Alone With Ross

•78•

"Hello? You still there?"

I shook my head, trying to reassemble my jumbled thoughts. "Y-yeah, just took me by surprise is all, what'd you need?"

"An explanation, I'm in your area, meet me at P.F. Chang's, the one further north, please."

"Ross, I don't think I have the time-"

"Make time." He said icily, before the line cut off.

***

I went inside the restaurant, scanning the room for him, but one of the waiters seemed to know why I was there so they lead me to a fairly empty part of the restaurant, and I saw him.

Stoic and as handsome as ever, he sat there, almost glaring at his plate, wearing a black button up with a navy tie, his hair for once, actually styled.

He was so clean cut and grown. For a second I couldn't believe it was him. But as soon as he set his hazel eyes on my boring brown ones I just knew I was in for a night.

I approached the table with cautious steps and to my surprise, Ross stood to greet me with a hug, exchanging basic hellos before sitting down.

"I just got us waters and some kind of Margarita."

I nodded my head. And we both just looked around the room, avoiding eye contact with each other.

Finally I just sighed giving up whatever front I was trying to keep up, after years of suffering the only useful thing I took away was life is short. I can't waste time being afraid. "So you're buying me dinner then you're going to yell at me? Or did you have something else planned before the yelling."

"No, I was thinking of making the New York's Times best selling author pay for this lovely dinner before tearing her a new one."

We both leaned away from the table as a waiter came to get our orders, I just ordered the first thing I saw before returning my attention to Ross.

"Let's just catch up for now, then we can talk, seem fair?" He asked holding his glass out to cheers and I clinked my glass with his.

"So why are you in New York?" I started.

"Basketball." He shrugged.

"Oh, you still play? What college did you end up picking?"

"Utah, it's a pretty small campus but I like it, our team is kinda shit." I nodded and we fell back into awkward silence.

"So, earlier you mentioned Keith, how are you guys doing?" He asked and I found myself stuck between telling the truth or lying.

"We broke up when I came back from Indiana, but we're still really close friends." I shrugged before slapping my forehead. "I was supposed to go to lunch with him."

Ross' hand moved towards his mouth and my eyes flickered up towards him, he was trying to hide his laughter but failed miserably. "Is that why you were complaining about Chipotles? Who even are you? My Caspian loves Mexican dining."

My ears were burning with how he said 'My Caspian.' But I found myself rolling my eyes. "You try eating it for five nights out of seven." I laughed admiring the condensation on my glass, I could feel his stare on my face, that's why I was so afraid to look up, but when I finally did, I don't think I could find it within myself to ever look away again.

He was bright. In every sense of the word, it was like looking at the fucking sun, my eyes were actually beginning to water. He was smiling at me, such a huge contrast from the last time I saw him.