Exhausted&Lost

Chapter Five

Ava's jaw was hurting from laughing so hard and her head was spinning from the beers that Dave kept thrusting in to her hand. The open mic night had long since ended and Izzy, Chris, Dave and herself were the only 4 left standing.

Throughout the night, she and Dave were stealing glances, laughing a little too hard at each others jokes, and sitting a little too closely, allowing their legs and hands to brush with every movement.

They had descended in to drinking games to keep their buzz going, something Ava hadn't done in years. "Never have I ever..." Chris started, a smirk playing on his lips, "cried at a Fleetwood Mac concert."

Ava points an accusing finger at him, "Hey! I told you that in confidence," she says taking a long swig.

Dave barks a laugh, "Hey don't be embarrassed, I almost cry like a baby every damn time I see them."

"What is she like? Stevie... is she as ethereal in real life as she seems? asks Izzy, brown eyes wide as she stares at Dave.

"Well... I could swear that the air changes when she walks in to a room, she is..." Chris begins to speak but trails off when he struggles to find the words to describe her.

"Indescribable?" Ava suggests, and Chris pops his finger on the end of his nose.

"Indescribable!" he shouts in agreement.

Just then, Chris' phone buzzes and he checks the screen. "Uh oh, wife is calling... I best be going!" he leans across the table and give Izzy a quick hug, "A pleasure to meet you." he tells her and Ava notices her ears tinge pink behind her curly brown hair.

He gives Dave a fist bump and shoots his arms out at his sides to give Ava a hug, "Thank you for having us, we will be back!" and with that he stumbles out of the cafe.

Izzy stands next announcing that she needs to get home too, "I have to get back in here early to clean this mess up," she says signalling at the beer bottles around them.

"Hey, don't worry, I can stay to clean it up," smiles Ava, standing to hug her friend goodbye.

"I'll help," Dave pipes up from beside her. Ava tries to protest, insisting that she can handle it alone. 

"I'm sure you have better things to be doing!"

"Nope, not really," he laughs, "besides what kind of dude would I be if I left a pretty young thing by herself in the city on a Friday night?"

Ava concedes, deciding she she couldn't turn down a little while longer with that man who had made her laugh harder all evening than she had in years.

"Thank you," she smiles to him as Izzy heads out the door, leaving just her and Dave alone in the cafe.

He follows her around with a trash bag as she gathers the bottles and cans off the tables, her hand brushes his and the hairs on the back of her neck raise at the electricity she feels. She hesitates but moves to pull her hand away and is stopped by his strong hand wrapping around her wrist.

"You felt that too, didn't you?" he asks, his voice low and gravelly.

"F-felt what," Ava stutters, taken aback by his close proximity.

His grip around her wrist loosens and he clears his throat, he takes a step back, "Sorry, I think I'm picking up the wrong signals." Ava reaches out for him again, her body calling out for his touch once more.

"You did, didn't you." He says again, though this time it wasn't a question. Ava could only nod as he took a step closer to her.

"Can I... Can I try something?" He asks, tucking a curl of red hair behind her ear.