I Hope You Stay » [J.B.B]

Chapter 2

Charlotte Blayne

"There's an empty booth over there, come on." Arla tugs me further into the diner, weaving us both through the crowd of people until we reached the open booth.

I slide into the booth, Arla sliding in opposite me as I let my eyes wonder around the diner, picking up on all the teenagers laughing loudly, drinking and dancing with each other, or more like on each other but who was I to judge.

"Do ya remember that guy I told you about last week?" I turn my gaze back to focus on Arla as she leans forward, resting her elbows on the table to speak to me. "The one I met at the diner. Blonde hair, muscles, tall."

"Steve?"

"Yeah, he said he was gonna be here tonight." I laugh softly, a smile breaking out onto my face as I watch her eyes flitter around the diner not so subtly, clearly searching for this guy.

"Oh, did he?" I ask with a playful smirk, watching her eyes snap back to me with a glare, but I could still see the way her cheeks were darkening under the dim lights. "Can't wait to see lover boy again can you?"

"Can it Lottie." She rolls her eyes, joining my laughter as she sits back, fanning her face lightly with the menu. "We only met last week Friday."

I shrug, picking up the other menu on the table to mimic her actions.
The fanning motion of the menu providing more cool air than the air conditioners, which were clearly no match for the amount of people in here.

"Why don't you go look for him? Sitting here surely ain't gonna help." I tilt my head slightly, gesturing with the menu towards the antsville of teenagers. "He aught to be somewhere."

"Are you writing a book?" I shake my head, laughing at her clear avoidance of my question.

"Maybe." I lean back against the plastic wrapped couch, letting my eyes wander out towards the movement of the diner.

"Might as well be with all the questions." As she mutters underneath her breath, I notice a figure walking through the crowd and I furrow my eyebrows for a moment while speaking.

"Arla, did you say Steve has blonde hair?"

"Yeah, why?"

"I think he's coming over here." I casually turn my head back to look at Arla, seeing her eyes slightly wide as she looks at me.

"Are you sure?"

"Arla, I haven't met the guy, so no, not really." I giggle softly at her expression and simply shrug. "But, basing it off your description, I'd say it's him. You didn't tell me he was a greaser!"

"Because I knew that'd be your reaction." She laughs nervously as if she just remembered Steve was walking over here. "Okay, okay, uh, how do I look?"

"Gorgeous as ever."

A few seconds later, the man from across the room was standing right in front of our booth, confirming that it was actually Steve.

"Arla-Mae."

"Hey Steve." She starts to scoot along the couch, about to stand up when he stops her.

"Don't need to stand for me darlin', mind if I sit?" I watched the interaction silently as Arla nods, noticing the way she had suddenly become shy around him, which wasn't a usual sight when it came to her.

"I'm sorry, where are my manners? Shoulda introduced myself." I'm taken out of my thoughts, seeing Steve reaching his hand out across the table towards me. "I'm Steve Rogers."