Dreams that never come true - A Short Story Collection

Roses

I enter the office, combing my fingers through my hair. Then, my mouth suddenly forms an o shape. "Umm, Peyton?" I ask my best friend Peyton, who's standing at my desk. "You really shouldn't have. Like, really shouldn't." I tell her looking at the dozens of red roses on the table, my favourite flower.

"They're not from me, Dumbass." She says, rolling her eyes. She starts plaiting her platinum blonde hair. "I've already read the tag." She says, her expression changing. I walk up to my wooden desk and pick up the roses, trying not to prick my fingers on the sharp thorns. Reading the tag, I can feel my cheeks starting to heat up.

They're from Lukas.

Gently, I place the roses back down on the desk, not checking the other side of the tag. Peyton frowns. "I should really start working now. I'm behind." I say sighing, and sit down in my office chair.

"So?" She promts me. I log onto my computer. Sighing, I swivel around on my chair to face her. She's sitting on my desk, next to the photo of us together. In the photo, we were at a music festival, Peyton looking like a model next to me. I had my chestnut hair up in double buns on top of my head all messed up with a few purple streaks and I went a bit overboard on the eyeliner. My nails were painted dark black and I was wearing fishnets, black shorts and a long sleeve crop top (with see-through sleeves) with the word 'REBEL' written on it in neon purple letters. Peyton was wearing a strapless azure crop top, which was almost akin to a bra and a high waisted shiny black skirt, with a black choker and two long silver chains draped over her neck.

I kind of miss those days. I never thought that three years later, I'd be working in an office. It was so simple then.

"I don't know what you want me to say." I reply, truthfully. Peyton rolls her eyes, hopping off of my desk.

"Don't you want to go and talk to him? You've had a crush on him for over a year." Peyton says, referring back to Lukas.

Oh God, he is perfect. With dark black hair and dark skin, and his eyes... Oh, his eyes.

"He can come and talk to me if he wants to." I say, trying to act as if I'm not staring at the office walls, wishing that I had X-ray vision so that I can see him. Peyton laughs. "Playing hard to get! Yasss girl." She says, with a smirk.

"I am not playing hard to get!" I say, my voice rising an octave. I sound guilty. I pretend to look annoyed and check that no one heard, but the office is mostly empty. Everyone else is elsewhere. "Look, if you go and talk to him I'll pay for your doughnut at lunch today and I'll owe you a favour. Okay?" She asks me. "Heck, if you get his phone number, I'll pay for your doughnuts for the rest of the week and owe you three coffees and a favour." She says.

I contemplate.

"Deal." I say, holding out my hand. We shake hands. Then, I grab some papers to give me a valid excuse to talk to Lukas. Peyton winks at me and I laugh. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do!" She shouts as I leave my cubicle.

"Don't you have work to do?" I ask her. Cursing, she runs out of the cubicle and sprints down the corridor clutching her briefcase to her chest and her coffee in her left hand. I walk in the opposite direction and stop outside of his office nervously. Knocking on the door, I hear Lukas call, "Come in." from inside.

Slowly, I enter the office. "Hey Lukas." I say, tucking my hair behind my ears. Walking up to his desk, I place down the papers that I brought with me. "These are the forms that you asked me to check over. They're all valid." I say.

I stand in silence. Lukas looks up at me, his expression observant and his eyes sparkling. "Anything else?" He asks me. My cheeks start to redden and he smirks.

"I wanted to thank you for the roses." I tell him, trying to speak coherently and not mumble. His eyebrows furrow. "Did you read both sides of the tag?" He asks me.

"No, sorry." I say shaking my head. "Was there something important on the other side?" I ask him.

He looks a bit disappointed and his beautiful dark eyes lose a bit of their shine. "Don't worry." He says, running his hand through his hair.

"No, what is it?" I ask him adamantly. My mother always said that I was too strong-minded throughout all of my childhood. Lukas runs his hand through his hair, his head falling slightly backwards so that his Adam's apple is more prominent. I bite my lower lip, trying to get my mind out of the gutter.

Lukas doesn't take his eyes off me, and suddenly, I feel a bit hot.

I bet that I'm blushing, Goddamnit. What am I? A schoolchild?

"It said that..." Lukas starts, and for the first time in my life, I see him struggle for words. "I... Would you like to go out on a date with me?" He asks, my eyes widening.

Did I hear that correctly?

I must've been in shock for a minute or two, my brain barely registering what he just said. "So..." Lukas says. "What do you think about it?"

"Huh?" I ask, stunned.

"Would you like to go out on a date with me?" Lukas asks, his smile widening. Before I can reply, there's a knock at the door and I realise that Caspian is there.

Lukas' eyes roll in annoyance as I step away from his desk, as if I were caught doing something scandalous. "Hello Caspian." Lukas says, his voice lower than normal, in a completely different tone as to how he spoke with me.

"Hi Caspian." I say. "How was the highschool reunion?" I ask him. Caspian freezes as he begins to walk inside the office.

"Oh, it was... Interesting. It was weird to see everyone had already settled down." Caspian says truthfully. Our desks are next to each other, so I'm used to talking with him. Caspian resumes walking and stops next to me. He's stood quite close to me, and he puts his arm around my waist in a playful manner.

"Right. What do you want?" Lukas asks Caspian, his teeth gritted.

"Boss wants to see Carmen." Caspian explains, shrugging. He smirks, looking at me.

"Actually, I was just about to go and talk to them myself. I'll accompany Carmen." Lukas says.

"No need. I can take your message for you because Boss wants to see me as well." Caspian says, with a wide grin.

"It's best if I tell Boss in person." Lukas explains, standing up from behind his desk. He cracks his knuckles. "Fine then." Caspian says, beginning to walk off. "By the way, I was lying."

"I know." Lukas replies. Caspian stops at the door to turn around and wink at me. "May the best man win." He says, smirking and walks off.

"What... What just happened?" I ask Lukas. He walks around the desk and infront of me, his arms folded casually. "Nothing." He says confidently. "Now, about that date?" He asks me, picking up my hand to kiss it gently.

Laughing, I nod my head as Lukas lets go of my hand softly. "I think that I'll take up your offer." I say, drawing circles on his chest with the tip of my finger, lazily.

"How do you feel about stargazing?" He asks me. I grin.

"It sounds perfect."