Live, Laugh, Luke

Chapter 11

You're like perfection, some kind of holiday. You've got me thinking, that we can run away. You want I'll take you there. You tell me when and where.

Freya's POV

[ When are you going to come homeee?? ] I grin as I read the same text I've been getting from my friend since I started out on my trip 3 years ago.

[ When I've run out of adventures ] I text back my usual response. It was like a well oiled machine, this exchange. Everyday at 9 pm Pacific Time she sent the text, no matter what time zone I was in. And whenever I woke up or got the message, I would text her back. I swear she had an alarm set for this.

[ Close yet? ] Liz responds a couple minutes later. I'm not all that surprised she's still up. 7 am here was only 11pm there so she'd only sent the message 2 hours ago. In response to her text, I opt to send her the picture Luke had taken of me on stage.

[ Where is that? ] she texts back instantly. [Did you break in? Please tell me you're not in some North Korean prison now] I can't help but laugh.

[Wembley Stadium. And no, I didn't break in... I was invited up...]

[Shit really??] she texts back and I launch into the full story. I'd told her about being brought up on stage after Dublin and she'd been the one to assure me I wasn't a groupie for sleeping with a band member one time. We continue talking for a bit longer until I finally have to force myself up to go to work. Work was the boring part of the day. I often found myself wishing I somehow could just win the lottery and spend the rest of my life just travelling. Yet today, going to work didn't seem so bad. My mind flashes to Luke and my pulse races as I wonder if he'd actually show up. Normally, if a celebrity said they'd stop by, I'd immediately dismiss the possibility of them actually following through, but he had already followed me to work twice... The first time, it could've just been a coincidence, to run into him on the street. But the second time, at the bar... Did it mean something? I realize I've just stood there the last 5 minutes puzzling over it so I shake my head to clear the thoughts before grabbing my keys and heading out the door.

When I walk in, I get a look of annoyance from my supervisor and I realize I must be late again. I got into the habit of being a couple minutes late in Ireland where it's fairly normal to be running late. Apparently that's not so much the case here. I immediately get to work though and spend the next 4 hours making coffee, tea, and sandwiches. What I lack in time-keeping abilities, I more than make up for in people-skills. One plus of travelling is you get very good at making people feel relaxed around you in very short periods of time.

Around 11, I found myself glancing towards the door more and more frequently. It's not like I expected him just to come waltzing through the front door but I found myself hoping he would. By 2, my stomach was growling from having put off my lunch break for so long and I'd pretty much given up hope. The lunch rush had trickled off and with one last glance towards the door, I pull off my apron and head into the back room to have my own lunch.

"Umm Freya?" I hear Zoe call from the front right as I take a bite of my sandwich.

"Yea?" I call back through a mouthful of sandwich.

"Can you come out here for a minute?"

I sigh, dropping my sandwich down onto the plate. What had I forgotten to do this time? She always seemed to find the one spec of dirt I'd missed when cleaning or a milk carton whose top hadn't been properly screwed on. When I get to the doorway, I see her standing at the cash register and I follow her gaze as she looks from me back to the person in front of her. I stop chewing the sandwich bite, covering my mouth with the back of my hand as I quickly try to swallow.