THALIA
When a woman dressed in a black suit approached me on a train track, whilst I was holding a bottle of blue spray paint in my left hand and a face covered with paint, I didn't hesitate to say no to her proposition:
BE HER BRIDESMAID AT HER WE...
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I slide him a fresh glass of sprite. "That will be £1.50." I type the information into the cash machine and hand him the card machine.
He pulls a black card out of his pocket and taps it against the screen. The receipt prints and I hand it to him, he scrunches it up into a ball, walks over to the bin, chucks it in, then comes back and takes a seat.
I wait patiently for half a minute but he doesn't make a move to leave. "You're still here?"
He lifts his arms up and looks at them, "think so."
I discreetly scratch my forehead with my middle finger, "ha-ha, very funny."
He smiles like a puppy with a bone, "thanks, baby."
I go to grab my phone out of my pocket, but then I remember, I don't have one. I literally have nothing with me. Thank god I have to wear work uniform, it's a good excuse.
"Looking for something?"
"My phone," I mutter.
"I'll help you look," he offers suspiciously eager.
"Don't worry about it, I don't have one."
He lowers back into the seat, a charming smile spread across his face. "I'm not even gonna ask."
"Yeah... best you don't."
"Bro, c'mon. We're leaving now."
For the first time today, sadness takes over Warrens features, features that I thought were stained with a smile. He looks genuinely disappointed.
"Bro," one of his mates say.
Warren stands up and before I have time to register, he kisses me on the cheek. "Bye babe, I won't forget about you."
And then before I have time to reply, he's gone. Leaving the smell of his aftershave behind. And a lot more than that. (Including a red stain on my cheeks)
——————-THE NEXT DAY——————-
The bell above the door chimes and when I look up in met with a bright smile.
I roll my eyes despite the butterflies forming in my stomach. "Yay, your back!" Sarcasm drips from my words.
His smile doesn't falter, if anything, it brightens. He takes a seat on the same stool as yesterday. "Glad to know you remember your future husband."
I roll my eyes at his bold statement.
Warren takes a box out of nowhere and slides it across the counter. It's wrapped neatly with a ribbon.
I look between the gift and Warren multiple times.
"Don't look so disgusted, it's a gift."
"I don't trust you."
"You made that clear yesterday."
I roll my eyes and pick up the present gently. I can't remember the last time I got a gift.
I slide the ribbon off and start tearing the wrapping paper off neatly.
"There's not a nuclear bomb in there." Warren tells me whilst he watches me unwrap.
"No shit."
"You owe it to me to be nice today." He tells me with a pointed finger.
"Today? You mean the next five minutes?"
"Nope, we're spending the day together." Warren announces like this isn't some newfound information.
"Are we now?" I tilt my head to the side, examining him.
But his golden retriever smile doesn't fade.
I place the wrapping to the side, no tears in it whatsoever.
I look at the box and immediately blush. I just know I look like a ripe tomato.
"I put my number in there already."
It's a phone. He got me a phone after our conversation yesterday.
Oh my god, I really really really don't want to cry. I'm really really really trying to hold back the tears.
There's no hope, the tears spill.
Finally the smiles wiped off of Warrens face but I'm not sure if I want it to be. He immediately walks round the counter and puts an arm round me. "I'm sorry! I thought you'd like it. I didn't really think about the fact you might be anti-IPhone or something."
I laugh, but with the tears it sounds like some ugly cry. "I'm not sad. I'm crying because, I don't know... this is sweet."
The smile reappears on his face in the blink of an eye. "You're crying at this? Oh god, there's going to be a lot of tears in our relationship."
Before I can wipe the tears away he beats me to it. As soon as he touches me I feel the butterflies return. He keeps his eyes focused on mine and my breath is stolen away. I can't think right now.
I blink the wetness of my eyes and Warren backs up. I then go back to what he said before, "our relationship...?"
"Yeah."
"What if I don't want to be friends?" I tease.
"Too bad then. You're stuck with me."
"How fun," I reply sarcastically but my hearts never beaten faster.
Warren starts heading for the door and I stay halted in my position. He looks over his shoulder, "coming?"
And instead of me legs listening to my head saying no, they listen to my heart screaming yes.
I don't think twice about following him but it's only until I'm out of the cafe that I realise, I just walked out whilst I was on a shift. I need this job.
I stop in my tracks, "wait!"
Warren then stops and turns to face me, " what's wrong?"
"I can't just walk out of work."
"I'll pay you triple what you would have been payed", Warren tells me easily and then wraps a hand around my wrist softly and tugs me towards his car.
