BLEACHED

37: We meet again, handsome.

Browsing through the endless designs of plastic and glass sockets, all with their own curvature and decors, she finally finds the right spot for her door handle.

The crazy thing is that the different designs of door handles.

"Why is shopping so complicated?" Lavender groans under her breath as she glares at the endless beautiful designs that she can't even choose from.

As much as she wants to match the basic design to the rest of the house, she can't help but want a fancy door handle from the front door.

She has the money to afford it anyway.

She reaches her hand to grab the handle made of glass and gold plates, mesmerized by it's simple yet exquisite outlook.

Hypnotized by it's elegance.

As her fingers reach out to glaze it, her hand feels a small electric shock as another hand glazes hers, getting her to recoil in panic.

She glances to her side only to meet the familiar brown eyes of the man she once meet on the parking lot.

The lawyer.

"Cameron?" Lavender widens her eyes as he raises his brows as well, instantly recognizing her in a heartbeat.

"You're that woman from the parking lot. I've been waiting for your call and got a little antsy when you didn't." His accent is nearly British but not on the dot.

His deep chocolate hair is unruly than before, though she can tell he is on his morning job from his shorts and black vest.

Though he doesn't look like he's been jogging at all.

"Was everything alright back then?" He asks and Lavender can't help but admire how glass-like his eyes are from a closer proximity.

She felt as though she is staring into an angel's eyes.

A handsome one at that.

"Yeah, it was a misunderstanding. I accidentally ripped my dress and fell out of the car." She smiles as she turns her gaze down to the door handle. "Were you shopping for one?"

"Not really. I saw you and thought you were familiar. So I pretended to reach for it so you'd look up." He chuckles lightly as she smiles at him. "I didn't want to tap on a stranger's shoulder and have to apologize and explain myself."

"I'd do that too." She chuckles, getting him to smile back down at her.

"So..." He trails off as he glances off to the side, his masked shy yet confident seeming character reminds her so much of her younger brother.

"So?" Lavender chuckles, getting him to trail his eyes back to her.

"So who was that man earlier?" He asks as he places his hands in the pockets of his shorts. "He looked at me really angrily I thought I might have hit a nerve."

"Oh him?" Lavender glances to the floor for a moment, unsure of what she should say. "He's my best friend's fiancee. We kind of hang out since we go to the same work place."

It's better this way. Domen doesn't belong to you, Lavender.

"He was just upset because you thought he was molesting me." She laughs out as he raises his brows and glances off to the side again while reaching one hand to the back of his neck, giving her a one-sided smile.

"Yeah... I really apologize for that. I'm a lawyer and the first thing I do is judge people I don't know. The judge is supposed to do that." He chuckles and glances at her expectedly, getting her to blink a few times. "That was like a joke in the apology."

"Oh!" She laughs out, though he can tell she is only pretending to add fuel to a burnt out flame. "That was funny."

"You aren't one to try to make people feel bad about themselves, are you?" He asks as he shoved his hand back in his pocket. "You laughed after I said it was a joke."

"Nobody really used to laugh at my jokes, so I don't want anyone feeling the embarrassment. Do you know, I had to go to my own therapy, me being my therapist inorder to live through my trauma?" She asks as she raises a brow at him, getting him to laugh out and shake his head in denial as the corners of his eyes wrinkle from Lavender's honest yet funny scenario.

Cameron had always been self aware of his lack of humor. It's something he's been aware of before he took his first breath. It can't like a sixth sense to him and often says jokes just to have something to say, even if no one would laugh at them.

Hearing Lavender say something he'd never have guessed she would, from how she seemed the first time he met her, to cut the long story short, he is taken aback at who Lavender really is like.

The normal seeming woman isn't as normal as he thought she was.

She's got a little character in her.

"Why are you laughing?" Lavender asks as he can't stop laughing to the point he fishes his hands out as he leans onto the shelf while trying to hold back tears.

It's been decades for him since he last laughed at something not meant to be funny.

"It's not supposed to be funny." Lavender chuckles as he finally calms down and wipes his tears as he leans from the shelf. "You sure had a good laugh."

"I think I like you, Lavender." Cameron says as he sighs out with a wide grin on his face. "You're something else. You talk to me like you've known me for a while, and you're funny not on purpose. If you wouldn't mind adding me to your long list of friends?"

"It's surprising short." Lavender chuckles as she shows it with her hands. "I'm not that enjoyable to be around. People easily get irritated around me. I'm like the visitor that doesn't say is coming and shows up at lunch hour seconds before you eat."

He laughs again and shakes his head, feeling refreshed from the short comedic moment.

After all the piles of legal documents, and client files, Lavender is just about the right thing to take the stress off of his back.

"Yeah, I like you." Cameron wheezes as he tries to stop laughing. "Very funny lady."

"Not on purpose, but thanks?" She chuckles, surprised he's easily ticklish compared to most people. Not everyone would have found that funny. "Anyway, I have a door to fix and left no one to tend to my house. So the front door is wide open."

"Oh, right, hence the door handle. You'd also need the lock as well. I'll grab that for you while you keep thinking of which handle best suits your character." He smiles as he takes a step back. "I don't have much to do on a Sunday, so would it be alright if I just fix your door for you?"

Why are men insisting on helping me replace my door handle?

"Sure, that'd be really helpful." Lavender nods her head, giving him the greenlight as he nods back and disappears to the otherside of the shelf for the locks.

Not that she's complaining, getting help is really life-saving for her.

It's only complicated if it's a handsome stranger....

What would he possibly want?