Burnt Skies || √

San Francisco

River

I can’t believe my luck.

I mean seriously I know I said I believe in fate but this is just ridiculous.

Wait a minute.

You can find anyone online these days, right?

I grab my phone from my bag as I settle down on the hotel bed.

Let’s see, Alex-

What is her last name?

Fuck.

How could I not know her last name?

I search for Alex photography, Alex New york, and Alex American but all my effort goes in vain.

Wasn’t googling supposed to be easy?

Wait, didn’t she say she worked with a really famous photographer?

If I google that person then maybe I can find Alex?

The only problem is I don’t remember that photographer’s name.

Well, this is just fucking fantastic.

I toss my phone to the side and lay down.

Should I leave it up to fate?

I don’t know if I can wait for another coincidental flight. What if it happens 5 years later?

I sigh and turn the lights off.

Sleep fixes everything.

Tomorrow is a new day, maybe I might run into her somewhere.

Oh who am I kidding, the streets of New York are packed, there is no way I’m gonna find her.

-----

I follow the directions my manager sent me for the location of the shoot.

It turns out it wasn’t far from my hotel so I decided just to walk.

I take in my surroundings, multiple people on their phones speedwalking, a couple in pristine suits walking like they own the place, taxis, and cars packed on the roads, and the sound of all the bustle ring in my ear.

I speedwalk to the location, wanting to get away from all the noise.

Maybe I should’ve called a cab.

I take another look around for a mop of brown hair before heading inside.

Where are you, Alex?

I notice all the assistants setting up and carrying all the equipment.

Let’s focus on the shoot first today.

I scan the room for my manager but my eye falls on a girl with brown curls facing away from me.

Could it be her?

“Alex?” I voice out.

I sigh when I don’t get a response.

I think I’m going insane.

As I’m about to turn, she turns to face me.

Alex. It’s her.

The one person who’s been stuck in my mind ever since the flight landed.

Wait, why is she here?

“How are you here?” I manage to choke out, as I walk toward her.

Am I seeing things now?

“I’m your photographer for this shoot,” She replies nonchalantly.

I nod, still processing.

Fate works much faster than I’d thought.

This is definitely not how I’d imagined meeting her again.

“Here’s your iced coffee,” She grabs a cup and holds it towards me.

Iced Coffee?

That’s a funny coincidence.

Wait.

“You knew?” I exclaim.

She smirks.

The audacity.

“You’re cruel,” I state.

She laughs.

“Alex this was seriously cruel, I’m mad.” I huff.

I don’t like being out of the loop.

“River, wouldn’t you have done the same thing if you were in my shoes?”

“No.”

She gives me a pointed look.

“I don’t know maybe, but that was still evil. So you’re my photographer?”

She nods.

“So you knew already? Did you know from the start? Even before we met on that flight again? Did you know our seats we going to be next to each other?” I ramble.

“Calm down River.”

Calm down? Seriously?

I press my lips together.

“I’m sorry River, also I only figured it out when you mentioned the name of the magazine,” she explains.

“You’re not lying, are you?”

“No, now please take your coffee, the water is dribbling down my hand,” she states, grabbing a tissue from the table behind.

I guess the situation is kinda funny.

I walk towards her further and grab her hand which has the cup.

I lean towards her face and her eyes widen slightly. I try not to look at her lips and tilt my face towards her ear.

“Thanks for the coffee but I’m still pissed at you,” I whisper and grab the coffee from her hand.

-----

Hi guys. I know this update took a lot longer than expected, I've been caught up in college work recently that doesn't seem to ever end lol.

See ya.

~Sky