Coffee, tea? Or me?

Part III

III

The kiss was gentle at first, almost tentative as if James was gauging her reaction. But Lucy hadn't pulled away, she had received the kiss and leaned into it. Her lips parted and welcomed his and then the kiss became deeper and passionate.

James pulled back with his eyes still locked on hers and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. To his surprise, Lucy leaned forward and gave him another gentle kiss.
They both smiled at each other and went back to the movie.

"I had a great time," said James as they walked towards the exit of the movie theatre.
"I bet you did," replied Lucy with a chuckle.
They stopped right before the entrance door and looked at each other in silence for a moment.
James shoved his hands in his pocket searching for the right words.
"So, you think there is going to be a third date?"
Lucy nodded "Don't see why not..."
"I'll be in New York for three days from tomorrow. When's your next trip?"
Lucy laughed dryly "On Saturday. I'll be in Dubai for four days..."
"So not a chance before next week."
Observed James with disappointment.
Lucy thought for a second the tentatively said
"What time is your flight tomorrow?"
"Ten thirty tomorrow morning".
"Well, it's only six. Maybe we could spend some more time together now?"
"I like the sound of it. What do you want to do?"
Lucy looked around the now busier street, she seemed to ponder a few ideas and dismiss some others.
"Don't take this the wrong way but, I live ten minutes from here, maybe you can come up for a drink? I could really use someone drinking those beers!".
James smiled and licked his lower lip, a gesture she had noticed him doing a lot and she had to admit she loved.
"I could never take that the wrong way...I'd be honoured to drink your beers".
Lucy called an Uber and they were on their way.

Lucy was in turmoil. She couldn't say she hadn't seen the kiss coming, but when it happened it still took her by surprise. She was also shocked that he had done that in a public place. The kiss had been quite impressive nonetheless.

She now found herself looking at him with the corner of the eye. She was starting to notice smaller things about him, little gestures that she found adorable. And his smile. She remembered her colleagues talking about it on the plane and, at first, she didn't really pay attention to it, almost dismissed it. But now it was starting to grow on her: it was the perfect balance between shy, cheeky and extremely sexy.
The car stopped in front of the same red brick building that James recognized from a few days before.

They entered a marble reception where an alert porter greeted Lucy as he recognized her, lingering his gaze on James with obvious suspicion. Lucy reciprocated his greeting with a smile.

"He's quite protective towards the girls who live alone in the building," she said once they were in the lift. "Don't take it personally, he's just never seen you before here and won't recognize you as one of the people who usually come to my place".
"And you have many...people- he said clearing his throat-who visit you?"
Lucy smiled an enigmatic side smile.
They got out of the lift on the seventh floor and walked to her door,
"Before we get in I need to warn you, I wasn't expecting guests so the place it's quite a mess. I apologize".
"Don't need to, I'll pretend to ignore all items of dubious use," he replied with a cheeky smile.
Lucy rolled her eyes and opened the door
"This is me".

The studio was bigger than James expected and very bright, still inundated with the evening light from the big windows. A narrow foyer gave way to a short hallway with a door on the right, where a bathroom was. On the left, a modern kitchen with an island counter overlooked the living area, where a big sofa, a desk with a round mirror and a big TV occupied most of the space. In the far corner was a spiral staircase that took to a mezzanine over the kitchen where the bed and a closet were. On the walls posters of aeroplanes and city maps, framed photographs of Lucy in her uniform and boards with photos of her and her friends and family pinned with no apparent order. Next to the sofa, a bar trolley with tens of big and miniature spirits bottles and a vinyl player gave a vintage look to an otherwise modern studio.