The Loneliest Stars || EDITING

Chapter 29

"Yes, I feel like I'm in a Hallmark movie, now all I need is an asshole ex I'm escaping from and a hot farmer to rescue me," she told the lady at the stall. "It's my first time in America."

"Oh, where are you from?" The lady asked interestedly, laughing at Lima's enthusiasm and Hallmark generalisation.

"I'm from London, England."

"Welcome, I hope you enjoy your stay here." The lady said politely, handing back Lima's change.

"Everyone's so nice here, I was worried for a while you know, this is the most I've been around..." she dropped her voice conspiratorially. "White people...for ages."

Natalia laughed, knowing exactly what she meant. When she had returned to the UK from the Middle East had taken her a while to get used to feeling like a minority everywhere she went, and dealing with entitled Karens - Middle aged white women that loved to complain.

"Where to first?"

"Meats, then fruits and vegetables. I'm thinking of making potato salad, mac and cheese and a salad for sides."

"If you make your famous halloumi and watermelon kebab too, I'll love you forever."

"Alright then, I'll add that to the list. What shall we do for the dessert?"

"Fruit salad? Do you think we can persuade the Yanks to like Eton Mess? Because you can't have a barbecue without it?"

"I'll deffo back it one hundred percent, I haven't had a good British dessert for ages."

"Right?"

"Why are we always living abroad again?"

"We love being tortured by bad tea and no free healthcare."

They grabbed what they needed from the market and hurried home. Natalia still needed to marinate the meat, she didn't care what Gabe said about the meat being high quality and not needing much. She wasn't letting anyone under season meat in her presence.

When they got back, Natalia let them into Gabe's with the brand-spanking new key he had given her yesterday. She tried to not make a big deal out of it at the time, but her insides were screaming when he had handed her the key. They were like almost cohabitating?

Gabe was in the backyard, he had cut the grass and was sweeping up the debris with a rake. Shirtless. Natalia and Lima gawked at his bare-chested torso. Natalia had seen it before obviously, but out in the midday sun, with the rays highlighting his sculpted muscles, he looked like an art piece.

"God, I have seen what you've done for others. It's time to bless your favourite child too," Lima prayed semi-seriously with her hands outstretched to the sky. Natalia laughed at the expression on her face.

"Hold on, God is sending me a message...He says, stop being so damn picky, Lima."

"I'm not picky."

"Yes, you are. You dumped the last guy you dated because..."

"He didn't drink enough water, I just knew his semen tasted like battery acid and expired orange juice."

Gabe chose that exact moment to walk into the kitchen to...coincidentally retrieve a water bottle from the fridge

"Lima, don't —"

"God, I wasn't going to. I have some boundaries, you know."

"I don't think I want to know what this is about, I'm going."

Lima laughed at the unintentional comedy until there were tears in her eyes.

After leaving the meats to marinade, and preparing the side dishes and dessert with Lima helping by chatting incessantly, both girls left to go back to Natalia's to get changed into attire more suited to having company.