We met for lunch, at a place I picked, The Seafood Bar. I love London for one thing, the range of vintage exterior of the buildings, the colorfulness that America doesn't have. It reminded me of an old bookstore front with a little less detail but pretty, nonetheless.
"Woof," I look down at FishTart who was sniffing the air tail wagging in anticipation. He had his pink service dog vest.
It was quaint and comfortable, classy, and white. I had no formal where it was a last-minute buy. I got a nice emerald, green cocktail dress. It wasn't overtly flashy it could pass for a normal outfit a very confident woman would wear. I wore it.
FishTart did know though. He leads the way.
What a handsome man.
Rugged and stoic. He reminds me of a love interest in a romance book back in the day. He had a slight cut over his brow and a permanent furrow of his brow. He also had a little nick over the corner of his lip right side. His eyes widened once he saw me...
Did I overdress?
Shit!
"Hello, FishTart." He said leaning down and patting him on the head. FishTart scrambles underneath the table, eyes locked with Ghost, waiting for this poor sucker to give him food. I mean just look at his cute face.
"You look nice," he said his hands over the menu. I looked at his arm, it was covered in tattoos, mostly skulls and military stuff, truly a soldier. I smile at him and look down at the menu. I quietly took off his mask.
"Thank you." My voice trails off. He looks up and slightly frowns.
"What's the matter?" I blink and let my gaze drift down.
"Nothing... Just Soap was right," I muse quietly. Soap said Ghost was an attractive man. I wouldn't call it a smile, but it looked like one. FishTart sat under the table, from the way he kept glancing at me he was hoping for some food. I saw crabs, and it itched a part of my brain. I scan through everything, and I settle for the crab. Water was set before us; Ghost got a bourbon with his meal.
"How did your meeting go?" He asks to hand over the menus to the waiter.
"I don't know..."
The recording area was spacious and there were only three producers there. I didn't feel nervous I knew I would make it, either I lord my money over them, or I get in. The room lightly smelled of smoke, most of Europe smelled like smoke. There were many instruments there, the classic. State-of-the-art equipment lines the walls, and gold and platinum records adorn the space.
I turned around notebook in hand as I waited for the music producer, Matai Cardello. He was young but had been in the game for years, he looked up from his computer screen and smiled warmly.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Y/N."
"Call me Gisele, that's the stage name I'll be using."
"When I heard your demo, I couldn't believe it was coming from... you," I smile at him. It's not everyone knew I could sing. "I love to hear the full song."
"Of course," I walk into the booth taking a sip of water and letting my mind wander.
This wasn't my song. It was Charlie's. Honestly, He truly just made it up on the sport to satisfy my demands and it just stuck in my head. Charlie for all the drama he is was a wordsmith... or at least he could say a lot of shit all at once.
"That song... Doesn't sound like your other works." Matai said, I knew what he meant but I still felt a nervous energy in me.
"It was a song my friend wrote I finished it."
"Oh, what's his name—" He was already dismissing me... so be it.
"His name doesn't matter he's dead." I see Matai's face drained of all energy.
"Oh... it was... it was him."
"This is the song I want to be produced first... under my name, but I can also produce my own, but that be a lot of work."
"I don't think he likes me," I whisper.
"You do come out as a harsh being." Ghost adds in. "But they're always the nonconformist way to success." I nod, the waiter comes by, and Ghost orders for the both of us.
"I don't want to be an industry plant or industry... flop" He smiles and nods.
"Well, I do think Charlie's fan would support you—"
"Oh, hey I know I didn't say shit for years but support me because I deserve it?" I said in my most influencer-sounding voice. I see Ghost chuckle slightly.
"When you do say it like that you do sound like an ass." We chuckled but I wasn't overly nervous I could survive the rest of my life living off the rewards money, but I remember what Charlie said...
It's all for him.
Hehm.
I look up. Ghost leans in and in a low tone.
"There's been some talk within Konni group," I feel my heart skip a beat.
"Yeah?"
"There been some rumors we didn't take him out... and some rumors about you." I nod and lean back in my seat. His eyes searched my face and I saw him waiting for a reply.
"They are stupid going to America, even stupider going after me," I spoke up.
"I still worried."
"I live in a gated community."
"That's not good enough."
"I have my guns—"
"You're still in danger," I look at him. I see his eyes; it was filled with years' worth of worry and sadness. "You can't... you can't end up like Charlie." My lips form a thin line.
Our food was delivered.
"I am not him—"
"You will be if the Konni group finds you."
"Let them," I said coldly and turned to my crab. I no longer wanted to eat, I just wanted to slap Ghost.
"I don't mean to upset you—"
"Well, you did." I felt my blood boil. I snap the leg of the crab and bite into the flesh. It was juicy and supple. I dipped it in butter ignoring the intense gaze of Ghost.
"I worry for you."
"Why?"
"I still love you." I looked up and his gaze was just as intense as the day I left 141. Strange and mysterious, judgmental, and worried. His face was still and blank, I guess when you wear a mask you don't have to move your face. He reached over and swiped my lips pulling butter from my lips.
"I've never met someone so annoying, yet charming, someone so tough, yet falling apart at every step you take. You still my heart." I stare at him in his dark brown eyes. My nose stings and my eyes glaze over, I blink and look down.
"I am not a good person—"
"Neither am I... Neither is most people in our field. I still want you." I felt my emotions break and I wanted to cry. I bit my tongue hard trying to stop my tears from falling in strange space.
"Fuck you!" I grumble, "In front of my crab?" I hear a low chuckle from him as he takes his hand back.
"You don't have to hide your emotion in front of me."
"It ain't about you it's about everyone else." I snap back going back to my crab.
Why do men have to fluster me at the worst times? Right before missions, in a crowd, while I'm eating! Why do they get romantic when I'm mad?
As we finished with lunch, my frustration simmered down.
"Is there any place you want to visit?"
"I saw five bookstores," I said mindlessly.
"Would you like to visit them?"
"Why not."
Ghost followed me around like a guard dog. Anyone who looked my way got stared at by him. I told him to wander around, but he didn't. "What's that book about?" I looked at it.
"It's smut," I state casually before adding it to the pile in Ghost's arms. The first few were books on autism and trauma. The second stack was the Percy Jackson and Heroes of Olympus series, I've read all the books but didn't own them. I had a few books I've seen online like Babel, The Poppy Wars, Good Girl Guide to Murder, Evelyn Hugo, Carry Soto, A Little Life, Song of Achilles, and Silent Patient.
"Do you have enough space in your suitcase?" He asks.
"I can buy another one," I say casually.
Soon I moved to the romance section. Did I grab all the questionable romance books? yes. Did Ghost give me a weird look when one of them said, Priest? Hell yeah. By the time I moved on to the next shelf, I completely forgot how many books I had gotten. "I think this is enough love," I look over, and there standing holding a shit tone of books was Ghost. "There are 32 books."
"And? This is the first bookstore; I love the versatility of Barnes and Noble." I muse.
"This is an unhealthy addiction." He simply replied.
"I'm rich let me live." He moved the books aside and looked at me, with arch browns and a bored look.
"Love this is over £500..." I stared at him blankly. He sighs, "Like $700."
"Oh...." I said silently. I look away, "Maybe I do have a slight problem."
"Love, sort throw these."
"Why?"
"You can't possibly buy all of them."
"Watch me."
I bought all the books. Ghost gave me the most disappointed expression as I did so. I felt him bore holes into me as I struggled to carry the heavy bag.
"Here," he the two heaviest bag.
"Alright let's go to the other—"
"No... You've bought enough." I turn to him pouting.
"If you can prove to me that you read all these books and you're still in England I'll take you to another bookstore, but you only have another week so that won't happen," I grumbled pouting but agreed.
"Now, are you going to buy another suitcase?"
"Hell yeah."
Ghost walked me back to my hotel, and up to mine and Jess's room. As I open my hotel room, I find Jess sitting on the bed hunched over on their computer.
"How was your date—" Their voice drags out and they turn back to their computer.
"I got 32 books." They instantly turn around and clamber over taking the bag of books from Ghost and going through it.
"Where whore in theory, virgins in practice," Jess said cheerfully.
"Uh... Whore in theory, whore in practice," I corrected.
"You fuck?" Jess asks. "You have no rizz though."
"Shut your mouth and go cry to your situationship." Jess's mouth fell open and they turned away a little sad.
"Well," I turned to Ghost who had this amused look. "Thanks for helping me with the books."
"No problem love."
We bid farewell and he left.
"Are you two dating now?" Jess asks.
"No."
"That was a date."
"... Yeah..." I grumble softly.
"Do you like him?"
"I don't know," I slipped my dress off and walked into the bathroom.
"He's cute so you're type."
Shit....
He is handsome...
Me and Jess stayed in England for just another week. I meet up with 141 for afternoon tea. To everyone's delight (except for Soap) for a tea party. Roach and Jess got along well the two talking about Jess's strange mushroom pins. Their special interest was mushrooms. They were talking about something random.
"You Brits love your tea," Soap grumbled as he shoved another sandwich down his throat. Jess looked up.
"You're a Brit," Soap's head snaps to them eyes ablaze with anger. I see everyone freeze up and just stare at Jess like they are the most insane and deadliest person alive.
"I AM SCOTTISH!"
"... Scotland is part of the UK." Jess continues not to understand Soap's crisis. Gaz laughed at Soap smacking his back. "Therefore, you're British."
"Look here brat—"
"Did your ancestors colonize?"
"My ancestors were colonized!" Soap smacks his hand down standing up hunched over like Shriek.
"I'm pretty sure, if you took a DNA test you got a fair amount of English in you—" Soap lunged forward and Ghost grabbed his hand from punching the poor kid.
"G get your little pretty friend—"
"You think I'm pretty?" Jess said. Soap froze and his face went blank. We all stared at him. His face went red, and he stormed off.
"Oh?" Gaz muses before getting up and chasing after him.
"What did I do?"
"Expose him."
"He exposes himself." Price and Roach chuckled, and Ghost only shook his head.
"So," Price spoke up looking at me and Ghost. "Dating?"