Stop Me (Brooklyn Beckham Fanfiction)

Chapter 17: (B)

Baby, baby. I never looked so gorgeous on your arm. Wearing last night's dress like a hot hot mess.
- Stop Me,
Natalia Kills.

"Yes?" A tall, bald, black man opened the door.
I handed over a small slip of paper.
"The quarter past nine slot." I added. "I booked."
"Ah yes," he smiled, standing out of the way for us to enter. "Come on in."
Lola seemed nervous and unwilling to enter, but I took her hand and pulled her inside.
The walls inside were white plastic, and backlit. We were led through a short corridor into a big square room.

"Ohhhhh." Lola sighed, obviously relieved as she realised what we had come to.

"It's a gallery." I breathed, as the man left us out a door on my right.

The walls were lined with contemporary photography, very alternative.
The ones we were closest to were of a child sliding down a slide into a sandpit, and the sand flying up around them as they reached the bottom. There were three photographs, all in black and white.

"Of course. Photography." she said.

"I've wanted to see this exhibition for a long time." I said, walking away from her to do a slow lap around the room.

Lola walked the other way around the room, admiring each piece.
"Do you like it?" I asked her nervously. My voice seemed to reverberate from the empty room.
"I love it." she said, turning round to me and smiling. I smiled too, and tried to look at all the photos on the walls, but my mind was on Lola.

"Hey, look at this one." she called me over. I crossed the room in big strides, my footsteps noisy on the wooden floor.

"Which way round does that go?" I laughed. The picture was of two different women's faces, and the photos had been cut up and collaged together all different ways up.
We stood there looking at it.
"It's different..." she said at last. "But...I like it."

"I thought you would."

"Thank you, Brooklyn."

And I could tell she meant it.

When our half an hour viewing time was up, it was getting late, and I thought we should be heading back to the hotel.

"Brooklyn, I'm having fun now!" Lola complained when I suggested it.
"I wanna stay out!"

"Well," I said, thinking on my feet. "I work in a coffee shop two streets away. The coffee's good, so are the milkshakes. It might still be open if we hurry."

"Okay." she said quickly, smiling.
That made her happy quite easily.

The roads were even darker, and colder when we stepped outside again, thanking the man on our way out. However it was busier, more people around at this time of night, leaving theatres and going out for drinks.

"Are you sure it will be open?" Lola asked as we drew nearer to the coffee shop.

"Pretty sure. People in the city will drink coffee any time of day."

She chuckled, but didn't elaborate.

"Hey is that it?"

"Yeah." I replied, seeing the familiar sign.

"I think they're closing." Lola said slowly.

And she was right. I saw Matthew, the owner, switching off all the lights.
"Hey!" I ran away from Lola, towards the shop. "Hey Matthew!"

"Alright there, Brooklyn?" He asked, when I reached him, concerned that something was wrong.

"Before you close, can my friend and I get some drinks?"