Talking Loudly

Chapter 5

Beth was back at work the next day and was waiting for her mom to come pick up the adoption packet.

Beth woke up exhausted from the nightmare last night. Leland was still sleeping beside her along with Francis on her other side. She fell back to sleep again and was woken up by their mom.

(What they didn't know is that both Dean and Liza had laughed and took pictures of their kids.)

Leland gave Beth a ride to work as he had a day off and was going to visit his current girlfriend. Beth stares at the adoption papers until August who had been watching Beth stare at the pile of papers for a few minutes put his hand into her view.

It worked she was looking at him now. He smiles and she couldn't help but smile back.

"What are these?" he asks looking at the pile of papers. Beth's eyes widen at his signs and watches as he reads the paper.

"You are getting adopted?" he says. She nods with a huge smile. Then she notices that her mother was hiding watching their conversation. She decides to ignore her mother and continues to talk to August.

"Yeah, my foster parents are adopting me," Beth says unable to stop smiling.

"That's great!" August signs excited for her.

Beth couldn't help but laugh and nods her head.

"What are you doing tonight?" August asks as he had finally gained the confidence to ask her out on a date. He had been working on it since he last had saw her.

"I'm going out with some friends," Beth signs back. August was slammed back down onto earth and tried not to frown.

"I'm sure that would be fun," August says. Beth was clueless, August felt bummed, and Liza was practically dancing with joy. She could tell the two liked each other.

Mother instincts telling her so. The boy was handsome, and very tall. It was hard not to notice that about him. Beth was beat red most of the time talking to him. Liza took the blush as she liked him back.

"It's been awhile," Beth admits. He nods and then unsure why he really needed to be there anymore. He just had been unintentionally rejected. And now he was going to have to work up the courage to ask her out again another day. Liza swooped in rescuing the two.

"The papers," Liza signs to Beth. Beth takes the pile of papers and hands them to her mom who eagerly takes them and shoves them into her bag.

"I love you, sweetie! I gotta go meet with the lawyer," Liza signs quickly then rushes out the door.

"That was your foster mom?" August asks. Beth smiles and nods her head. August loved the look of how fond Beth was of her mom.

"Hows the coffee shop?" August asks obviously making the conversation awkward.

Beth smiles and finally catches on. August was a little nervous. But she highly doubted he was as nervous as she was.

August finally fed up pulled out his phone, "Put your number in."

Beth eyes widen, "When you give me a reason to."

August's mouth dropped. And Beth was also surprised. Beth never acted like that. She was only 'loud' when she was with friends or family.

Her face flushed red as she quickly signed, "Sorry!"

The two awkwardly stared at each other for a while. August who couldn't help himself leaned across the desk pressed his lips onto her cheek.

"See you around," he signs to her after pulling back.

She watches as he left and felt like she was struggling to breathe.

What just happened? And it left Beth wondering for days.

As the days went by Beth wondered where August had been. She guessed that he was allowed to go back to work. She felt a little hurt that he hadn't even stopped in. Especially after he had kissed her cheek. And it hurt more that he was just across the street.

She snaps out of her angry thoughts and starts putting the books away. Then someone taps her shoulder. Phillip had found the short red head shelving books. Her hair was frizzy and in her face. She was wearing skinny jeans, little booties, and a green long sleeve t-shirt.

"Hello, my name is Phillip," Phillip signs. He was about as tall as August was, but their eyes were very much the same.

"Hello. How can I help you?" Beth asks. He smiles wide.

"My brother is August. Who you seem to have the power to make him nervous," Phillip signs. Beth looks at him confused.

"What are you talking about?" Beth asks confused. August made her nervous. He confused her senses as his cologne was hypnotizing.

"You make the best lawyer in Vancouver nervous." Phillip signs to her with a mischievous smile.

"No," she signs shaking her head. "He makes me very nervous."

The two hit it off already becoming good friends.

"There is a group of us that are going to go meet up at Dave & Busters tonight. Want to come?" Phillip asks.

"Is your fiance going to be there?" Beth asks wanting to meet the woman that had brought Phillip to his knees.

"Of course," he signs smiling. Beth smiles and nods her head.

"Alright, I'll go. Is it okay I bring a couple of my friends?" she asks curious. He nods.

"Of course!" he signs. The thing about deaf people is that they were always excited to meet new people that were also part of the culture. It was like they were family.

She gives him her number and he leaves to go meet up with his fiance for a quick late lunch.

She texts a couple of her friends and they replied willing to go. The day slowed up and she closed up the shops letting her staff go home. She hired deaf, hard of hearing, and hearing college kids. She adored them.

When she turned off the lights the store matched the sky outside. It was dark; meaning she had to wear glasses. Her biological parents wore glasses at night and Beth had received that from both of them. It sharpened their eyesight that struggled during the night.

She locked the store up and made her way to where her friend, Amelia, was waiting for her in the parking lot. They make their way to Dave & Busters and look for their other friend who was already with Phillip.

Beth saw that the group that was around Phillip and it was a pretty big group. She introduced herself and they started to play the games there.

Phillip who was a thirty-two year old acted like a sad loser in high school. His fiance kept beating him in many events.

"You want to play Dance Dance Revolution?" Phillips fiance, Lola asks. Beth laughs and nods her head.

Phillip pulled out his phone and videoed the two women dance and laugh hysterically as they both sucked.

Beth had a blast that night as she met new people and made new friends.

August was at the law firm. Fuming. He felt betrayed by his own brother who was currently hanging out with Beth.

He was going to talk to her today and even had bought some flowers. There was a flower shop beside the bookstore which Beth admitted why she bought the space next door. That way she can admire some flowers everyday when she went to work.

He was going to ask her to go to dinner with him. He had lemon-cello for her in the fridge that he was going to give her.

Because in the book, Under the Tuscan Sun, they drank it. He could already imagine her blush and then put a stray hair behind her ear, but it would bounce back into her face which would annoy her.

August groaned and collapsed into his chair tired. He liked her so much, but had no clue if she felt the same about him.