My earbuds blocked the light chatter of the cafe around me as I sat in my little booth in the corner, reading an assigned work for my literature class. As I turned a page, my phone thrummed lightly on the table, the music in my ears dying out and fading back to its previous vibrancy. As the guitar chords continued, I folded the corner of my page and placed the book down. I pressed on the phone, the screen lighting to show a message.

SYDNEY: Can't make it today, got called into work. So sorry!

A small smile twitched on my lips as I began to type back.

Don't worry about it! See you tomorrow! :)

Locking the phone once more, I pressed the button on my earbuds to switch the song and leaned back against the slightly hard leather booth, letting out a small sigh as I closed my eyes. My favorite tune floated into my ears, and without meaning to, my lips pressed together a quiet hum escaping my throat as the recognisable notes relaxed me.

Someone tapped my shoulder.

My eyes opened slowly and I looked up to see a young man with cropped blonde hair standing by my corner booth. And he was trying to say something.

I held up a finger and slipped the earbuds out, wincing slightly as I realised the beat could be heard from how loud I had turned the volume.

"Sorry," I said, stopping the music. "I didn't see you there."

"It's fine," he said with a smile. "It's just, uh, could I maybe sit here?"

I glanced up to see his arm gesturing to the seat across from me.

"Uh…"

"It's nothing, really," he said. "There's just a lot of groups here and there's not really an empty place to sit."

I turned my head to look. He was right. There was a rush in the cafe, and the place had filled up with people sitting with friends. Meanwhile I had none with me, and there was an empty bench across from me.

"Uh, sure," I murmured, just loud enough for him to hear me over the chatter around us.

"Thanks. I won't be long," he assured me as he slid into the seat. "I'm just waiting on someone, and I'll be out of your hair in no time," he said with a small chuckle.

"It's no problem," I said with a small smile. At least he was polite. I glanced at him again as I checked my phone for messages and he read a paper. He looked to be about my age, with brown eyes and just a slight bit of facial hair on his chin, but well kept. As he glanced up my eyes shot back down to my phone, pretending to type away.

"I'm Luke, by the way."

I slowly looked up at him, as if I was finishing a message. "Luke? I'm Emilie," I said with a small smile.

He gave me a smile and we returned to our small silence. I glanced outside the window to the telephone booth right outside for a moment before I picked up my book and found my marked page to continue.

The silence was actually comfortable for quite awhile. I turned my page.

"So, do you go to college around here?"

"Uh, yeah," I answered Luke's question. "At RADA."

He nodded. "Major?"

"Technical Theatre and Management," I answered, my voice quieting a bit.

He gave a large smile. "I have a few friends in there," he said proudly.

I smiled back. "Really? Awesome," I said. "What's your major?"

He chuckled. "I graduated from a school nearby last year," he answered. "Business Management and Social Sciences."

I nodded slowly and opened my mouth to say something else when someone near our booth spoke.

"Hey, Luke, there you are!"

Luke and I both looked up at once to the person standing directly next to our table. A rather tall man stood there with a coffee. I glanced at the writing inked onto the side of the container. T-

"Tom!" exclaimed Luke, practically leaping from his seat with a grin. "It's been too long!"

Tom placed his cup on the table as he embraced the man in a friendly hug. His ginger-blonde hair caught a bit in the light. "Yeah! If you hadn't disappeared off after graduation we might see each other more often!"

"Excuses, excuses," Luke chided him. "You're late!"

"I'm sorry," the other man apologised. "Emma kept me. Kept telling me this and that about what she's been doing." He was grinning, and it was clear to me that he must have done that rather a lot. The corner of my mouth twitched as I looked at him. His teeth were straight and white, and his smile was something that made me want to smile as well.

I caught myself looking for a bit too long as the two men continued talking and turned away, realising that they were probably leaving now that they had met up like planned. My hand slid across the surface of the table to my book and dragged it back to me, where I opened it to keep reading.

"And who is this?"

My eyes floated up from the written page in slight surprise just moments later at the sound of Tom's voice directed toward me. His blue-green eyes were looking at me, a small smile on his face.

"Emilie," I said quietly.

"She graced me with her wonderful presence while you were off God knows where and ended up late," Luke continued for me.

"'Graced' probably isn't the right word," I mumbled. "There was just no where to sit."

"I told you I was with Emma!" Tom exclaimed. I didn't know if he or Luke heard my previous words. Luke was laughing at Tom's face. He seemed to be genuinely distraught that he had been late.

"It's fine, man," Luke assured him. "I'm just teasing."

Tom shook his head and lightly punched the other man's arm before turning back to me.

"I'm sorry if he's been bothering you," he said, putting a hand up to block sight of his mouth from Luke. He spoke too loud to make what he said any secret, however.

"Hey!" Luke let out. "I was wonderful company!"

I couldn't help a small giggle. "He was a perfect gentlemen," I said.

Tom laughed a bit at my response. "Of course he was! I taught him."

"Don't go spreading lies, Thomas," Luke warned. "I taught him."

"I'll have none of that being spread around," Tom answered as their banter continued. I gave a small smile as I watched them.

Bzz, Bzz. Bzz, Bzz.

I looked down at my phone, which had lit up on the table before me. The bright screen showed the name Erik.

"Sorry," I said to the men, who were still talking in front of my booth. "I need to take this."

Tom looked down at the phone clutched in my hand and moved quickly out of my way so I could slide from the bench. I picked up my book and purse as well.

"See you another time!" Luke called after me as the phone stopped ringing. I unlocked it to call him back as I turned and waved at them over my shoulder. As I looked away, Tom turned back to Luke, seeming to talk a bit more seriously.

I exited the cafe and lifted my phone to my ear as I pressed call.

"Emilie, baby, what's going on in your wonderful life?" he answered happily.

I couldn't keep a grin from my features as he spoke. "Nothing new, Erik, like always," I answered, walking around the side of the cafe and past the telephone booth.

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Well, there's the first chapter! Be lovely and give me some feedback!

I have a few more chapters almost ready(editing before I post) and I'd really love it if you could tell me if you like it so far!

Thank you my darlings!

Mwah!

-Kris

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