The Captain's Armband

49. Coffee date

I look at her while she stares out of the window. She is gorgeous, her face is perfect. She turns around and I can see her cheeks start to blush. 
"What are you looking at?" She whispers.
I smile. "My girlfriend."
She smiles from ear to ear. "God, I love the sound of that."
"Me too."
She looks into my eyes and they reveal how much she cares about me. All I can do is smile.
The cab driver interrupts our little moment by asking a question. I've got no clue what he is talking about but Leah apparently does. "First one is good yeah."
The cab driver parks his car and lets us out. Leah is still talking with him, my guess is that she arranges for him to pick us up again. I look around the area, and all I see are trees.
Leah walks up to me with a smile on her face.
"If I didn't know any better I would think you are kidnapping me."
She starts to laugh and then she sighs. "To be completely honest, I wish I could right now. I don't want you to leave tonight."
"I don't want to leave tonight." I say with a deep sigh.
She puts her hand around my arm and holds me while she starts walking the only path there is.
"Where are you taking me?"
"There is this.. not sure how to call it, Coffee place, restaurant, it's just acute, cosy place where I like to go."
"Okay baby, just lead the way."

After a short walk I can see another parking lot, a small one, just in front of the restaurant. Leah leads the way inside.
I can tell that the staff has seen her before. They take us to our table and we both take a seat.
While Leah orders for the both of us I take a look around. We are seated at the window with a view of the lake. It looks gorgeous. The chairs have fluffy blankets for the guests to use if they get cold and there is music in the background.
"It's lovely out here." I tell Leah.
She nods and looks outside the window.
The waitress comes to our table with drinks. "The cappuccino?"
Leah points towards me. "For that lovely lady over there."
Her words have me blushing.
"Then the hot chocolate is for you." The waitress puts the drink down and walks back to the bar.
I look at my drink and smile. "You just love being in control don't you?"
Leah looks at me. "Sorry, I just know they have the best cappuccino here and I already knew you wanted a coffee..." She starts rambling.
"Baby, I was kidding. Well, I do think you like to be in control but I don't mind. I think it's sweet how you do your best to take care of me."
She smiles and looks down. "I do. I want what's best for you."
"You are cute." I whisper.
She looks into my eyes and gives me a slow wink.
"Oh, this is old but gold." Leah says as soon as she hears the song.
I try and listen but I don't recognize the song.
"I never thought that I could love someone as much as I love you, I know it's crazy but it's true..." She starts singing with a soft voice, moving her body slowly to the rhythm of the song and her eyes closed.
I just stare at her. I could look at her all day long and never get bored.
"You don't know this?" She asks me with disbelief.
"No baby I don't. Who is it?"
"Dan Hill."
"Never heard of him."
"You are the sunshine in the sky, you are the sparkle in my eyes.. oohhh. I never thought I could love someone as much as I love you." She sings while looking straight at me.
I can feel I'm getting a little shy. She smiles at me.
"I always thought I wasn't capable of love. That love just wasn't for me." I admit to her.
"Are you for real?" Leah asks while her eyes widen.
I nod. "Yes."
"Why would you think that baby?"
"I don't know. I just never felt those feelings that people write about or that you see in movies, I always thought that it was just a few lucky people who got to experience that kind of love."
She looks into my eyes, I can see her eyes moving, she is thinking about what to say to me.
"But.." I continue. "You made me realize that I am capable and that everything people write about is true."
"Babe.." Leah says while tears overtake her beautiful blue eyes.
"Don't cry." I whisper.
"I just feel sad that you feel that way. You are a person who feels so deeply, those people love the hardest. I can't believe you thought you weren't capable of love. I've never met anyone who loves the way you do."
"I just always thought it wasn't enough but now, for the first time, it's answered with so much love and emotions... So, Thank you Leah. Thank you for being here, for loving me the way that you do."
"You don't have to thank me. It's nothing that I do. It's you, it has been you since day one. Don't you get it? You are the one who awakens all the love that's inside of me, It's all you Dani."
She reaches out for my hand, she lies her hand on top of mine, and strokes my wrist softly.
"I don't know what to say." I whisper.
"You don't have to say anything as long as you hear what I'm telling you."
I nod and look into her eyes. I drown in her eyes, they take me to this place of serenity.
She scrapes her throat and looks away.
"You okay?" I ask her.
She starts laughing softly. "Yes baby. It's just a bit overwhelming sometimes, everything I feel when I look into those eyes of yours."
I smile and take the last sip of my coffee. Her phone is vibrating for the second time now.
"You should answer, maybe it's important."
She sighs. "I don't want to miss a second with you."
I smile at her. "Just pick up."
She picks up her phone. "One minute."
She leans forward and gives me a kiss on my lips. Shocked I look around to see if anyone saw.
Leah gives me a wink and she walks off. I take a deep breath.
I look around and I see the few people who are here, are just minding their own business.
I see Leah stopping at the bar before she walks outside. From where I'm sitting I can see Leah outside the window, talking on the phone and pacing around.
The waitress comes up to me with two drinks, Leah ordered them before she went outside.
"I just want to inform you that the guy who just walked in, he is sitting at the bar, that he is a known journalist for tabloids."
I look at her, not sure how I should act. "Thank you for telling me."
"Of course." She gives me a smile and walks back to the bar.
I feel nervous and my legs are moving up and down.
Leah walks back in and her eyes are focused on me, she smiles as she comes closer.
"Take a seat." I tell her with a demanding voice.
She looks at me with a confused look in her eyes.
"Everything okay?" She asks while she takes a seat.
"The waitress just came to the table to tell me that some known journalist entered. He sits at the bar."
Leah's eyes move from mine to the bar. "I see him." She sighs. "Stuart Bennet, he is such a pain in the ass."
"So, what do we do?"
"We just finish our drinks and we leave. It's almost time to go anyway."
"Okay."
"So, the call I just had was about a Football Gala in London, a lot of the WSL players will be there and I think you should come too, Beth already talked about inviting you as her +1, so think about it okay?"
"Hmm." Is all I can say before Leah starts talking again.
"I think it's a good opportunity since you had a few offers from the WSL, it's good to connect with the players and staff, get to know some of them."
"I'm not good with these kind of things." I tell her in full honesty.
She smiles. "I know you Dani, I know that you don't like big events but trust me, this is not what you think it is. Yes, it's a gala and there will be a show and people will donate money but you will always find someone to talk to with the same interest as you, football."
I smile at her. "I will think about it."
"You can stay over at my place that night."
"Ok. I'm sold, I will come to the Gala."
She starts laughing and she has this little twinkle in her eye.
"Looks cosy here ladies." It's the reporter.
He is standing next to our table, observing the drinks on our table and looking from Leah to me and back.
"Stuart."
"Leah." He says with a smirk. He looks at me. "Dani? Right?"
Before I can answer him Leah starts talking. "I'm here on official business so If you want any information you should really talk to Oliver."
"I see. Well, enjoy your meeting." He says while trying to force eye contact with Leah.
Leah nods her head and looks away from him. He walks back to the bar.
"I really don't like his vibe."
"Tell me about it. He is known for harassing people."
"Oliver is like the press officer, right?"
"Yes, he takes care of everything press related."
"Do these things happen a lot?"
"It depends. Here I hardly ever get recognized, that's why I love this place so much and the staff, like today, will always give a heads up if they recognize someone from the press. This will happen more and more though, especially after the Euros."
I nod but don't say anything.
"Are you okay?"
"Yes baby, I am."
"Good. You can tell me if you're not, you know that right?"
"Yes." I smile at her.
The waitress is walking by and Leah asks her for the check and thanks her for the heads up.
We get up from our seats and put on our coats. We walk towards the exit.
"That was a quick meeting." Stuart says while we pass the bar. Leah just forces a smile toward him.
"You aren't leaving because I came in, are you?" He continues.
"I wouldn't give myself that much credit if I were you." Leah says.
He just smiles from ear to ear as he watches us leave.
We start walking the same path as we did when we got here. Leah takes a deep breath.
"He is so annoying."
"Do you have to deal with this a lot?"
"Not like this, no. He is next level." Leah sighs. "Sorry."
"You don't have to say sorry baby. I'm glad the waitress gave me a heads up because I had no idea who he was."
"Me too."
"The cab driver is going to pick us up again?"
She nods. I can tell that she is really bothered by the way the reporter acted.
"Let it go baby, let's just enjoy the limited time we have."
"I know. It just annoys me that he is there, it feels like he invaded a safe place, but, you are right. I shouldn't care about that right now." She smiles at me and moves closer, she grabs my hand and guides me towards a big tree, she positions me right behind the tree so nobody can see us and she gives me a kiss on my lips. She looks into my eyes and gives me another kiss, this kiss is more prolonged and more intense. Her hands on my back, holding me tight.
We hear a car and Leah lets go of me. "I think that's the cab driver."
We go back to the path and see the cab driver parked at the parking lot. 
We get in and he starts driving, we haven't said much, both caught up in our own thoughts. 

We arrive at the airport and I can feel a knot in my stomach. I don't want to go. I don't want to miss her again. It's like she knows what I'm thinking because she squeezes my hand softly, like she is telling me it's all going to be okay. I look at her and she smiles at me.
"I'm staying in the cab if that's all right, he will take me back home."
I wasn't expecting this but I get it. "Yes, of course."
"I will get your bag ma'am." The cab driver says as he gets out of the car.
Leah puts her hand on my cheek and looks deep into my eyes.
"I'm gonna miss you."
I smile. I can't get myself to say words right now. I lean in and give her a kiss on the lips, a passionate and loving kiss. Her tongue finding mine. A little moan escapes her mouth and she starts smiling.
I stop the kiss and look at her. "I love you."
"I love you too."
"See you soon." I say as I try to hide my emotions.
She smiles at me as I get out of the car. I take a deep breath. The cab driver is waiting patiently on the sidewalk with my bag, I walk up to him and I thank him. I turn around to look at Leah but I can't really see her because of the tinted windows, I blow a kiss anyway, knowing that she will see it.
I watch the cab drive off and I walk inside the airport, time to go back home.