The Missing Gem

08 | The Hard Part

Lucas

Backbeat, the word was on the street
That the fire in your heart is out

I'm sure you've heard it all before-

"Hey Luc?"

"Yeah?" I asked Henry, driving my attention from the white paper in front of me to the man standing by the door and turning down the sound of Wonderwall, by Oasis. 

"That American girl is asking for you. Should I tell her to come in?"

"Ah, Nicole. Yes. I was expecting her."

"You two seem pretty close." He commented and sensing the tone of voice, I could tell he wanted to know more.

"Yeah, she's a nice girl."

"Pretty too." He added. 

"Where are you going with this?" I asked, knowing all too well where.

"I'm just wondering if there's something else other than just closeness between the two of you." I rolled my eyes, knowing this was exactly what I thought he'd ask. "Does she have a boyfriend?"

"No." I responded, sounded maybe a little to happy and somehow proud.

Not gonna lie, I liked hearing her say no when Lexi asked if she had a boyfriend. Not that I like her that way...

...Yet. I think it's definitely something that I know will happen pretty soon or is already happening, but I keep stopping the feeling from growing. Not that I've been doing that good of a job about that lately. 

"That's what they all say. A girl that pretty has got to have someone, somewhere." 

I hadn't thought of that. But he did have a point - she was a walking Mona Lisa painting, there was no way her heart wasn't taken. 

"Just tell her she can come in, alright?" 

With an assertive nod Henry turned around and left. I could hear him to talk to her, what he was saying and I unconsciously  straightened my back in the chair and paused the song I was listening to. 

"Hey you!" She said with a smile as she held up our two cups of coffee, that we planned on having this morning while we both worked on our own projects. 

That meant I'd be drawing a necklace I was working on for quite some time now and she'd be writing her book. 

I don't know exactly how it happened, or when it happened. All I know is that, against my own will power, the thought of Nicole alone is enough to send my stomach into a butterfly frenzy.

And don't get me started on the days that we spend together - which are most days.

One true fact is that we've become really great friends. We understood each other a lot, we both love creativity and art and we share a lot of common values.

And the fact that she carried on a natural, out of this world beauty, helped.

"Good morning." I replied, taking the coffee from her hand and taking a long sip before I put it down on the table. "Ready to get to work?" 

"Always."

After we went out for dinner and bowling the other night we both agreed that our days could be pretty boring. She's bored writing by herself all alone at home and I'm bored drawing in my little office, so, we thought it would be a good idea for me to share my little space with her while we had some coffee and talked a little bit here and there, while we also got some work done at the same time.