Chapter One: Dog days are over

Will and I broke up and somehow I ended up at the Paper Lantern. I was going somewhere, away, but I didn't know where to go. How utterly pathetic. Doesn't really help with this theory I'm devising which says I'm not running away, but running towards something. Wait, I'm running towards delicious Chinese food. Yes, that's something. Except, of course, we used to come here sometimes as a couple, despite the fact that Will doesn't like Chinese food, so it's some craptastic not-running-away that I'm doing here.

A bit winded, which is weird because I wasn't literally running, I sat down in one of the booths. Note to self: work on condition, because that is truly ridiculous. Secretly, I was hoping Warren was working tonight. He is just so delightfully snarky and I know that will cheer me up. Plus, he thought Will and I were nauseating. I'm pretty sure Warren thinks love in general is vomit-inducing. He dated the ice girl - whose name I keep forgetting, which understandably annoys him – for a while, but then she got too clingy and he 'got rid of her.' His words, not mine.

'Where's Will?' Warren suddenly asked and I gasped for breath. The mention of his name caused my eyes to fill with tears and that was just... No. I was not going to cry in public. So, I blinked them away and faced Warren.

'Where did you just come from?' I asked and Warren grinned and slipped into the booth too.

'I'm stealthy,' he responded and he lit the candle with his finger again. His hair was up and it was different. I don't know why I was commenting on that, even if it was just in the safe confines of my head. It was a stupid observation anyway. Of course it's different. His hair is usually loose. So what?

'We broke up, so it's just me.'

This is why I love Warren. My mom would have sighed, or possibly even shrieked, and immediately smothered me in the dreaded embrace of pity. My father would have avoided eye contact and awkwardly patted my back, probably saying 'there, there.' Magenta would have bitched out Will, which is nice too and I was looking forward to her doing precisely that the next day. Only Warren could have the perfect response. He rolled his eyes, presumably because he was so tired of hearing about my relationship drama, even though this was the first time I told him anything. Ok, apart from that whole pretending he was my boyfriend to make Will jealous thing last year. Yet, underneath his exasperation there was something more. Like he actually cared, but he was very careful to keep that under wraps.

'So, no meat tonight?'

'Yep, that's just what I was saying,' I answered and watched him as he went to report my usual order to the cook. The place was empty except for me. This will always remain a mystery for me. The food is wonderful, the service is quick, though a bit sarcastic, and still no one ever seems to eat here. And I have told everyone I know about this place.

Again Warren appeared out of nowhere and again I gasped. There was something really strange going on, because I felt constantly out of breath. And I swear that while no one would say I'm athletic, I'm not exactly a couch potato either. Weird.

Warren sat down opposite me and wrinkled his nose. I don't think he was aware he did it, but it was... cute? I could feel my hand burning even thinking that anything about Warren was cute. Sometimes he could be fierce and terrifying, but luckily not tonight. Because the restaurant was basically deserted and there is only so much mopping up and cleaning of tables you can do, we chatted for a while. Warren looked a bit taken aback when I mentioned I absolutely adored Bob Dylan. People always do that. I don't get that. Are people under the age of twenty not allowed to like Dylan? Do I look too fluffy to appreciate good music? Do I look fluffy?

Fluffy like insubstantial, like vapid. Will did make me feel like that. And I'm back to Will again. To be fair, I'm sure I made him feel pretty undesirable too. For some reason, when we started dating, we also started fighting and yelling and accusing. I honestly don't know why, but we were the poster couple for why friends shouldn't date. So, now it feels like I've lost my best friend, because I've actually lost my best friend.

Someone hollered from the kitchen of the restaurant and Warren flashed me a wry smile and rose. A few seconds later he returned with my order. I had some Jo Pan Lou Sun, wonderful asparagus salad, which Warren looked at with disdain, because he doesn't like asparagus. I told him they were an underappreciated vegetable, but he only shook his head and said I shouldn't eat and speak at the same time.

'Very unladylike,' he added, which made me almost choke. I recovered enough to ask if he did approve of me ordering a salad.

'That's what ladies do, right? They order salads, because they don't want to be seen eating real food,' I said and Warren looked at me like I came from another planet.

'They certainly don't pack it away like you do,' he finally answered. When I started on the Chun Yao Bang, great fried scallion pancake, I reflected this was probably a compliment coming from Warren. He does not seem like the kind of guy who would like a lady. I kept shoving - what did I care; there was no one in the restaurant but Warren and me – and Warren smiled at me. His smile was really amazing, like one of those toothpaste commercial smiles, all sparkling teeth and dazzling beauty. Except Warren's smile was genuine and somehow a bit wicked. Do not analyse your friend's smile, Layla, it's rude.

Every time I took a bite Warren made a comment and despite generally feeling a bit depressed and having to hold back from crying I found that with Warren I was instead having difficulties not laughing.

'Well, finally you're finished. I thought that pancake would take forever. I mean, it's been five minutes since you started and you've just now eaten it. You disgust me,' Warren said when I had swallowed the last bite and because of his combination of sarcasm and simultaneous smirking I snorted and then I kind of choked and then I coughed a lot. It was most unbecoming, but Warren just gently patted my back and tried to keep from smiling, so I'm sure he didn't mind too much. Wiping the tears from my eyes, good tears, tears from laughter, I smiled at him.

'Thanks for sitting with me and cheering me up,' I said and suddenly he seemed almost angry. It was as if expressing my gratitude had insulted him. He got up in one smooth movement and looked down on me. Yes, he had reverted to being scary again.

'Don't be flattered. I was bored,' he mumbled. What he had done was nice. Nice in a way that I knew he could be, but that he didn't display very often. I wanted to thank him a second time, instead however, I just paid for the meal and left a hefty tip. Probably he would find that insulting too, but hey, he would just have to deal with it. I cocked my head and smiled at him. He stared back, his face devoid of any expression.

'So, what you're saying is that at the very least talking to me is less boring than mopping the floor or cleaning tables? Compliment accepted!' I beamed and before he could protest I quickly left.