Falling in Love + other Conditions of Living

Chapter 9

© kelliekook

Normalcy. What Rachel craved was normalcy.

A hot cup of tea, her classical music playing lightly in the background, a sketchpad before her and a pencil held between her fingers.

That was what she wanted, what she needed.

Yet instead of doing just that, she was currently sitting in her car, on her way to meet Nathan for lunch. For the second time that week.

Rachel couldn't believe it -- she -- Rachel West, had not only missed her sketching lesson this afternoon but also her Pilates class on Tuesday. Since when did she blow off her classes? Since when did she stop sketching, reading and playing instruments in her spare time? It both repulsed and shocked her to know that it had been almost a week since she had done any of her regular things.

Rachel pulled up at the traffic lights and gave a long, animated sigh.

There was no denying it any more. She had changed.

The lights switched to green and she stepped on the accelerator. Rachel supposed it was better in some ways, after all her mother still continued to complain incessantly about how she never seemed to take any downtime. Along with a large quantity of her friends, relatives and work acquaintances, not to mention her doctors repeated objections...

But they'd never understood -- her constant need to work was who she was. She'd been that way all her life, it was her personality, her character just her, in general. Wasn't it? There are those who argue people can fundamentally change, are there not? Nature versus nurture and all that. Or maybe, maybe she hadn't honestly felt that way. Maybe it was all a farce.

Rachel clenched the steering wheel tighter, "You don't have time for an identity crisis right now," she muttered, "you've got to find a goddamn park or you'll be late."

Her eyes combed the area, but of course the closest park was a good five minutes' walk away from the café she was to meet Nathan at. Why did she even think it was a good idea to drive in the city? She should've just caught a tram and saved herself some grief.

With a huff she pushed herself out of the car and into the sea of people that cluttered the sidewalk; the icy wind seeming to blow straight through her multiple layers and she shivered along with those around her. Ah, that was why she drove. 

Damn winter, Rachel cursed silently as she hugged her arms to her chest. There was no way they were sitting outside.

Rachel's stomach growled ominously causing her to quicken her already swift pace, perhaps I shouldn't of rejected Madison's scrambled eggs this morning, she mused.

She hurried down the alleyway and stopped outside Si Délicieux. Wedged in amongst the various restaurants, patisseries and cafés that dotted the laneway she almost rushed past it. She bit back a smile as she hurried in, he'd picked a French café, ironic considering it was her favourite food.

She shrugged out of her coat, already hot in the warm, bustling cafe. The quaint little shop may have been tiny but it managed to fit the lunchtime rush of business men and women alike. 

The long queue that waited at the counter seemed to move relatively fast, at least, so Rachel hoped the food wouldn't take too long.

She surveyed her surroundings, skimming over the unfamiliar faces of various people before smiling when she found him.

Nathan sat just a short distance away from where she stood, his muscles tightening under the material of his shirt as he stretched. Her stomach did flips as she began to walk towards him, watching as he folded his paper and put it aside before sipping at his coffee. Taking in his cute, floppy hair and the angle of his jawline.