Efflorescence

chapter seven

Shock.

Sapphire was in shock.

Dmitri was sitting right before her very eyes. She didn't know why he was there, but she did know what the situation must've looked like to him; Sapphire followed him through the city.

But that was far from the truth.

Maribell felt her best friend tense up beside her, whispering, "Is that-"

"Yeah." Sapphire breathed out, suddenly feeling frozen.

He was leaning back in his chair, a crease running down his forehead as if he were pondering about too many topics at once.

A nudge on her arm brought her back to hear Maribell say, "Sapph, you're staring."

She thought she had only been glancing at him for a few seconds, but apparently not.

"Oh. Right. Um, what did we stop here for again?" Sapphire said nervously, looking down at the floor she was standing on.

She had a tendency to do that when she was feeling nervous, along with the rubbing her hands together when she was anxious. Which she was also doing at this moment.

"There's help wanted, and this place actually looks decent." she shrugged.

"Oh, yeah. I'm gonna, um, go here while you do your thing and talk to the person." Sapphire said, not remembering how to form proper sentences.

She just couldn't believe that Dmitri was there, sitting less than ten feet away. She was already curious about him as is. Him being there was not helping the situation.

"Alright." Maribell said cautiously, trying to hold in many comments about her strange behavior.

Sapphire walked over to the vinyls, and casually looked through the old albums.

She loved her career choice and would never change it, but she always secretly wished she could do other things. Having a talent in anything music related, being one of them.

Sadly, she didn't. And she was okay with that.

She loved being an artist.

Sapphire was looking at an Abbey Road vinyl, when she heard someone next to her clear their throat.

She looked up to find that, that someone was Dmitri.

"You following me, art girl?" he teased, his lips twitching upwards.

"I'm not- I didn't." she started, looking up at his eyes. They were like a summer rainstorm, with heavy clouds but warm winds. She could've lost herself in the storm, but she didn't.

"I didn't follow you." she finished, switching her focus back to the shelf of albums.

He laughed softly at her pink cheeks. She seemed to blush a lot.

Dmitri walked to the opposite side of the shelf, across from Sapphire and looked at the records. "Whatever you say."

She glared up at him, and continued looking at the next album.

"So, how does an artist like yourself, wind up in a vintage music shop?" he asked, leaning forward.

Sapphire brought her gaze up to his. "Is it illegal for artists to have an interest in vintage music shops?"

She could definitely be sassy when she wanted to be.

He seemed taken back by her comment, raising a single eyebrow.

After that, he didn't say anything. He just, remained silent.

Sapphire couldn't read him. His face was calm and relaxed, as he casually did the same thing she was doing.