On a seemingly ordinary summer day, timid Alice Gardner crosses paths with Kai Anderson, a notorious figure in their small town. As serendipitous encounters bring them together, they find themselves irresistibly drawn to each other, driven by a mutu...
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Alice sighed deeply then smiled at the person in front of her as she contemplated on how nice the name was on the tag the guy was wearing.
Xavier. The name suits him so well.
"Take good care of him, okay?" She nodded while her boss squeezed her shoulder and left them both. The guy didn't seem tense albeit the awkward atmosphere. It looks like he was used to these kinds of things—being introduced to his colleagues at a new job, that is.
Alice wasn't quite fond of introductions. She'd rather have someone else approach her and start a conversation than her making the first move. Actually, all of her friends spoke up to her first, except Keith. They've known each other since high school.
But in cases like these wherein it was her duty to initiate a conversation, she can't hesitate.
"Hi, I'm Alice Gardner. Nice to meet you." She offered her hand.
"Xavier Roscoe. Nice to meet you too." He had a playful smile on as he shook her hand. Even his surname sounded nice to the ears.
"Is this just for the summer?" Alice asked.
"Hmm . . . " Xavier shrugged, "Well, if I end up liking it here, I might as well keep it, unless I do something stupid."
Alice let out a chuckle. Xavier seemed like the type of person that is comfortable to talk with, and he proved it as she toured him throughout the café, taught him how to handle the machines, explained the recipes of each beverage and how things work around the place. She also learned that they attend the same university.
"I'm in the Film and Media Department."
"Oh? I'm in the Art Department. You must know Esther then, she's a friend of mine."
"You mean Esther Jones? Yeah, she's big in Broadcasting."
"Looks like you two are getting along." Their boss popped up out of nowhere in front of them, "Work starts tomorrow, so come early."
Xavier nodded. When the boss told him that he could go home, he went to her one last time after he got his locker keys.
"I'll see you tomorrow, then?"
Alice smiled softly, "Yeah. Take care."
Tamara's condo was huge but homey, probably because of the potted plants she had all over the place.
It wasn't Alice's first time in her abode. She's been around a few, especially when Tamara pulls an all-nighter and Alice invites herself in because she had always thought that her friend might feel lonely while chugging down coffee in her system until the sun rises.
"You brought your report?" Tamara raised an eyebrow at the books and papers on the bar.
"I figured you could help me, since you look like you're finished with whatever you're doing."
"Have you seen how thick our books are? I still have Income Tax!" Tamara toppled over the couch, "Besides, what do I know about art?"
"Point made."
"Hey, put those aside. Let's watch a movie."
And so Tamara put on Ruby Sparks while they were eating instant ramen and some club sandwiches.
Alice asked Tamara about how her parents were doing thus prompting her to open a can of Red Bull.
"What's that supposed to be? Common courtesy?" She scoffed.
"Just curious." Alice glanced at her, "You had a major debate with them before summer break right?"
"You think the drama would die down over the course of summer vacation?"
Alice put down what she was eating and headed towards the kitchen. When she came back to the living room, Tamara was speechless when Alice added cheese to her ramen.
