it is a coincidence. Same now as in the gallery."
"I was only joking." He assured her, snickering. "But," A finger raised in an accusatory manner, "You never told me what it was you were doing there. We established you weren't a regular visitor."
She relaxed her expression. "It was the first day of my apprenticeship."
"You're the one who will work downstairs in the labs, then." His head slanted faintly to the side.
"How do you know that?"
He ignored her, jumping to a query of his own. "How did it go?"
Rose, perplexed, blinked repeatedly, and it could have been the single glass of red, or the calmness she felt inches away from him, but she erased all questions pilling up. "Better than I expected."
"No horrible bosses or dreadful coworkers?"
She tittered. "No. Although I have not met everyone yet." Her palms elegantly grabbed opposite elbows, collarbones unwinding with an exhale, releasing the tension as the conversing kept on.
