LOVESTRUCK ━ lip gallagher¹

11 | touch the book, you're dead

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AMARA THREW A GLANCE over her shoulder at the sound of a horn honking behind her, and managed to slam into something hard at the same time. She quickly averted her gaze back in front of her with a scowl. "Watch it—Ian?"

"Oh, hey Amara!" He grinned at her excitedly and she tried to smile. "What're you doing up here?"

She nodded her head in the direction of a building. "I work there. Why are you?"

He shrugged, still smiling. "Looking for Fiona. Didn't come home last night. Hey, I didn't know you worked there, that's great! Bet you get paid loads, too. I've always wanted to be a waiter, I think it's cool, don't you? Well I bet you do since you work there alre-"

"Ian," she interrupted.

"Yes?"

"Shut up," she said, clamping a hand over his mouth. Ian faltered and blinked a few times as she stared at him. "Wanna tell me what's going on with you?"

He smiled again. "Nothing, I'm feeling dandy. It was lovely talking to you, Mara. Gotta go!"

And he didn't give her a chance to respond as he continued on his jog. Amara heaved a quiet sigh before running a hand through her hair, and walking towards the restaurant. It was midday, so the likelihood of it being busy was low, and she knew she was right as she stepped inside, noticing how there were hardly any customers.

Regardless, she switched into her uniform and did a round to make sure all of her tables had been served, and sat down towards the front of the room, jotting down random words onto the paper in front of her out of boredom. She altered between doodling random things and writing little story segments that popped up into her mind before a shadow fell over her, and she looked up.

"May I sit?" James asked, pulling off his coat, and throwing it onto the empty seat.

Amara rolled her eyes. "If I say no you'll just do it anyway, so sure."

He grinned cheekily at her and slid into the booth wordlessly, glancing out the window as she continued to scribble things down. "Nice day out," he mused.

"Well it was," she retorted without missing a beat.

"You really know how to wound me."

She quickly erased something before rewriting it. "That's the point."

He looked to her. "So you like writing?"

She shrugged, biting her lip in concentration. "Probably about the only thing I'm good at."

"Can I read?" He wondered, reaching for her notebook but she smacked his hand away with it.

"Absolutely not."

James pulled a face. "You're no fun."

"Amara." It was Victor who called her name, and she met his gaze to see him beckoning her over. She shot James a look.

"If you touch the book, you're dead," she threatened. James held up his hands in surrender and Amara stood to meet her co-worker. "What's up?"

"Boss wants ya," he looked to James. "He single?"

She patted his arm, and he sighed in exasperation. "Love, you could do so much better."

"Back to Hot Tom I go."

When she came back out from the office about ten minutes later, Victor was out of sight and James was still sitting at the booth, scrolling on his phone. He glanced to her as she approached. "Fired?"