Till Forever Falls Apart

10). Zane

ZANE

I was standing outside the coffee shop in which she worked. She was inside. She was just some feet away from me. And I started feeling nervous. 

Talking on the phone and seeing each other in person were two totally different things. What if she didn't like me? What if she was completely opposite of what I think she was? There were so many questions going inside my head at that moment. 

It was really difficult for me to be able to escape the city, without anyone being able to follow me. Those paparazzi were a fucking nightmare. Sometimes, I wish I was a normal person. Halfway through, I had to rent a motorbike to escape them. 

I took the helmet off, inhaled a deep breath, and finally opened the door to the shop.

Behind the counter were two women standing. One was facing towards me, she was laughing at something and the other one was facing her. I don't really know where she would be. I guess, I'll just have to ask them. 

But before I could say anything, the girl who was facing me, noticed me. And suddenly her eyes turned into saucers and her jaw dropped.

I guess she recognized me. "Holy shit! Zane Sterling in our coffee shop."

Yup, definitely recognized me.

"Yeah, I'm not falling for that again." The other one replied. 

Her voice sounded familiar.

"No, Ika. I'm not joking. Seriously, Zane Sterling really is standing right behind you." She said.

Wait... Ika? That's...Anika's nickname. I once heard her roommate, Ayla, call her that. That is why, I wanted something of my own. Something with which, only I  could call her.

I was lost in my thoughts when I heard her saying, "Yeah, yeah. And I had lunch with Vicky Kaushal yesterday." 

Before I could stop myself, the question slipped out my mouth. "Who's Vicky Kaushal?"

Suddenly...she turned and I was face-to-face with the woman, who has become an important part of my life in less than a month. 

And damn, she was gorgeous. Her beautiful hazel brown eyes with golden flecks in them. She had thick, naturally curly hair that hangs a little bit below her shoulders. Her olive coloured skin, with a subtle, rosy glow around her cheeks.

This woman was fucking beautiful. 

"Oh my god, are you really here?" She asked. Her eyes wide.

"Touch and see." I replied with a smirk.

The woman besides her said, "He's really here. It's not only you. I'm also seeing him."

My firefly just kept looking at me and I let her. Because I was doing the same. 

And then, slowly...she lifted her left hand and stroked my face. Her fingers first slowly stroked my forehead, then made their way towards my eyes, nose, then lips and finally my jaw. Then her hand dropped at her side.

Jesus! That innocent action made my heart racing.

"Holy hell! You really are here. What are you doing here?" She asked me.

I cleared my throat and said, "I came to see you." 

"You came to see me? But how did you even know where I work?" 

"You once told me the name of this town where you live along with the name of this coffee shop. I just figured it out. I'm a pretty smart guy, you know."

"I just told you once casually and you remembered it." She asked.

"I remember everything you say, firefly." I told her with a wink.

Suddenly her friend said, "Wow! Firefly huh? You have a nice nickname, Ika." She waggled her eyebrows at her.

Ika's ears and cheeks turned pink. And somehow she became even more beautiful. 

I turned towards her friend and said, "And you must be Sasha. Ika has told me about you."

"Only good things, I hope."

"Oh, absolutely." I said with a smile.

Ika turned towards me and asked, "Do you want something to drink? Coffee or anything else, maybe?"

"When will your shift end?" I asked her instead.

"Umm..in twenty minutes, I guess." She said, after checking her watch.

"Great. Would you like to spend the rest of your day with me?" 

I won't lie, I was fucking nervous. 

I've never had any problems in getting anyone to go out with me before. Most of the time, it was them who wanted to hang out and I just went along with it. But this time, it was different.

She was different.

"Like on a date?" Her friend, Sasha, asked in a teasing tone.

I didn't look away from my firefly's eyes and said, "Like two people going out to spend some time together, to get to know each other better."

"Sounds like a date to me." Sasha muttered.

I never thought that, I would act like those guys, who get so nervous to ask a girl out. But here I was. 

Please say yes, please say yes.

She took a deep breath and said, "Yeah. I would really like that."

And all my nerves settled down.