𝙈𝙔 𝘽𝙊𝙎𝙎

chapter 13

Adrianna

The owner recognizes us and sits us at our original spot which was the very first spot we were sat at the very beginning.

"The usual?" A woman server asks.

Has it been that long to be called the 'usual'?

"Yes, thank you." Mr. Archer takes off his coat as I do the same.

I speak first, "So—"

"Until the drinks arrive." Mr. Archer cuts me off.

Fine.

It only takes a couple minutes until the drinks arrive since not many people are here which was at first unusual but now it was normal and the usual.

The server leaves after setting down our drinks. "So, can we-"

He holds up a finger and first takes a sip of his drink, meeting our eyes as he just drinks. I watch him until he finishes his savoring sip before he sets down his drink.

"We may now talk." he nods with a slight smile. Teaser.

"How long?" I rest my arms over the table.

"How long, what?" he also rests his arm over the table.

I hesitate. "How long have you realized you had...feelings for me?"

"From the first moment, I read your writing. To, right now." he continues to stare at me.

"Why have you only recently told me?" Why not 2 years before?

He fails to hold eye contact with me as he looks down and leans back in the seat.

"It felt best to watch you from a far when you only knew me as your boss and nothing else." he becomes serious all of a sudden.

"Why now? That's what I don't understand. When you...when you liked me since the very beginning." I stutter.

A corner of his mouth lifted. "You can barely say that I like you, Ms. Clarke." he grinned. "And it's because...you are finally looking at me."

All of a sudden I get thirsty. I look down to the side and grabbed my drink. "And because you let me in a bit into your life. Think about it, Ms. Clarke." he leans over the table again.

"If we hadn't met in the elevator," his eyes move between mine. "We wouldn't have gone this far, letting each other into each other's lives." his voice and tone becomes clear which leaves a mess inside my head.

"We wouldn't have had those drinks after working overtime, we wouldn't have gone to see that new movie last minute, we wouldn't be talking to each other besides work, you wouldn't have let me inside your home, I wouldn't have met Harry, and I wouldn't have known that you like art or Martini's." he glances down the drink that's in my hand.

"And that is all because we met in that elevator that night, Adrianna."

"But wouldn't you think we would've?" I lean over as I get tempted over his sudden confidence.

"Would've what?"

"We would've talked in the future. Because beside us going through time, the world is also moving with time. Like our projects we have." we continue to stare at each other as it feels like a competition. "Because those projects would've joined us and we would've talked then."

"Is that so?"

"I believe so."

"Mhm." he hums.

"Mhm." I hum back as we both grab our drinks and finishing them off.