Things will begin to pick up from here on out. You'll learn more about Lexa's past which will be important to her characterization. Any guesses as to what kind of baggage she might be carrying? I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Ch 2: The Way She Says My Name
"Hi, I have a reservation for two for Lexa Woods." The brunette spoke softly as she greeted the restaurant hostess.
The young girl looked down at a list and searched for the woman's name. After a few seconds of scanning, she crossed off the name and grabbed two menus. "Would you prefer inside or our heated outdoor seating?"
"Inside is fine," Lexa replied. "But somewhere a little private please."
"We'll get that table set up for you, Miss Woods."
"I'm going to wait outside for my guest."
Lexa stepped back out into the cold night, letting the breeze hit her exposed legs. She had lived in New York all her life and was too accustomed to the harsh weather that was common on a typical November night.
She knew she had made it to the restaurant a little early but she wanted to make sure she'd be the first to arrive. She decided to pull out her phone and check her emails while waiting for the blonde.
When she reached the end of her email stream, Lexa looked up and noticed a familiar face making her way towards her. She guessed the girl hadn't noticed her as she walked with her sight focused on her phone, occasionally looking up at the street signs.
"Clarke!" Lexa yelled out towards the blonde.
"Hey," Clarke sounded a little winded as she spoke. "Sorry I'm late. I was trying to figure out where to go."
"You're not late, Clarke, I was just early." Lexa admitted. "Did you walk?"
"I live about a mile and a half from here," Clarke shrugged. Her teeth began chattering and Lexa quickly noticed.
"Let's get you inside, it's freezing."
"Have you been waiting for me long?"
"No more than five minutes." Lexa admits. "The label's down the block so I stayed in the office after my meeting."
The hostess showed them to their seats and offered them their menus. She ran through the daily specials before disappearing back to her station.
Before the two could get into conversation, the waiter came up and took their orders. Clarke ordered the fish special with mashed potatoes and green beans, while Lexa ordered her regular house salad.
"So tell me something about yourself, Clarke." Lexa broke the silence left behind by the waiter.
"I-I like to draw." Clarke admitted. She instantly wanted to hit herself in the face for that half-assed response. "I mean, clearly you know that." She laughed nervously. This was starting off like a really bad date.
"I'm sure there's more to you than that." Lexa pried.
Clarke didn't know how honest was too honest but she felt like this interview wasn't as structured as any she'd ever been on anyway. "Well I have a degree in biology." She admits.
"Biology?" Lexa asks, perplexed by Clarke's revelation.
"I was premed in college but after I graduated I didn't want to pursue that anymore." Clarke admits. "I actually never really wanted to."
"Then why did you?"
"My mom's a doctor and so was my grandmother."
"So it was expected of you."
"All I ever really wanted to do was be an artist."
"What's your experience with graphic design?" Lexa asked, bringing the conversation back on course. Both girls remembering this was still an interview.
"I took a couple courses in college and I've done all my friend's announcements and invitations."
"Any work related experience?"
"I mostly freelance," Clarke reminded her. "So I've done some graphic designs here and there. Nothing like the album cover though."
"You said you had a portfolio, right?" Lexa asked. "Did you bring that?"
Clarke handed her a folder full of examples and Lexa immediately began to look through them. The blonde watched tentatively as Lexa observed her work. She had incorporated a mix of her previous jobs and event flyers she had drawn up for friends.
"Wow," Lexa let out accidentally. She was so mesmerized by Clarke's talent she couldn't even hold it in. "This is..."
"I know it's not the best work you've seen but-"
"No, Clarke, your work is..." Lexa couldn't even find the right words to say. "It's really good."
"Thank you." Clarke blushed.
"You designed the brochure for Mount Weather University?" Lexa asked, still flipping through.
"It was for one of my graphic design classes," Clarke replies. She was slightly embarrassed by the fact that she had included that in her folder. "And the university really liked it so they started to use it the year after I graduated. I think they still do."
"You went to Mount Weather?"
"Yeah, go Moutaineers!" she said jokingly.
"No way, so did I!" Lexa couldn't believe it. Besides Lincoln and her best friend Anya, she didn't know anyone who had attended the small school from Brooklyn.
"What a small world." Clarke admits.
MWU was a small school. It was a surprise to both girls that neither of them had ever seen each other before or met at all while on campus. Clarke figured they must have attended at different times, since the brunette appeared to be a little older, but she didn't want to pry.
"You seem to have a fascination for space," Lexa changed the conversation. She had gone back to reviewing Clarke's portfolio and stopped at a few drawings of the solar system and the galaxy.
Clarke blushed. She wasn't used to being called out for her love for space. "I should have done a better job of cleaning out that portfolio," She says under her breath. "I didn't mean to include that."
"Why not?" Lexa asked, genuinely confused. "This is one of the best depictions of space I've seen in a while."
"They were starting points for the album artwork." Clarke admits.
After Lincoln had asked her to design their cover, Clarke spent almost three days drawing possible options. It was a funny coincidence that the band was named after a constellation and that the blonde was in love with anything space related.
"This is truly wonderful." Lexa couldn't help but continue to praise the blonde.
"I took a few astronomy classes in college too," Clarke reveals. "Enough to get a feel for my art."
"At Mount Weather?"
Clarke nodded. "About three separate courses."
"Did you take intro?"
"I had to."
"What year?"
It took a minute for Clarke to think back and remember when she took the introductory course. "Uh," she began. "It was my sophomore year."
"I took intro my senior year." Lexa admits. "I was that senior that waited until the last semester of college to take a science."
"What year did you graduate?" Clarke asked. She was too curious to know now.
"I graduated in 2010."
"And I in 2012," Clarke revealed. "Lexa, I think we had the same class."
"You took it second semester?" She asked.
"Second semester of my sophomore year." Clarke smiled. "I always sat in the front but that class had like 200 people that's probably why I never saw you."
Lexa let out a small laugh. "To be honest, I only went to class on exam days."
"Second semester senior." Clarke joked.
"Not even," she shook her head. "That's the year I started managing Lincoln and his band. I had basically started the label from my apartment."
"You seem very proud of Polaris," Clarke pointed out. "And I can see why now."
"They were the first to sign to my label." Lexa admits. "They'd come over and record music in my apartment and we'd stay up until the wee hours of the morning to package their EP."
Clarke was already fascinated by the brunette's success and her seemingly hard-working persona. "That's impressive." She let out.
"I guess you can say Lincoln and I took a chance on each other. He saw how much work and passion I put towards getting this label off the ground and running," Lexa explained.
"And you saw how talented he was." Clarke added.
"Those guys have been working so hard for this and they deserve it." She said before sipping on her water.
"Seems like such a great story to tell."
"It really is. I mean, that's why I started doing this, you know?" Lexa asked and Clarke nodded.
"Has music always been your passion?" Clarke asked. She feared she might be crossing the line from professional to personal again but she wanted to test the waters.
"Always." Lexa didn't hesitate in replying. "I'm no good with an instrument and I sure as hell can't sing but I can conduct good business and I had a market."
"Can I assume you studied business?" Clarke asked.
"Music business," the brunette corrected. "It's more niche than business itself."
Somewhere in between discussing college and Clarke's portfolio, the food had been served and the two ate in between conversation. Clarke made a dent in her plate but could not finish the entirety of her meal. Lexa, on the other hand, had completely demolished her salad.
"Would you ladies care for some dessert?" The waiter had returned and asked.
Lexa looked over at Clarke, giving her the opportunity to decide. "Would you like anything, Clarke?"
"I'm stuffed." She admitted.
"I think we're good." Lexa said to the waiter.
"I'll be back with the check." He stated before slipping away.
"Well, Clarke, I'm going to be really honest with you." Lexa finally returned the portfolio to blonde. Clarke stared at her, waiting to hear what she was going to say. This dinner had gone nothing like she had expected. Instead of having a nerve-wracking interview, she felt like she had gotten to know Lexa in a more personal level than a professional one. "You don't really have the experience I usually look for in a new hire."
Clarke's face went from hopeful to disappointed in a matter of seconds. "I understand." She stated, accepting her defeat.
"But I still want to hire you." Lexa revealed. There was something about the blonde that made her believe she'd be worth giving a shot to.
"Wait, really?"
"Yes." The brunette stared her right in the eyes as she spoke. "I see potential in you, Clarke, a lot of it."
"Are you serious?"
"I wouldn't joke about business. This company is everything to me." Lexa's face turned serious. "I know you don't have much experience in this field but I'll have you working with some of my best employees. I'll oversee much of the work you produce at first... for guidance."
"I-I-" Clarke was left speechless.
"Can you start next week?" Lexa asked.
"I can start now." Clarke admitted. She looked at her watch and then back at Lexa.
"This job will require you to work into the late hours but not tonight." Lexa laughed.
"I can seriously start whenever."
"Why don't you come by the office on Monday," Lexa took out her phone and added Clarke to her daily schedule. "We can discuss salaries and contracts. I can also have Anya train you."
The waiter returned with the check and dropped it off in front of the blonde. She couldn't help but see that the bill was a little over $60 on a meal for two. Lexa reached over and took the receipt without hesitation. She took out a crisp $100 bill and placed it on the table.
"How much do I owe you?" Clarke asked. She felt bad that the brunette had covered for such an expensive meal.
"Nothing," Lexa shook her head as she stood up from her chair. "It's my treat."
"Thank you."
"Don't mention it."
The two put on their coats and made their way out of the restaurant. "So we have a company party this Saturday for the Polaris album release." Lexa admitted as they stepped back out into the cold New York night.
"I thought yesterday's party was the release party?" Clarke asked.
"One thing you'll learn in this business, Clarke, is that we never really stop throwing parties and planning events."
"I'm starting to realize that now."
"This one is just for the label and our guests," Lexa admits. "You should come."
"I feel bad making an appearance when I won't start until Monday."
"You're more than welcome to come. I can send you the information once my assistant finalizes all the logistics." Lexa says.
"I'd love to go and support the band." And spend time with you, Clarke thought.
"You can bring your boyfriend too," Lexa half whispers. "I can add you both to the guest list."
Clarke turned to look at her and raised a brow. "My boyfriend?"
"The guy from the release party." Lexa quickly replies. "Bobby?"
"Bellamy?" Clarke giggles as she speaks. "You think Bel is my boyfriend?"
"Is he not?" Lexa questioned. She was curious to know.
"NO," Clarke brings up her arms in front of her, almost defensively. "He's like my brother. Gross." She feigns to throw up and Lexa can't help but laugh a little.
"You're still welcome to come... Boyfriend or not." Lexa suggested.
"I'll try to make an appearance then." Clarke promised.
A black mustang rolled up in front of the restaurant and Lexa stepped closer to it. A valet guy stepped out of the car and handed the keys off to the brunette. "Do you need a ride?"
"I'm just a ten minute walk from here." Clarke admitted. "I'll be okay."
"Are you sure?" Lexa asked. "I don't mind."
"No, really, I'm fine." Clarke insisted. She smiled politely at the woman in front of her.
"I'll see you on Saturday?" Lexa asked, extending her hand out to the blonde.
"I'll be there." She reiterated. Clarke shook the brunette's hand and made a mental note of how smooth her hands were.
"Get home safely, Clarke." The businesswoman insisted before walking over to her car.
Clarke couldn't help but melt at the way she said her name.