Perfectly Knight (Jordan Knight Fanfic, Liadan #4)

Cinemas and Checks

-NATALIE-

"You came!"

I grinned as I heard the squeals of my two best friends, Layne and Rebecca, the second I made it down the corridor in the mall to reach the movie cinema.

I broke out into a run towards them until we collided in a hug, all of us chattering away at once and giggling excitedly.

"You cut your hair!" Layne exclaimed and touched my ends.

"Yeah, and you dyed yours," I beamed and noticed her usually Auburn locks were a darker shade of brown. "And you have a ring!" I turned to Rebecca.

"Just a promise one," Rebecca blushed and held up the sparkly ring. "Things with Ty have been going kind of quickly, but I'm just enjoying it and not questioning anything."

"He really is so sweet," Layne grinned. "You'll love him when you meet him. He introduced me to his friend, Max, and he's really cute too. You'll love them both."

"I know I will," I nodded and smiled as I tried not to feel the slightest bit jealous that they were still as close as they'd always been while I'd been away and were even dating friends.

"So," Rebecca leaned towards me and glanced over my shoulder. "Are you going to introduce us to your poet?"

I giggled, "Scriptwriter. He wants to make screenplays. I don't think he does poems."

"He probably would for you if you asked. From what you've told me he seems pretty bitten by the lovebug," Layne said in a sing-song voice.

I shook my head and turned after I realized that I'd darted off and left Lucas behind me, but to my surprise he'd struck up a conversation with an employee at the ticket booth. I gestured for Layne and Rebecca to follow me and I headed over to him.

"How long are you in town for, Kin?" the girl at the ticketbooth asked as she leaned on the counter.

"Uh, 'till early September," Lucas said as he slipped his hands into his back pockets.

"So a while then?" she tilted her head slightly.

"Yeah. I guess. It's kind of a traditional college summer break."

"Oh, well, you know I wouldn't know. You'll probably be busy, but if you're ever free, just give me a call. Between here and the bar, my schedule kind of varies, but I can make something work. If you want. If not that's cool too. It's just nice seeing you. I'm glad to hear you like New York."

"Thanks," Luke nodded. "It's nice seeing you too, Nadia."

"Yeah," she stood up straighter as I approached closer and she gave me a blank look before her eyes returned to Lucas'. "Tickets for two?"

He turned to me with an expression that I couldn't quite read before he blinked, "We don't need tickets, right? Your friend just reserved the theater?"

"Right," I nodded and looked back at Nadia as I felt her eyes resting on me. I couldn't help noticing that we were oddly similar—we had N-names with big brown eyes, curly dark hair, and petite frames. The fact she worked in a movie theater made me wonder if we shared an interest in movies too.

"It should be booked under...Anderson I think?" Luke questioned.

"Yeah," I said quietly and glanced between them.

"Oh okay, then, I just have to give you wristbands," her voice seemed to reach a slightly higher octave and she cleared her throat while she tapped something on the screen.

It was hypocritical of me to want to know how they knew each other considering that I'd gotten so tongue tied sitting in the car between DJ and Lucas earlier that I hadn't even mentioned my past relationship, but it was hard not to let my imagine run wild about this practical doppelganger. Especially since Luke's usually casual energy felt rigid as he stood next to me and pressed his fingertips hard into the countertop while shifting his weight back and forth between his feet and bouncing his eyes all around the ticket booth, not really looking at Nadia or me.