sunshine | l.r.h

three

chapter three:

meet you there

There are millions of people in this city. Hundreds of cafes and somehow, he ends up walking into the one she's in. His eyes echo in her mind the most. Electric blue that stuck out in her drunken haze. Her eyes stay glued to the sketch in front of her, not daring to look up. Maybe he hasn't seen me, she thinks. The atmosphere of the cafe was fine until he came in. Now, it's hot and stuffy. Delilah's ready to pack her things and leave.

"Delilah," a barista calls. Shit. Sighing to herself, she stands and walks up to the counter. He's with the guy Natalia was talking to. His eyes are on her as she grabs her drink. She keeps her head up, not daring to look his way. A Taylor Swift song plays through her headphones but she can't focus on the lyrics. The only thing she can think about was the last time she saw those eyes looking up at her from-

He sits across from her wordlessly. She keeps her eyes glued to her sketchbook. Luke grins, taking the pencil out of her hand. Huffing, Delilah takes the headphones off and looks up at him. He has a lazy smirk on his lips.

"Can I help you?" Her voice is harsher than intended.

"Someone's pissed," he chuckles, spinning the pencil on his fingers. She tries focusing on his face rather than his hands. The thoughts from that night still manage to creep back into her skull.

"No," she tries to play it off. He leans forward, tapping the pencil against the table.

"Ah, so you're just a little ball of sunshine, huh?" He teases. Delilah's eyes roll and it makes him chuckle. "You're pissed I left, aren't you?"

"Bold of you to assume I'd be mad over something like that," she fires back. "It was a hookup, right? I'm mad you interrupted my work."

"Work?" He inquires, glancing down at the sketchbook. Before she can react, he has it in his hands. Huffing, she crosses her arms over her chest. His eyes flick over the page, taking all of it in. "Holy shit." He sets the book back in front of her. "You're an artist?" She doesn't speak. He wets his bottom lip and her stomach flips. "This is about me leaving, isn't it?"

She shrugs. "You could've just waited."

"I had things to do," he mimics her action before crossing his arms. "Plus, it was a hookup. No strings attached."

"Then why'd you sit down?" She inquires, leaning forward. An amused spark flashes behind his eyes at her sudden change. "You sitting down is a string. You asking me what I do is a string. You could've gotten your coffee and left, why sit down?"

"Did you check your purse?" He asks out of the blue. Delilah's brows furrow. "I didn't leave you with nothing, Delilah." Her stomach flips again and she curses herself. Even sober her name in his voice sounds so right. She doesn't react. He chuckles, putting the pencil back in front of her. He stands, putting his hands in the pockets of his leather jacket. "I'll see you soon, princess."

Without another word, he turns and leaves. The word Hemmings is written in white on the back of the jacket. Delilah releases a breath, putting her head in her hands. Mixed emotions bubble in the pit of her stomach as she packs her things away. Grabbing her coffee, she leaves the cafe.

She can't stop thinking about him the entire walk back to her apartment. His eyes, his lips, his fucking hands. All of it made her want to do it again. Every second of that night she would repeat if given the choice. The second she arrives home, she searches for the clutch she wore that night. In the front pocket rests the napkin the bartender gave her. On the other side are a number and a note scribbled in pen.

Sorry to leave like this.
Wouldn't mind if we kept this up.

Her cheeks burn. The anger towards him was pointless. A debate stirs in her head. Throw the napkin away, forget the whole thing, or text him and admit defeat. Neither option sounds appealing. Sighing, she takes out her phone and types the number into it.

Delilah
Alright. You win.

Luke
Weird way of saying sorry but I'll take it.

Delilah
To be fair, how was I supposed to know
there was a number in my purse.

Luke
Maybe you can make it up to me.

Delilah
How so?

Luke
Meet me tonight?

Delilah
Is this another hookup?

Luke
Would you be mad if it was?

Delilah
We'll see.

No, she thinks to herself, I wouldn't be mad. This is part of the letting loose Natalia was talking about. Maybe being in a beneficial relationship wouldn't hurt. After all, she does want it to happen again. Her thumbs dance over the keyboard, debating if there's anything more to be said. Turning off the phone, Delilah falls onto her couch. What could go wrong? She asks herself. Delilah can already hear Natalia's voice in her head, telling her she needs to put herself out there more. She ponders a bit more, knowing if she does go she wouldn't be impacting time at the studio or a class. Without a second thought, she grabs her phone and sends one final text.

Tell me where. I'll meet you there.