“Yes, and if I could have them ready by next week that would be wonderful” I smiled as the clerk agreed before hanging up. I placed the phone back onto the holder and made a reminder on my computer for when the posters should get to the store. ‘Maybe I should do a special dinner for releasing the new line…’ I thought to myself, I shrugged before making a note of the thought in my diary.
Suddenly, my phone began to vibrate with Luke’s name and smile plastered on my screen. I gladly answered to hear his cheery voice.
“Hello” he said.
“Hello” I replied.
“Are you up for a night out?” he asked I rolled my chair back from my desk, a little taken back by the broad invitation.
“A night out?” I questioned.
“Yeah one of my friends does Drama as their major and him and a few other students are doing this competition thing where they have to do skits. He invited me, and I remember how we were talking the other day at your house…” I smiled at how he remembered I loved live performances, so much more emotion than movies and just as good.
“Thank you” I could almost picture his smile.
“Um, I know it’s traditional for the guy to pick up the girl but could you…” he began to trail off in a soft voice. I broke out into a wider smile before saying yes.
“But it’s not a date. I think it’s safe to say nothing between us is traditional” I said.
“Deal” he said before chuckling, “I’ll text you the address”.
I sighed before heading out to the front of the store to see Derek packing up, “You want to have that talk?” he asked. I groaned before face palming myself.
“Shit! I forgot we haven’t talked yet…”
“You’re going to see one of them aren’t you?” I felt so guilty, nothing less than what I’ve been feeling all day.
“He wants to take me to some live performances” I told him avoiding who it was but I’m 98% sure he knew which ‘he’ I was talking about.
“Fine… But I get you tomorrow” he ordered.
I nodded before hugging him “I swear tomorrow we can take a day off and talk all day, I promise” he nodded before I left.
I can’t believe I’ve forgotten one of my best friends so easily.
*
I adjusted my trench coat around me before picking up my spoon to have a bit of ice cream.
“So... I’m going down this hall way, full speed on a Segway and Ashton pops out of nowhere and I nearly kill him by pinning him to a wall!” I laughed as wind blew past my face, trying to picture Luke nearly killing Ashton.
“What did you think was going to happen when you play hide and seek on segway’s in an arena!”
“I didn’t think I would hurt anyone” he laughed.
“You guys are insane!” I told him.
“Ashton was hyped up on red bull! It was his crazy concoction!” I turned and looked at him.
“Concoction? Wow... a few little plays and you think you’re Shakespeare” he laughed before shoving me to the side causing me to lose my cup of ice cream.
“Oh!” I turned to see a smirk on his face as he looked at the upside down cup on the path way.
“Jerk!” I exclaimed pushing him in revenge.
I crouched down and picked up the cup only for my mint frozen treat to ooze out, “And there was so much left!” I groaned. I stood back up with the empty cup in my hand.
“I’m sorry” he laughed. We both stood looking at the empty cup in my hands.
“Ugh… I was enjoying it too” I complained.
I sighed as I threw away the cup and walked back over to Luke, “Aren’t you going to throw away the spoon?” he asked as we continued walking.
“No, it’s going to be a reminder of what was a delicious, minty treat that I should never take advantage of” he chuckled once more before shoving his cup towards me.
“We can share” he smiled.
I shook my head pushing away his hand “No, sharing classifies as a date” I told him.
“Okay, fine… I’ll look away and you take a bit” he turned his head towards the road and pushing the cup towards me once again. I laughed before taking a scoop.
“What? You actually did it!” he laughed once more before looking into the cup, “I said take a bit not half the cup…” I rolled my eyes as my eyes averted towards a graffiti wall. I froze looking at the street art, taking me by surprise by how well it was done.
“What is it?” he asked.
I turned and grabbed his forearm pulling him before I began to run over to the wall. I stood and looked at the large concrete canvas plastered in masterpieces overlapping, words in different colours being interpreted into different things and simple tags for street gangs around here. I found myself captivated by how the moonlight hit the wall, it made some of the paint shine like neon lights sparking inspiration for a new design.
“You can’t just run off like that around here” I heard Luke say from beside me. I replaced my hand on his forearm and tugged him closer to the wall.
“Look at it…” I told him, “It’s magnificent…”
I watched as his gaze turned to the wall, trying to see what I see in the paint splattered wall. “It’s… Ummm…” he began “It’s interesting” his head tilted to the side.
“This is too amazing to not be captured” I moved back to photograph the full wall with my phone when I noticed Luke still trying to see what I see, I held my phone up and realised Luke completed the photo. His dark figure added to the mystery of the street work and added something to my photo, he turned his head slightly and I could see a smile on his face.
His smile. That smile that makes me feel better not matter how tragic it is dropping my favourite ice-cream on the ground and the 5 second rule doesn’t count.
“I’m not going to lie to you, I have no idea what I’m meant to be looking at” he chuckled.
I shook my head as I stood back next to him, “It’s not what I’m meant to make you think. It’s what you think you can see” I told him.
“I see the word ‘ass’ written in neon spray paint” I stifled a laugh before looking to him.
“The words create a picture”
“A picture of ass?” he questioned with a weird look.
I shook my head rolling my eyes once again; I felt his hand run on the inside of my arm causing me to look at him.
“I’m just trying to annoy you now…” he smirked.
“First my ice cream and now my sanity?” I laughed before he took hold of my hand. “You’re not Batman, you’re the Joker” I said.
He took offence by gasping and holding his other hand over his heart “I am not a villain Shannon!” he exclaimed.
“Shhh!” I whispered.
“Do you want the gangs to know we’re here?” I asked before he pulled me close.
“What would they do? Spray paint the word ‘ass’ on me?” I shrugged.
“I don’t know Joker, you tell me” I chuckled as I felt his chest on mine.
His fingers entwined with both of my hands. His nose millimetres away from mine and his warm breath could be felt against my face. He tilted his head up and down only for his lips to brush again mine in a teasing manner.
“Is it a date if I kiss you?” he asked.
I smiled before mirroring his actions of brushing my lips against his before placing a teasing kiss on the corner of his mouth.
“Let’s go, you have a curfew” I chuckled before releasing one of his hands and pulling him away from the wall. Suddenly, he tugged me back only for me to fall gently into his chest. I rested my right hand on his shoulder to help push myself from the comfort of his hold, his hand pressed against the small of my back pressing me back against him.
I felt his lips press against my skin just below my jaw. He slowly began to trail soft, wet kisses down and back up my neck and along my jaw before placing a kiss on the corner of my mouth.
“Does it count if I kiss your lips?” I felt dazed by the feeling he left in my stomach from those kisses, my fingertips tingled as well as the formed goosebumps on my legs and arms.
“In all honesty I don’t even know what to think, because I think my brain froze” I heard the words fall out of my mouth before I could even hit spell check on the sentence. He chuckled as lips pressed to my forehead before he placed his on mine and his free arm wrapped around my waist, “I get that too” he said honestly has his eyes stared into my own.
“Why did Kennedy have to get you…?” I said thinking out loud. I let my hand slip from his shoulder and down to his chest.
“She didn’t get me, she doesn’t have me” he reassured me as I increased the distance between us.
“It doesn’t change the fact she went on a date with you first, she was the first one out of the two of us to make a move. I have to back off…” I told him.
“Then why did you come out tonight?” he asked.
I found this question hard to answer. I’m torn between what’s morally right and what my heart believes it wants. Which is Luke.
“Because I rightly made the first move”
*
I shut off the engine as we both sat in Luke’s drive way. “Thank you for tonight” I said to him as he released my hand from his grip.
The entire ride home he was holding my hand, as if he felt the need to have some form of physical contact with me. It felt nice to be needed like that; it was a different feeling but definitely a nice feeling.
He leant over and placed a soft lingering kiss on my cheek, “Anytime” he replied.
I watched as he opened the door and hopped out. Something inside of my caused me to shoot up and get out of the car.
“Luke…” I called out softly.
He turned and walked towards me, “Yeah?” he whispered knowing his mum and dad would be asleep.
A sudden hit of confidence came over me as I leant in and placed a kiss on his soft lips, he responded quickly before taking hold of my waist and pulling me close to his body. My hand slid into his soft hair as his hands found their way under the back of my shirt. My lips broke open as his tongue slipped into my mouth. The force of him pressing me against his body caused us to shift backwards. The back of my legs hit my car as Luke seemed to continue to tangle himself around me. Everything seemed to slow down as he pecked my lips more than once with a smile on his face. I looked up to him as he shyed away from my eye contact.
“Ummm…” we untangled ourselves from each other as he stood rubbing the back of his neck.
“I guess we can call that a date on its own…” he chuckled, I laughed along with him.
“I suppose” I said.
“Well, I’ll see you tomorrow” he said before walking into his house.
I walked back to my car and sat in silence as a slow smile formed on my face.
‘Maybe my happiness does matter…’ I thought to myself.