Emery Devine

One

Emery Devine brought her warm mug of coffee up to her lightly painted auburn lips. She closed her eyes as the warm embrace of the creamy drink soothed her.

As she moved the white mug down from her mouth and finished her sip, she ignored the stained lipstick rim of her cup and returned her eyes to the pages of Pride and Prejudice.

She scanned the pages intently, not even needing to look at the printed words to carry on the conversation between the characters.

Unlike most girls, Emery's breakup recovery included sipping warm coffee at six in the morning while flipping through the pages of her favorite book.

It's been a week since she called it off with Michael after she found him sucking the face off of another girl. This wasn't the first time her heart had been broken, but it sure felt worse than ever before.

"Pride and Prejudice, I see" a mans voice interrupted her reading as he stopped at the table to observe.

Emery looked up with only her eyes to see a blonde haired gentleman standing in front of her dressed in all black.

She nodded to his statement.

"I've read that one hundred times and it's still my favorite book" he locked eyes with her.

Emery almost gasped "y-you like Pride and Prejudice?" She asked putting her book down.

The man smiled at her voice "of course, and judging by your warn pages and pencil marks I'd say this isn't your first time reading it"

She smiled back "No actually, it's my one hundredth and one time reading it"

The still unnamed stranger replied with a soft laugh "Is this seat taken?" He asked pointing to the chair in front of him.

Emery shook her head no.

"Thanks" he pulled the white wooden chair out and sat down "I'm Luke Hemmings" he held his hand out across the table for her to shake.

She shook his hand "Emery Devine"

"Ah, you don't go to University Of Sydney, do you?"

"No, I go to Macquarie, I'm a freshman" she smiled, putting her withered leather book mark in between the pages of her book; more interested in the conversation she was having for once "do you go to Sydney?"

"Yep" he answered "starting my second year"

"What's your major?" She rested her arms on the table.

"Architecture, it's my dream to build the tallest building in all of Australia" he spread his arms out showing just how big it would be.

"Well why stop there?" Emery asked.

Luke tightened his eyebrows in confusion "what do you mean?"

"Why not build the tallest building in the whole world?" Her eyes twinkled with possibility.

"Huh, I've never thought about that.." He looked to the ground to think "what's your major?" His eyes shifted back up to her.

"Journalism, mainly creative writing, I absolutely adore it" Emery said, her face lighting up "the only thing better than reading a story is making your own"

The corners of Luke's mouth raised in a soft smile "I like you Emery Devine, you're not all caught up in your phone like other girls"

Emery felt her cheeks turn the same pink shade as her lipstick. She's never been complimented on being different before "thank you" she smiled.

Luke sat back in his chair "can I buy you a drink?" He asked.

Emery glanced down at her half filled coffee cup and back to Luke.

"Not that kind of drink" he giggled "me and my friends are going to a bar tonight, you should come"

She raised her eyebrows. Every cosmopolitan magazine she lost brain cells reading told her to play hard to get in these types of situations. Emery wasn't going to deny she thought he was charming...but she wasn't about to get into the start of another relationship that quickly after jumping on the train to heartbreak city.

She could hear a clock ticking in her mind telling her an inappropriate amount of time had passed to give her answer "I have a paper due tomorrow" she said quickly, trying to beat the timer.

Luke gave her a look of disappointment "I understand" he replied "but incase that paper gets written a second earlier..." He reached into his back pocket and pulled out his phone "could I have your number?" He smiled seductively.

Emery, with her clever mind, concocted an idea that would ensure Luke wasn't a 'physical relationship' kind of boy she had dealt with before  "sure" she replied.

He smirked and handed her his phone.

Emery took the black iPhone 6s in her delicate hands. She typed her name in the first space and then moved the cursor to the 'mobil' spot.

Her eyes wondered to the time at the top of the phone screen "oh my goodness! Is that the time?" She said in her best shocked voice she could use "I have to go, I'm sorry" she sat his phone back down on the table and stood up to gather her belongings.

"W-wait, wait you only typed your name" Luke said standing up with her.

"I have to go, I have a lecture in twenty minutes" she picked up her purse from the back of her chair and threw it over her shoulder "it was nice meeting you Luke–"

"Wait!" He cut her off with a certainly not inside friendly voice "don't go" he said softer, realizing his shout had turned all the heads in the coffee shop to him.

Emery let herself drown in his ocean blue eyes for only a second "I'll be late" she replied turning around and walking to the doors of the shop, hoping he would follow.

Luke sighed and made no hesitation to run after her "Emery!" He called out as he burst through the double glass doors.

She bit her lip to hide the smile creeping up on her face before she turned around on the sidewalk.

"Same time tomorrow?" He asked.

Emery nodded slowly "see you then"

Luke gave her a smile "can't wait"

She giggled and turned around, looking both ways to cross the street.

Her plan seemed to be working.

If Luke Hemmings was a man who wanted to spend genuine time with her, then he wouldn't mind how many times they had to meet to get her number.

Even if it was one hundred and one.