"𝐖𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮, 𝐠𝐮𝐲𝐬!"
☄. *. ⋆
Lily Evans: a romance novelist with a secret addiction to crime fiction.
James Potter: a crime writer with a partiality for a good romance book.
Perhaps destined to fall in love? If only they didn't...
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˚ · • . ° .
New York Coffee was undoubtedly the best place to get coffee in the whole city – not just because he knew the owner and the manager so he could steal free cakes – but because it just was. James and his sister Samantha came here every so often to catch up, but James came here all the time.
Samantha Potter owned the publishing company that published James' books. It was a family business inherited from their father – as was James' creative talent. He wrote for them under the name Milo Dru, as he didn't want people to think he was only being published by the company because of his family connections. However, they weren't there to talk about his new manuscript. They were there to talk about everything else.
"Sirius told me you bumped into an old friend last week?" Samantha said with an unassuming tone, but her face suggested otherwise.
"News travels fast. Are you my sister or his?"
"Can't I be both?"
"No."
"So tell me about it! What did she say when you saw her? What did you say? Was it magical? Did you pick up where you left off? Did you manage to give her your number this time?"
"Easy there, Sam, you're going to work yourself into a frenzy! And it's none of your business!" He snapped as an afterthought.
"Awww what a gentleman, keeping his secrets! You read too many romance books to keep this hidden from me! I need to know!"
"I do not read too many romance books!"
Samantha laughed, her dark brown hair falling at her sides, "Sure you don't, sweetie."
It was then that Alice Fortescue-Longbottom, decided to insert herself into the conversation. "Did I overhear you have a special girl in your life, James?"
As aforementioned James let his head drop against the counter with a thud. Alice and James had dated briefly in high school, her having gone to the all-girls school across the road, but despite the fact they didn't last very long, they'd remained lifelong friends, and she loved to tease him about his love life (especially now she was married to Frank and a self-proclaimed professional matchmaker). "No, you didn't, Alice. She's lying to you."
"Shame because if you were looking I have a friend that would be perfect for you. She's in here a lot, actually."
"Al, I love you but I really don't need you meddling."
"Fine. I'll go do something boring like... my job before Andie comes back and tells me to stop slacking."
"Bye-bye now."
Alice winked before turning to greet a customer that had just walked in the door.
"You should just text her. It'll save you thinking about it for the rest of your life," Sam shrugged as she took a sip of coffee.
"Easier said than done. You've got a girlfriend, hindsight makes us all wise."
"Just bloody well text her, you coward."
James frowned down at his phone, sitting on the counter and seemingly laughing at him. "Maybe I will."
˚ · • . ° .
I shouldn't text him, right?
Lily frowned down at her phone, the new manuscript abandoned in favor of overthinking (which unfortunately was the reason she'd pulled up the manuscript in the first place).
It's a bad idea, isn't it?
The phone number James had given her still hadn't texted her, but she'd already saved it in her phone as 'James' so she knew immediately if he called, but now she wondered if that was a little sad.
Fuck it.
She'd just unlocked her phone when it buzzed in her hand.
James Thought I'd bite the bullet. this is definitely the right number, right? It's james by the way :)
Despite herself, Lily found she was laughing inwardly.
Lily um no this is Gillian... Nah I'm kidding it's me
James You're still bloody mean I can see
They messaged back and forth for a while, Lily had no idea they'd been texting so long until Dorcas came into her bedroom.
"What's got you smiling so much?"
Her head shot up to see Dorcas in her work uniform (doctor's scrubs and a necklace Marlene bought her) grinning at her from the doorframe.
"Nothing."
"Uh-huh. I was wondering if you wanna watch a crime doc or something with me? Unless you're too busy with your mystery boyfriend?"
Blushing, Lily threw down her phone like it was contaminated. "Not at all. He's not my boyfriend."
"Sure."
Biting back a smile, Lily stood and followed Dorcas into the living room. It had become their thing, to watch documentaries and dramas based around crime investigations whenever Dorcas got home from work. It started when they decided to watch Criminal Minds together and things sort of got out of hand. Netflix unsolved murder documentaries, serial killer miniseries, and anything related to the morbid became a sick sort of bonding exercise.
They were twenty minutes into the episode when Lily's phone lit up again.
James Did you die? It's fine if you did. Just let me know so I can make sure they play one direction at your funeral
Lily Hilarious but I would actually love that
James You would
Lily You got something against 1D?
James Not at all. I'm a Niall girl until I die ♥️
Lily Makes sense
"Seriously woman, do I need to confiscate that?" Dorcas was watching her with an exasperated expression on her face, and judging by the look in her dark brown eyes, it was unclear just how long she'd been watching.
"Nope. Nope. I'll put it away."
Lily I need to go. Dorcas is giving me a row.
James She must be a scary woman if you're going to listen The lily I know is nobody's bitch
Lily Fuck off and stop judging me. You should meet her and you'd understand
James We'll set a date later. When the scary flatmate isn't watching
Lily Go away and listen to some 1D
James You really think that's a threat? It's a treat
Lily Then make haste
James Niall awaits
"Lily!"
"Sorry."
She put her phone down and resumed her attention on the screen, but despite the morbid melodrama of the crappy Netflix series, she found herself smiling (though she would never let Dorcas see it).
