The Missing Gem

15 | Dreamland Calling

Nicole 

Whenever I'm with Lucas, there are moments where I find myself looking at him while he's looking at me. I bet it's strange and maybe even a little creepy to everyone else, and especially to those who walk past us and notice the starring game we got going on, but to us it's normal.

We're not saying anything, we're just looking at each other like we're the brightest stars in the universe. 

We literally stare at each other. And weirdest thing is, it's not strange at all, it's even comfortable.

My hands slightly and slowly dance around the keyboard, and he twirls the blue colored pencil in his fingers, and brown is meeting blue. 

"I need your help with something."

His British accent that I adored, distracted me and I clicked the Save icon while my eyes looked up at him again, with the warm smile that only Lucas brought out in me. 

"What's up?"

"I don't know what to pack for our little Thanksgiving getaway."

I finished my large cup of coffee and placed it in the table. 

Henry was holding the fort at the store this Saturday and Lucas and I used his day off to just spend the day together, and with no one else. Only me and him. 

Just a few days before we leave for California, we find ourselves sitting across from each other on a corner booth, at Magic Beans. With a date set for dinner and drinks in Piccadilly Circus later tonight, we decided to make the most of the day -  Lucas brought his paper and pencils with him while I brought my laptop, and we both got entertained with coffee and a few of those honey muffins I loved.

"Well, it's California. It's not gonna be too cold. Just a few sweaters, jeans and you'll be fine."

He looked content with my answer, and nodded in agreement. "By the way, I'm gonna have to meet up with the buyer for the ring. I told him Friday would be fine."

I didn't give it much thought,  Lucas and I rarely talked about our actual jobs. Instead, we mostly talked about our hopes and dreams, our future. Our current jobs weren't actually something that we liked to do, so it was usually never a conversation topic. 

"No problem."

Annie, the waitress who turns out knew Lucas since senior year, asked us if we wanted something quick for lunch and told us all about the new chicken pie they had today. We gladly accepted her offer and she left with a smile on her face. 

"You know, when we used to come here just as friends, I was always jealous of her." I confessed to him, not entirely sure why, but fully comfortable with the honesty I was able to have with him. 

"Annie?" He chuckled. "Why?"

Looking back now, it feels like those days when we used to flirt with each other non stop were million years ago and not just... literally a month ago.

"I don't know." I shrugged. "I guess... I thought you and her had some sort of history together and, I was getting to know you and I was..." I searched my brain for the best words to say and scrunched my nose before saying them out loud, not quite loving the way they fit. "...starting to like you." 

"Okay-"

"It was stupid, alright? Forget what I said." 

"Nic, you don't have to be jealous of anyone when it comes to me." 

His words caught my attention. Deep down I wanted to hear him say it. What girl doesn't want to hear their boyfriend saying that they're the only ones they love?