Love, Apple [On Hold]

First night

Apple had arrived where Luka agreed to meet her, a little earlier than she expected, exactly two hours early.

What was going on right now? Why does he want to meet me? She wondered as she tapped her leg nervously while she looked out the window of the coffee shop she was sitting in, waiting for Luka.

Apple was reading when she got the text from Luka, asking if she was free and wanted to 'hang out' and like a strange and weird creature, Apple made a fool of herself by asking him stupid questions, like if he liked water.

The water of all things, the knowing of saying something so preposterous made Apple want to bury her head in the sand and never come up for air, she was so embarrassed, only God knows what Luka thought of her now.

Knowing Luka and how he first met her, she knew she didn't give him the best image of her, after all, she did break into his locker and borderline stalk him whenever he was walking the halls of campus.

She showed up anyway, despite her overthinking and the need to throw up every five minutes, she tried her best to look nice, then she went to the coffee shop and waited for him, she was early but she needed to be there, to stop herself from backing out of seeing him.

Apple was on her third tea of the night, she was getting restless and beyond nervous now, two things Apple wasn't used to was occurring and it was very hard to stay calm.

The doors to the cafe opened and a familiar face walked in, someone that Apple knew actually very well but hadn't seen in a very long time, not because she didn't want to, but because it was hard seeing them.

She didn't want to make a scene, so she looked away, but it was too late, he had seen her and he was coming over to the table near the window where she sat, unable to escape the obvious awkward conversation that was coming.

"Apple! I thought that was you!"

She raised her head and smiled tightly at him. "Hello, Mr. Conner."

He smiled widely and sat down in front of her at her table. "You look exactly like your father, it's marvelous to see him in you."  He said, staring at her smiling.

She could only smile and clench her hands under the table at hearing him bring up her father, but she knew it was coming, but she didn't know how painful it would be, not after this long, especially not from her father's old partner.

"Thank you."

"I apologize if I interrupted something, I just could not believe my eyes when I saw you sitting here, it's been how long? Two.. two years now?" Theirs a pause. "I miss your father every day, he was a brilliant man, and a damn good friend."

Tony Conner was the exact same, as much as Apple could remember from her times visiting her father at work, Tony was always there beside him, working on their projects together, Apple always called him uncle Tony, until her father's passing.

She hadn't seen him in years, not since the funeral.

"I miss him too."

Tony smiles sadly and sighs as he leans back in the seat opposite her, Apple thought he looked the same, not much had changed about him, he was still very approachable and kind, respectful yet intimidating, she always thought he looked like an older Brad Pitt.

"So you graduate next week, everyone is excited to have you, have you decided when you'll come on board?" He asked.

Apple did not want to talk about this with him, but she had no choice, she was and has been, in the last two years, a member of the board and part-owner of the company her father left to her in his will.