Rendezvous

fifty-nine | innocence

Part I/I - Innocence

Stella

S: Do I need to book an appointment to see you, Miss Humes?

I smile down subconsciously at my phone as I get her text.

A: you're in la?

S: Yup, got here this morning

A: wanna do lunch tomorrow?
A: my treat

S: Definitely

"Chuck are you seeing Lila?" Jay asks jokingly as she sat down at the table with us before I close my phone, my mind occupied with choosing a nice spot for us to have lunch tomorrow.

why am I obsessing over this?

"If I were to be with a girl, I'd do better than Lila," Chuck says causing Lila to gasp. "No offense."

"Offense taken!"

"Besides," Chuck says. "The hottest of the group is already taken."

I see their eyes immediately fall on Lana as she was looking down at her phone unaware of the subject.

"Why are all of you looking at Lana, I'm talking about myself!" Chuck exclaims.

jesus

"Poor guy," Jay says in concern.

"So, what?" I ask as I lean forward. "You guys are doing long distance now?"

It turns out that Jason is a student finishing off his master's degree in furniture design, and does club gigs twice a week to pay off his tuition fees.

"Yeah," she says. "I mean it's temporary, he graduates next month. So, it isn't all bad."

"Oh, great," I say. "Is he gonna move to Los Angeles or—"

"Yeah, his family live here," Chuck says with a smile. "And now me."

"Aw, Chuckie," Jay says after my phone began to ring.

"Hey Mom," I say as I pick up and bring the phone up to my ear as they continue to banter.

"Hi, sweetheart," she says. "Are you busy?"

"I'm with the girls."

"Hi, Alexis!" Jay calls out.

"Helloo," Alexis says. "Tell them I miss them soooo much."

"She says she misses you guys," I tell them.

"We miss you too!" they call out.

"What's up?" I ask as I sit back on the chair.

"I have an important business trip this weekend and I was wondering if Hudson could crash with you for three nights," she says hesitantly. "Micheal has to come with me and Nana is in Florida with your uncle. Hudson is dying to see you, honey, I thought that maybe you guys could spend time together."

"This weekend, uh," I say as I put her on speakerphone. "I'm putting you on speakerphone let me check my schedule. What days?"

"Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. I'll arranged his drop off and pick up so you don't have to worry about that," she says. "No pressure sweetheart, I know you're busy."

"I really want to see him though," I say as I look at my overloaded schedule. "I get off at four on Friday, I wouldn't know where to keep him. I'm sorry, Mom. I can try pushing things around?"