Us: The Novel Of Friends

The Handsome Man Overseas

POV Layla

I walked into the shop, cup of tea in my hand, I had my big sweater and scarf on, and was wearing these capri sweatpants, and my slide ons. I had planned on taking my day off, and just paint.

This week was incredibly stressful, with the holidays coming up every one was booking their sessions before the break. I was swamped in paperwork, so it was nice to come to the city for a day.

"Hey Layla" Peter smiled at me from behind the bar, as he was drying some coffee mugs.

"Hey Pete, Is Ads here?"

"No she comes back this afternoon"

"Alright, well I'll probably still be here" I smiled

"Alright, I'm probably going to head upstairs and check on the dogs, do you mind keeping an eye on things, Jessica just clocked in, but just in case"

"Yeah No problem, I'm going to hang a few of my paintings, so I got to go grab them real quick."

I headed down the back hall of the coffee bar, and into my locked up "art room" which was really a glorified storage room, but with lots of lighting, and sound proof walls. I grabbed two of my paintings and headed back out.

I hung one of them up (The one that was lower and I didn't have to get a step stool), and then the other I had to actually pull out the stool.

"Need some help" a man's voice said, who I assumed was peters.

"No, no I got it, I thought you were checking on the dogs."

"I mean I do have dogs, but not around here" I turned around, and almost fell off the stool, it was a tall, brown haired, green eyed, dimple stranger, dressed in "mom jeans" Sperry's, and a flannel.

"I'm sorry, I thought you were one of the owners."

"Oh so you aren't the owner, you just hang up work in random places" He joked

"Nope, I just work here, and make my own hours.." I smiled.

"That's a magnificent painting" A bit of an British accent came out, and my heart was floating.

"Thank you" I said

"You must be, LJWhitington" he said squinting at the bottom of the painting

"In the flesh" I said

"How much is this painting"

"Oh it's not really for sale"

"Oh, I insist I must have it"

"$500 then" I said

"Deal, do you take check" He gave into that so easily

"I thought you would put up more of a fight"

"Where I'm from that price is a bargain"

"And where would that be"

"York mainly, but then the Scottish Highlands, and Cornwall."

"Wow, those are beautiful places, what brings you here?"

"School mainly, I went to Berkley for two years to do my basics, and then went to Yale to get my certification to be a Neurologist, and then found a passion for pediatricians."

"Wow, that's impressive, I switched majors from art history, to music therapy, at University of Texas at Austin. Not as impressive as Berkley, and certainly not as good as Yale."

"I mean the schools are great, but they have no fun, it's all let's study on the weekends, and go to bed at 8:30. I did a lot of extracurricular like cross country, and an Acapella group"

"That's amazing, how'd you end up here?" I asked

"Well I just finished med school last year, and got a top notch job at a local hospital, that's ranked like 2nd in the states for their neurology wing"

"What hospital, I probably have heard of it?"

"Saint Franklins Hospital"

"That's where I work, I'm on the third floor. At the end by the vending machines"

"Oh okay, I know where that is. Well I guess we are work buddies."

An alarm on his phone buzzed.

"Oh shoot, I have to meet up with this pesky American realtor, who is showing me some houses in this neighborhood. I'd love to chat more, maybe over coffee or tea" He said

"You know where to find me, but hey you know if you want, I can help show you around, so you can ditch the pesky American realtor" I smiled.

"Would you? Oh you are a dear." He said.

"Let me grab a bag for your painting, and then I have to tell my boss I'm going out"

***

"This is my favorite spot, when I bring my dogs to Portland I always bring them here to run around. I don't know if you are into dogs, but still" I said as we breezed past a quiet dog park. Filled with empty trees.

"Yeah, I mean I have one dog, his name is Reggie, he's a saint Bernard, and very much a licker." He smiled.

"Awe he sounds adorable, I have two dogs one's name is Cece, she's a Husky, and then the other is Jaq, he's a little schnauzer With a big attitude." I said smiling about my dogs.

"Maybe we should get them all together" He said, as we continued walking past the park. I was trying to refrain from shivering, but it was nearly snowing, so it was freezing cold.

"You are chattering, here take my jacket."

"Oh no, I'm fine"

"Well you are taking it anyway, I've got Scottish blood I'll be fine"

***

"Well thank you so much dear for the tour, I think I'm in love with that one with the cute book nook, and the movie room." He smiled as we stood on the doorstep of the hotel he was staying at.

"It's no problem" I smiled

"I'd love for you to come up, if you don't mind a bit of a mess, I've been living off of Thai food, and room service, who knew grilled cheese was such an amazing thing"

"I don't want to impose" I said.

He leaned in and kissed me and said "I want you to come up"

***