Hi before I start, I saw this hat at a fancy dress shop and I just had to buy it because obvs Neal Caffrey. Plus you'll all get an idea of what Agent Scarlet looks like but the only difference is she has slightly longer hair. I hope you enjoy this chapter (Sorry there's no sexy gif of Neal this time)
***
"If you want it, get it on it." I lightly sang along with the music, while I looked in my full length mirror that was hanging on the front door. I had just got changed and my music has been playing since I got home and I had sang along to every song. "Ride it, my pony."
It seemed like an okay outfit, seeing as it was warm outside I had put on a cream silk skirt that reached my ankles. It was flowing, didn't weigh down too much and plus I haven't shaved my legs so the fact that it hid that was an obvious bonus. With the skirt I had put on a black crop top that showed off my toned stomach thanks to the training I had to go through. If I wasn't in my line of work I probably wouldn't be this physically active. I smiled at myself at the mirror. I looked better now.
Instead of sweat on my face and in my hair, I had left my curly waves out and I had put some makeup on my face. The red lipstick seemed to make the simple outfit more glamorous. And people ask why I always wear red lipstick...
I reached for my straw looking handbag, and put in my purse, red lipstick, phone, and now my FBI badge. I glanced at the ID photo that had been taken before I left London, nothing had really changed expect my hair had slightly grown. I still miss London, even though it's a crazy thing to say when I live in New York now. I had dreamed of living in New York and becoming an FBI agent since I was little, I used to watch FBI shows on the TV almost religiously. If Ian dared to speak I would playfully hit him until he stopped. He soon got the memo when he was ten and I was nine and I had pushed him against the wooden coffee table and he had cut his head and we had to go to the hospital for him to get stitches. My parent's had banned me from watching FBI shows for a month but I always found a way to watch them.
Three sharp knocks brought me out of my thoughts. "Hold on a minute." I called, switching off my spotify on my laptop and putting on the closest flats next to me, and my cat eye sunglasses placing them on the top of my head. I looked over myself in the mirror one last time and smiled, I looked decent, nice even.
I opened the door and saw Neal. He smiled when he saw me and I smiled back, he was wearing a deep purple shirt with the first few buttons undone showing his collarbones, black trousers, brown brogues, and his sunglasses resting in his shirt pocket.
"You look nice." I said, taking my keys from the bowl then walking out of my apartment Neal moving as I looked the door behind me.
"So do you." He replied politely, and I smiled at the polite compliment.
"Thanks Caffrey." I said looking up at him, he was taller now that I didn't have the height of heels or a slight lift of trainers. When he turned his head I looked away. I didn't know why I had because now it just made it more obvious that I was looking at him.
We didn't talk much during the walk to Peter's car, the only conversation we had was polite remarks. Neal asking how I was and me saying I was fine. I couldn't help but feel a little down heartened, after our joking around in the gym I thought that we had at least gone past civil politeness. Since I had gotten home I couldn't stop thinking about how he looked at the gym, not just the way he looked without a shirt. The way his muscles moved like velvet as he ran or lifted some weights, the way his sweat had decorated his body emphasising the more muscular parts of his body. His broad shoulders as they rose and fell when stretching or the way...
"Lily" Neal said from beside me, shaking me out of my constant daydream. I looked over at him and realised we had reached the car park. "are you okay? You've been ignoring me since we walked down the stairs." his eyebrows were furrowed and his expression was confused.
"I'm fine." I said uneasily, which I'm sure Neal caught on. I couldn't tell him that I was thinking of him, I'd rather die than give Caffrey the extra ego boost. "I was thinking about home." I said, it was partly true. I had been thinking about home before.
Neal nodded his head in understanding. "Are you missing it?" he asked as we walked nearer Peter's black car.
"Yeah I guess so, I don't know it's pointless I've been waiting for this moment for the whole of my childhood." I said looking over at Neal and seeing a small smirk appearing on his face. " No Neal, I'm not talking about meeting you."
"What?" Neal asked his voice raising like I had suspected him of murdering someone. "I would never even think-"
"Yeah yeah." I said smiling shaking my head slightly. We now we're at Peter's car. Neal smiled as he opened the front door for me, I smiled as I sat down. Peter greeted me with a polite hello with Neal still holding the door.
"You owe me the rest of that conversation." He said smiling as I just furrowed my eyebrows, why would he want to continue the conversation? It wasn't anything significant just about London.
"Sure, if you want?" I wanted to say but it sounded more like a question making Neal smile and jump into the back of the car. Peter looked over at me and smiled.
"You alright Scarlet?" He asked turning his key in the car making the engine start. Moving out of the parked space and into the New York streets.
"Yeah, I'm great." I said smiling "thank you for letting me come with you two for lunch."
"No problem, you seem to have a knack of making Neal less annoying when you're here." Peter said with a smirk on his face and I smiled.
"I can still hear you." Neal said from the back of the car making me laugh.
"Well if he is less annoying when I'm around I don't want to ever see him when I'm not here."
"I'm not deaf!" Neal exclaimed from the back of the car. I smiled as Peter laughed, I guess I was fitting in with the boys. Well at least with Peter.
***
"Have you decided with what you want to order?" The waitress asked as she came around, she had already came at least three times checking up if we were okay; and I could only think of one reason why. Neal.
"Yeah I think we'll have, number 3, 5 and 8." Neal said pointing to the menu as he resisted the words. The waitress had long blonde hair, bright green eyes, legs that nearly reached her elbows and every chance she would get she would look at Neal like he was sex on legs. Her eyes taking down his shirt probably thinking about what lied underneath. Little did she know that I had seen it only this morning.
Not that I was bothered.
"Great, well I'll just get you that and your drinks will be here any moment sir." She said and walked off purposely shaking her lower half of her body.
"Does this happen often?" I asked as Peter just smirked making it obvious that it did. Neal, who was sat opposite me just cocked his head to the side at my question.
"Are you jealous?"
"Are you kidding?" I scoffed and Peter smiled from beside Neal. But Neal didn't hide his smirk.
I looked around the restaurant and smiled at the interior it was small and dark. It mainly served French pastries but it did serve meals as well. The lights were hanging light bulbs without anything over it, somehow the exposed light made the restaurant look more professional and classy.
"So Lily, how're you enjoying New York?" Peter asked politely as our drinks were brought to us. I smiled at the waitress and said thank you as she put my Diet Coke in front of me. But she didn't return my smile, she just huffed audibly and rolled her eyes.
Okay then, there's no need to be fucking rude.
"Yeah, I've really been enjoying it." I said and I noticed Neal was now looking at me with curiosity in his eyes. "I mean it's going to get some getting used to, it's a lot different from London." I continued awkwardly laughing as Peter smiled.
"It'll grow on you don't worry." He reassured. When the waitress had left, I ran my fingers through my brown curly short hair. It doesn't help that the waitress has to be the vision of perfection, while I just look okay. I normally don't care about my appearance but recently. Since I've moved to New York there has been stunning girls and women wherever you look and I just don't fit in.
Three rings sounded and I looked in my bag and saw my phone buzzing with the words 'Ian' on the front.
"Am I okay to take this?" I asked as Peter just nodded and I mouthed a 'sorry' which made Neal smile. I pressed the answer button and brought the phone up to my ear.
"Hello, are you alright?" I asked, as I heard some crackling from the other side of the phone. Where was he?
"Yeah I'm fine you need to stop worrying so much." My brother said.
"Where are you, why does it sound like somethings crackling?" I asked and I heard my brother laugh slightly.
"Stop worrying, I'm with mum and dad we're having a BBQ." Ian said and sure enough I heard my mums familiar voice calling my dad; and my face relaxed. For some reason hearing my mums voice made my heart ache, I missed her a lot. Even though it's only been a week here I've missed them all. "So what're you doing? not still working out I hope."
"No I've finished in the gym." I said smiling and I looked over to see Neal looking at me, a light smile on his face when my eyes turned to him. "I'm just having lunch now with some friends."
"Are they agents too?" Ian eagerly asked and I let out a little laugh.
"Yes they're agents too , you don't have to act so excited." I looked over and saw Peter smile.
"Why not we're great?" Neal said loud enough so my brother could hear.
"Who's that?" Ian asked.
"That's Caffrey, he's here along with Agent Burke." I said as Ian let out a noise letting me know that he understood. "So how's your work going?" I asked.
"Y'know this and that, I've just put up my head shots but I can't promise anything will happen."
"I'm sure you'll get a part." I said, I noticed the leggy blonde walking towards us as huffed. "Right, I have to go I'll call you later yeah?"
"yeah okay." he said and then called for mum and dad. "Bye Lily!" they all called and I smiled. My heart ached again, some part of me wished I was back home with them but I was here. I ended the call and put the phone back in my bag.
"You okay?" Neal asked as he probably noticed my sad smile coming over my face.
"Yeah it was just my brother and my family." I said as Neal nodded his head and I looked over to Peter and saw him smiling. "I call him everyday, I didn't realise he wanted to phone again."
"It's okay don't apologise, family calls need to happen." Peter said smiling as I said a quiet thanks in response.
I looked over to Caffrey again but he didn't notice as he was staring at the blonde waitress. Great.
***
"Thanks again for the meal." I said to Peter as he pulled up outside my apartment. It was now about four in the afternoon, the lunch had taken a few hours and after that we just talked. Mostly about family and New York but I didn't talk to much about London. I didn't want to talk about it because I knew I was going to burst into tears if I did.
"No problem Scarlet, its been nice to hang out with you."
"Thanks Peter, well I'll see you in work tomorrow." I said as Peter said a polite see you later.
"I'll come walk you to your door." Caffrey said opening his car door before I could retaliate. I just looked over to Peter as he shrugged and I opened the car door. Stepping out and walking to the pavement meeting Neal as he walked up the stairs.
"I don't need an escort, I'm perfectly fine going to my own apartment." I said as Neal just walked on as I followed him and I sighed in defeat.
"Well it wouldn't hurt to just have someone walk you to your door." he said as we walked up the stairs to reach my apartment door.
"I guess not." I stated as I placed my key in the door and I opened it letting myself in. "Well thanks for the walk, and for the meal. I guess you're not that bad Caffrey." I said closing the door.
Suddenly, Neal had stopped the door his hand on the inside of the door stopping it from closing. The rough movement had made my heart begin to race.
"I've decided what you can do for me." He stated, his voice lowering and he stepped closer to me so his breath was fanning my face.
"Excuse me?" I asked, what gave him the idea that I would do something for him?
"You owe me a conversation. Give me your phone number." he said raising his right eyebrow. I couldn't help the feeling that overcame me when he demanded something. I fumbled around in my bag to find my phone and I handed it to Caffrey unlocking it so he could put his phone number in.
"I'll ring you tonight." He said and without a goodbye he left handing me back my phone and I couldn't move. Glued to the spot staring at my phone, and smiling like a god damn idiot.
Hi guys I hoped you enjoyed this one! it's longer than usual and I hope you like it please give it a vote and comment if you did and I'll be sure to update soon. Happy reading! Lily.