Chapter 7 | A Diner, Tension, and I quiet man.
Laura's POV
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Unedited
We ended up at my favorite twenty four hour diner. We were the only ones in besides a older man wearing a thick winter jacket in the November weather. probably in his sixties.
The lights where dimly lit minus a few colored ones making it look pop's diner from riverdale at night.
Ross sat quietly opposite me his head bowed as he looked at his palm.
"What are you having?" I asked looking up at him. His eyes flickered down at the watch on his wrist.
"Isn't it a bit too late to be having a heavy meal?" One of his thick eyebrow lifted as he stared back at me.
"What?" I asked confused, ignoring him I explained " I'm hungry, I haven't eaten lunch nor dinner." I said at the same time Linda, the waitress came up to the table.
"Hey laur, how you doing ?" She grinned playing with the notepad in her hands.
"I'm great, how about you?" We exchanged pleasantries before I ordered. "I'll have my usual."
She nodded before turning to Ross "And what will the handsome young man have." She smiled softly at Ross.
He returned her smile "just a glass of water."
"That's all?"
"Yeah."
"Okay, I'll be back shortly with your orders." I watched as she retreated behind a door towards the back.
When I turned back, I was startled to find Ross was staring at me.
I stared back at him. I couldn't tell what he was thinking. What was running through his mind. His face was expressionless and I began squirming in my seat.
"You look different." He said a few seconds later. His brown eyes still on me; assessing every square inch of my face.
I chuckled nervously "obviously, it's been six years Ross."
"I know but I meant from when I met you at the club."The way he said the word, held a bit of distaste. "Without all the cake and paint on your face."
I could sense the hostility from him so I sighed looking at the table. "You have a problem with makeup Ross?"
"No Laura I don't. I have female friends and family who wear make up every single minute of the day, they can't do without it. But when it's so much to the point that I can hardly even recognise you, then... I thinks it's a bit deceiving."
I stared at him "Who are you to tell me how I should and should not wear my make up, you're not my dad, you just met me, you don't even know me."
"Who's fault is that?"
Before I could even snap at him, Linda came back with his water and a smile on her face, obvious to the raising tension between Ross and I.
when she retreated neither of us said anything. Ross Just sipped his water silently before sighing "I'm sorry, I was wrong for that, I shouldn't have come at you like that. But before I got carried away, what I was trying to say is that you look different,seeing you without all the makeup afterwards was shocking. Prettier. You've grown into a very beautiful woman."
I could already feel the heat raising to my face. I was used to comments over the years about my beauty and body, but none had prepared me for this. And the way Ross said was just so genuine. The men in the past used it as a tool for seduction. It felt good to hear that I was beautiful especially by the man who after all these years still held my heart.
I wonder if he knows that i still love him? I thought that after all these years that I'd be able to let him go. And I thought I didn't, when I had fallen again, but seeing him again, I felt everything rushing back at me. That familiar fast heart rate, my awareness of how attractive he was. Just everything about him and when my hand had caress his bicep, it was so electrifying that I knew I was right back where i started
Linda came back shortly after placing my regular upfront of me: fries with cheese and bacon, with an extra cheesy beef burger and a large cup of sprite.
I've been craving it all day.
"Heaven." I grinned before digging in.
As I attacked a few fries first Ross silently watched me with an amused expression in his face.
Knowing that he wasn't very talkative I insisted the conversation. "So um, I know you don't want to talk about me right now-"
"It's not that I don't wanna talk about you. I do,eventually. But it's just that I just lost my best friends, I just found you and I'm not in the mood to have a fight with you that I know we'll eventually have, end both of us in tears. Plus I need you to agree to something later."
"Agree to what?"
He looked at me sternly "later."
"Okay. Um so how's life?"
"Life's good." He nodded looking at his palm.
"What job do you do? Firefighter? I can see those muscles." I grinned playfully trying to kill all the tension and awkwardness.
"Oh no, I'm a physician and I just go to the gym often, nothing much."
My eyes widened "A physician? Wow, that's great. I mean I always knew that you would be something great." I said before sipping my drink.
"Yeah." He nodded.
"So, any Mrs? you married?"
It was always my greatest fear that he would find someone great. And from the way he was talking to the girl over the phone I could tell she made him happy.
"I am dating someone, but no, not married. Yet."
I could feel my stomach turning from the word yet, it obviously meant that he had thought about marrying this girl and she was girlfriend material.
"But you want to marry this girl?" It was killing me but I still asked. That's what curiosity and jealousy does. And that's what it was, I could feel it burning on my chest. It was either that, or heart burn, but I chose the former.
This probably makes no sense and confusing but I thought I'd update. Love you guys.
