Shawn's POV
"So who is this girl?" I peek out the bathroom door and see Azli sitting on the bed, messing around on his phone.
"Her name is Nora." I tell him, fixing my hair one last time. We were all planning on going out tonight but when Nora sent me that text I changed our plans and decided to go there instead.
"Nora from the flower shop? The Nora that you won't shut up about?' Andrew is spinning in the desk chair, waiting for me to finish.
"Maybe." I let the words linger and try to hide my smile. What can I say, I'm smitten with her.
"So you like her?" Azli yells from the bed. I've got to get out of this hotel room. I swear the walls are starting to close in on me. I need to look into studio time and taking classes. This is my time now, time to do what I want. I didn't expect to meet Nora but I'm so thankful that I did. She's not someone I expected that I'd be attracted to. She's beautiful but probably not someone I'd go for five years ago. Now? Seems like I can't get enough of her. "Shawn." Azli asks again, forgetting that he's spoken to me previously.
"Um, yeah. I do like her." I admit, since it's the truth. I grab my jacket hanging up in the closet and throw it on. I don't really need it but it always seems like when I don't have a jacket, it's when I need it.
"So are you going to kiss her tonight?" Andrew asks. I could see the wheels turning in his mind.
"Maybe." I get suddenly nervous at the thought. I would like to kiss her, to taste her lips, to feel them against mine. But I don't want to rush things. I don't want to scare her away or come on too strong.
"Who are you? Where is suave Shawn?" Andrew smiles and sets the binder from the hotel down. "You ready yet?" He asks, standing and adjusting his shirt.
"Yeah.." I slip my wallet in my back pocket and check one last time to make sure I have my hotel key.
Azli and Andrew are friends. I actually met Azli a few years ago before we all split up. I've seen him a few times when we'd stop in the city. He's in music, more record producing then anything, and Andrew is a bit of a drifer after the split. We still chat, and he wanted to come visit so there is no stopping him. I'm the last one out of the hotel room, and the most anxious to see Nora, following everyone to the elevator. I'm literally buzzing just to see her.
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The place is a little loud, not really busy, so I guess it's still early. It's only ten, but from texting with Nora her friends have been there for a while. One of them had a long week and needed a break so that's why they were there. After they check our ID's I take the stairs to the left, as per Nora's instructions and literally take two flights of stairs at a time. She's informed me that there is a bar upstairs so we didn't need to get drinks on the main floor.
"Where is she?" Andrew asks next to me. It was easier to convince them to join when I found out that one one of Nora's friends has a boyfriend, but all the rest were single. I look around the room, bars are always dark. I hear Shelby's voice and my eyes go straight to the corner booth. I see Nora laughing with a drink in her hand, just relaxed and at peace. I love seeing this side of her. At the flower shop I've always seen her uptight and professional, but outside of the shop, she's not completely different, but she's free.
"There" I nod my head to her group of friends.
"Which one is she?" Andrew whispers.
"The one with the black dress on, long brown hair." We start walking towards the group of girls. I don't even wait for Andrew to say anything to me, I just wanted to see her. It was awkward earlier, I had wanted to give her a hug but I didn't really know how to go about it and when she gave me a high five instead it was just weird. I should have just made it more clear but once again, I didn't want to seem too forward.
"Hey Nora." I smile and wave to her.
"Hey! You made it!" She stands in the booth and steps over a few girls, around the table, hopping off and coming to my side. Giggling. I can tell she's had a few drinks. "This is Anna, Nicole, Natalie, Elaina, and you know Shelby. Ladies, this is Shawn." She uses her hands to gesture at people. I think I've got their names.
"And this is Andrew and Azli." I point to the guys on either side of me.
"Well take a seat, squeeze in guys!" I already know that Nora has been drinking. She's funny. I know she's not shy with anyone, I think the business helps her so she can talk to anyone but with a few drinks in her system she seems to be a bit of a social butterfly, a little all over the place. "You guys want drinks?" She asks, as Azli and Andrew have already sat down on either ends.
"Yeah, I'll help you." I tell her, and I can just assume what the guys want.
I follow her as she turns around and heads to the bar, literally weaving in and out from people. She leaves me laughing and shaking my head. She's for sure buzzing. She slides up to the bar and stands on the foot stool, leaning against the banister. I come up next to her, pushing my hands in my pockets to prevent myself from wrapping my arm around her waist to hold her.
The bartender comes over and Nora holds her arm out to get the attention of him. "Hi!" She yells. "Can I have an x-rated and 7?" She asks and looks at me to order.
"I'll just have three jack and cokes." I start to dig for my wallet.
"I can get it Shawn! I invited you here." The music is so loud here, ridiculous.
"No way. You can get the next round." I tell her. It's not the truth, I'd never let her pay for things if I had any say in it.
"Fine." I pass my credit card to the man and we watch as he mixes our drinks. Nora takes hers and mine as I hold Andrews' and Azli's. I already love seeing her outside of work. The dress she wore today, the dress she's wearing tonight. It's shorter, tighter, black. It's literally clinging to her body, and her legs look amazing with those high heels, I'm literally shooting daggers at any guy that even thinks about looking in her direction. Her long hair is wavy, not straight like it usually is, and she's wearing more makeup than usual, not overboard but enough to make her light green/blue eyes pop. She's beautiful.
"Scoot!" She shouts to Andrew. I can tell that she's had a few drinks, and that she's relaxed. She slides in next to him, and the half round booth is very cramped but no one seems to mind. I take the end seat next to Nora, feeling extremely close to her. I don't really know what to do with my hands so I just hang my right arm over the back of the booth, careful not to make Nora uncomfortable even though I wouldn't mind if she would lean back and lean in a little bit.
I listen to the conversations around the table, as Azli is trying to chat up who I think is Anna. I've never been good at remembering names. I slowly sip my drink, noticing that the women are drinking quite a bit faster than myself.
"What are you thinking about?" Nora turns to me, catching me a little off guard. "You're awfully quiet over there." She elbows me nicely in the ribs.
"Not a lot. You ladies are drinking quite a bit." I lean forward, resting my elbows on the table and looking at her. She has this perpetual smile tonight. "You look really nice tonight."
"Thanks. I hardly go out, and I think this dress had dust on it." She jokes, taking another sip of her pink concoction, twirling the straw around in her glass. I just take the time to study her, as her friends are talking about previous memories, Nora keeps smiling, laughing at their jokes. As I lean back slightly and put my arm back on the booth, I observe Andrew in what seems to be deep conversation with Shelby. She's quite the character from what I've noticed this past week.
I get a nervous feeling in my stomach when Nora finishes her drink and leans back, my fingers just touching her shoulder. I try to calm my breathing, looking over to Azli who catches my eye and simply nods. Sometimes it's nice to have those friends that know exactly what your thinking. I all but stop breathing when she leans slightly into me and rests her arm on my thigh. I don't dare move, I can't even chance shifting as I know her presence will leave me. I just sit quietly, smiling like a fool, trying to avert my attention away as to not tip to everyone that I'm overjoyed with her closeness.
