A/N: Don't hate me. I know I haven't updated this fic in forever. I'm sorry, I mean it. Did you see the Beyonce I pulled last time with the chapter out of nowhere? Yeah, that's probably gonna continue happening whilst writing. With my business life being hectic, updates will be inconsistent.

Regardless…Enjoy! ~ Emily

(PS: This fanfiction's nickname is: "How Many References to Phoenix and Maya Having Sex Can Emily Make?")

Chapter 8

July 24, 2017

2:56 PM PST

Carmel Plaza

Carmel is such a quaint beach town. The shopping, food, and wine (I just wish I was legal so I could try some), it's what I always pictured as a beach town on the west coast. Don't get me wrong, Big Sur is a nice town, but it's a bit too small for my liking. I'm not used to such small, beach towns: as a resident of L.A., and a former resident of the London Metro area, I'm not too familiar.

My host family in England were not beach-goers, and since my mother worked at the Space Center, we didn't go really anywhere during my childhood. My knowledge of the beach is what I have seen in movies. Considering the bulk of the movies I've watched are romantic movies, I have so many unrealistic expectations to happen. Finding your dream man while playing in the ocean, he takes you into his arms and kisses you right by the water, etc. etc..

However, these stories tend to happen away from these characters' work life, and my vacation involves my entire work life. Don't get me wrong, I'm having so much fun so far on this vacation, but no romantic movie I've watched involving being near the beach consists of being around your boss.

Though, I have one thing that those movies don't have: Apollo.

I'm not gonna lie, my feelings about Apollo are completely muddled at the moment. He's my friend and senior co-worker, two things that I hope never change. But, I feel a shift. I'm not sure if it's myself or him, but I can sense…something. I, myself, don't even know what to think or feel. I know I can sense his happiness, genuine happiness, but I can't seem to figure out why.

This morning, however, was a different story. Something was strange. Apollo told me that he had a nightmare about Clay, but there was no discord in his heart about it. Typically, involving Clay, he's very sad. Which makes sense, since his best friend's gone. But, I didn't hear any sadness out of him, in which why I am confused. If he's sad about Clay, why was there no sadness?

I don't really want to look too much into this, but I can't help myself. I truly care for his well-being, and I fear that I did something to cause this.

But, why are my feelings muddled? Is…is there something there?

No, it can't be. And even if there is, it's not like the feeling would be reciprocated.

I look out the window, to rid myself of this ridiculous claim coming from my cranium. We're parked, but neither of us have left Apollo's CR-V yet. Apollo is jamming out to the radio, and it takes me a second to comprehend what's going on.

"Having fun there, Polly?" I ask. Upon hearing my voice, I notice how startled he is to hear my voice after maybe an hour of silence in the car.

"My my, she speaks at last. And to answer your question, yes, I am having fun. I get the greatest pleasure from rocking out to 2000s Rock." he chuckles, knowing he set himself up for a chewing out.

I start bursting out laughing. "Yeah, you set yourself up for a 'That's what she said,' you dork. Are we ready to go? Unless, you WANT to spend the entire time sitting in a damn parking lot on a hot, summer's day."

"Fuck off, Athena. Let's go then." He retorts, taking the key out of the car and opening the driver side door. I attempt to open the passenger side door, but I'm stopped by Apollo. "Hey, let me get it," he states, closing my door and opening it again. I can't help but blush. Apollo, the guy I have mixed feelings about, just opened the car door for me. Like a gentleman would…

…what on Earth?

"Thank you!" I respond, trying to hide the growing smile appearing on my face. I change the subject, "Where to first? I'm pretty sure I saw a store when we were driving in I wouldn't mind checking out."

"Then, we'll go there. I have no preferences." He replies. "As long as I'm not driving you around anymore, I'm good."

I playfully shove him. "Whatever, you ass."


We found ourselves in Anthropologie: a store for the most bohemian-chic of women. I've been drawn to this store before, but have only gone for their shoes and candles. I don't consider my style anywhere near "boho," but it was worth to look into. Besides, it would give me an excuse to find some beach-esque clothing for the rest of our vacation, and maybe for returning back home.

Whilst browsing the store, I find Apollo following me. From the look of his face, I could tell he wasn't enjoying this store. Not only was this a store for women (er, those with more feminine tastes. Can't assume in 2017), but the music they were playing over the speakers wasn't generally what Apollo, nor I, would find ourselves listening to in a store.

Having a few items in hand, I ask Apollo if he's alright if I go to the fitting room to try on my choices. He shakes his head back and forth, 'not like he has a choice,' I state in my head.

I'm not one to usually ask others for their opinions of outfits, as I generally have a 'basic white girl' sense of style and I typically steer clear of trends and be more classy, but something inside of me wants to show Apollo what I'm trying on. I guess half of it is seeing if I actually do have feelings for him, and the other half being testing to see what he does when I try these clothes on that aren't typically considered an "Athena outfit."

I try on first a top. It's white, with black spots, and very poofy sleeves. The tag calls it a "Francoise Blouse," which is incorrectly spelled (it should be "Françoise"). It's very much out of my comfort zone to wear something like this, but I figured I'd try it for the heck of it. I walk out of the dressing room, and I directly ask Apollo, "What do you think? Too much?" He's seated, checking his phone when he looks up at me and smirks like he's trying to hide a laugh.

"Well, it looks like you're trying to put Cruella de Ville out of business." I had to stop cackling myself. He was right; it looked like I was coming straight out of the 101 Dalmatians movie. Er, the live-action one with Glenn Close. "It's not you, Tiger. So, I say no."

"You're right, it's not me. Oh well, onto the next one!" I state, going directly back into the fitting room.

The next thing I try on is this really cute denim top. It's sleeveless, with buttons going down the center. Again, it's something I would not necessarily find myself wearing, but I would be willing to give it a try.

"This one?" I state, walking out of the fitting room. Apollo's eyes shoot right up at me, and he smiles. "That's more like you, Mouthface."

I laugh. "Thanks, Craphole. One more, and I'm good." I respond, walking back into the fitting room.

The last one, which I was saving for last for a reason, is this green skater-type dress. It's something that I do consider in my style. It's a bit more classic than my other choices, but something I needed to try on for Apollo.

I walk out of the fitting room, with an air of confidence. This dress makes me feel good about myself, I'm just hoping Apollo's response would be positive.

"So?" I state, hands at my side, swaying back and forth. The dress may be on the shorter side, but it's not like he could see up the skirt of the dress. Therefore, swaying and twirling lightly would not cause me to flash my senior co-worker.

His eyes shot up again, but this time, I could tell he was hiding how he felt. I took Widget off to try these clothes on, but it doesn't take someone with a degree in Analytical Psychology to figure out that his response to what I'm wearing. His pupils widened, a bit more blush appeared on his cheeks, and his mouth formed an "O."

"Um…" he blurted out. It's as though he could not speak. "Wha- What do you think about it?" he asks. "I love it! It's very dainty and feels good on me and…should I get it?"

You could tell from his eyes, that he was milking in the moment of me wearing this. I know that his response would be one, big, giant "yes," but instead, he says "Only if you want it, Thena."

"Alright, I'll get it! I'm all done here." I state, walking back into the fitting room.


10 minutes, and $375 later, we leave the store. Apollo, shaking his head, can't believe I spent so much in one store. However, that face he made trying on that one dress, was worth every penny.

We make our way through other stores in the Plaza as well. Apollo picks up a couple of button downs and shorts at the Vineyard Vines store, and we both take a look at shoes in the Cole Haan store. Nothing else really catches our eye in the shopping plaza.

"Hey, Athena? I saw a coffee place a ways back, wanna go in?" he asks. "Sure, I've been wanting coffee since we got here!" I respond as we turn around to walk back.

The Carmel Coffee & Cocoa Bar is the name of the establishment. It's a cute little coffeehouse: the smell of dark roasts and matcha roaming the entire building. I felt at home here; it brings me back to London, the quaint coffeehouses they had there, and the many-a-days spent there, working on homework whilst sipping on a hot latte.

I order a chai latte, with a pastry on the side to hold me over until dinner. Apollo orders an iced macchiato, and a bag of kettle chips to hold him over. Once we receive our orders, we somehow find a seat inside, tucked in the corner of the bustling shop.

"It sure is busy in here. Must be that good, huh?" he chuckles. He takes a sip of his drink, as do I. The warmth of the latte fills my entire body, from the hair on my head to the tips of my toenails.

"So, I've got to know something, dork." Apollo blurts out, whilst taking a handful of chips and placing them in his mouth. "Oh, and what might that be?" I retort. "How on Earth did you find this minuscule law office of ours to apply to when you could have worked anywhere else in the world?"

It's a question I've been waiting to answer from, literally anybody, since I left London. Neither Apollo nor Trucy, nor really anybody I was acquainted with in London ever asked why I was leaving to work for such a small office. It's nice that Apollo actually asks, and wants to take the time to hear why.

"Well, if you must know, Apollo, Boss contacted me first. I placed my application everywhere you could think of: in London, New York, Chicago, really any large or small law firm you could think of. However, nobody wanted to take a shot on an 18-year-old. They always told me 'You're way too young, no way you could have passed the BAR exam this early.' I was about to give up and return home when I received a call from Mr. Wright. He was interested in my line of expertise and was willing to give me a shot. A week after our phone conversation, he put me on a plane to L.A., and I arrived the same day I- well, you know…flipped a cop and they landed on you? Still, super sorry for that!"

He laughs. "Yeah, I still have the bruises from that, by the way." Our eyes meet. I notice his irises are of a dark brown, yet, I see a glimmer of gold in them. A smile arises on his face, as he shakes his head and looks away. I look down as well. We couldn't have had eyes on each other for more than 15 seconds, but it felt longer. There was a longing, desire to tell me something in his eyes, but what?

"You turn, Thena. Ask me anything."

He takes me back with this statement. I could literally ask Apollo Justice anything. Anything. The first thing that popped into my head was "Do you have feelings for anybody?," but I was not going to ask him that. It wasn't my place to ask, nor was I prepared to hear whatever answer he had for the query. So instead, I went for a more…embarrassing question.

"Okay, Mr. 'I was about to be a frat boy,' Am I safe to say that you were the ladies man in college? How much action did a young Apollo get, huh?"

His. Face. Dropped.

You could see that he was completely unprepared to answer the question at hand. "Well…you see…" he starts to respond. "Athena, you're one my closest friends. I know I can tell you anything. Just…please don't laugh. I…" he begins.

"I promise I won't," I reassure him.

"Okay…Athena, I…I'm the worst with women. Clay was always the 'ladies man,' as you put it. I, on the other hand? I was too shy. I'd kill conversations the moment they would start. Clay would end up butting in and taking over for me. I'm…I'm just not good. And to answer your second question…the most I've ever done with a girl was a Spin the Bottle game…" he stops himself. His face speaks all of the words he can't say; his eyes face the floor. Widget has turned the color blue.

"Apollo…you're not ashamed of that…are you?" I question him. I already know the answer, but I wanted to hear it from him.

To be honest, Apollo has nothing to be ashamed of, really.

"Athena, I'm a 23-year-old man who can't flirt with a woman to save my life. Do you realize how much of an embarrassment I am? I'm damn sure Clay was fed up with me in that regards, he had all of the confidence in the world with girls, and his wingman was socially awkward with them! I'm on the path of 'forever alone,' I already know it."

Hearing him speak so freely on the topic, even whilst embarrassed, warms my heart. He's putting his honesty out there for me of all people to see and hear. Does…does he really trust me this way?

"Apollo…you're not alone in feeling this way. Not all men have pick-up lines in their pockets, ready to use at their disposal, nor all men have the ability to flirt. You don't have to be Clay to find a woman to fall for you. Be yourself, you'll find someone who will love you the way you are. And you're not forever alone, there will be a girl out there who will want to spend the rest of their life with you, sometimes you just gotta wait."

I stare at him directly in his eyes, with a smile on my face. I'm not lying to him- girls love when a man is confident in themselves and in who they are. I know I like Apollo for who he is as a person.

A genuine smile appears on his face, a twinkle in his eyes also forms, "Thank you Thena. You know, I don't know where I'd be without you." I smirk with a witty remark, "Probably babysitting Trucy while Boss and Maya screw each other in his office." His face turns red, as he looks down, and then back at me. "You're probably right." He laughs.

We finish up our coffees and make our way out of the shop. However, there's one piece of business I needed to clear up before we left. Whilst opening the door, holding it for Apollo who forgot his keys on the table, I share a hard piece of reality with Apollo. "And, just to clear the air, the farthest I've ever gone with a guy is a sloppy drunken make-out in college. I have no room to judge."

I witness a smile appear on Apollo's face, as we walk out into the hustle and bustle of Carmel.

Once deciding that walking around the shopping center a second or third time would cause us boredom, we started walking around 7th Avenue. Sure, it seems very residential-looking, but it's a commercial-driven street. As we walked past a glass building, which happened to be a winery, Apollo stopped us. "Hang on a minute, I wanna stop in here." Of course, I am still only eighteen and therefore, cannot step foot within any liquor store, winery, state store, etc..

As Apollo heads inside, I take a seat and take in the scenery. This is a place I could see myself on a date in the future: a small, local place where I and my date could sip wine, discuss life, and the finer things. I've never been on a date, but to be honest, even a night in with take-out and movie sounds like a perfect date in my opinion.

I see Apollo rushing out of the winery, a bag in a toe. "Sorry Thena, I just…I thought that if you couldn't go inside with me, that maybe we could take them back to Big Sur to have?" He opened the brown bag to show me. "I got a red and a white for us to try if that's alright with you?"

Apollo just bought me wine. Apollo, my dorky senior co-worker whom I have mixed emotions for, bought us both wine? Is…is this a sign?

"That's perfect with me. Um…thanks you dork." I reply, unsure of what else to say without revealing the butterflies hitting my stomach. Nobody, and I mean nobody has ever done any of the things that Apollo has done for me. I'm in shock.

We keep walking down the avenue, discussing work-related business, when we realize the time and turn around to walk back to the car. A phone call from Boss earlier discussed meeting at an Italian restaurant in Carmel for dinner at about 5, and it was 4:53. We knew we were going to be late, but with the fun we were having, neither of us cared.

It took us about 7 minutes to return to Apollo's CR-V, and 8 minutes to arrive at the restaurant.


Looking out of the passenger side window, whilst the sun was setting over the ocean, was the prettiest sight I think I've witnessed so far on this trip. It's calming and fitting for the day that I've had.

Dinner was fine. Trucy and Pearls were discussing their day at the coast, collecting shells whilst Boss and Maya handled work-related business in the car (or as Apollo and I call it, codeword for fucking in the backseat of Boss's Buick). They went on for what seemed like hours, as we ate: I, an Eggplant Parmesan. Apollo, a Beef Bolognese. It was a nice meal but tainted by the childish discussion of the two girls. It sometimes bothers me that I, at eighteen years old, act more mature than these two, who are practically around the same age as me. I wish that Boss and Maya would allow these two to grow up and discover things on their own, like most our ages.

It's why Apollo and I get along so well, despite being 5 years apart. Albeit my childish nature with Apollo, I consider myself an older soul. Trucy and Maya are very much babied by their guardians, which is why I don't relate to them very much. Regardless…

As we find our way back to the condo, Apollo has some XM station playing, and a song that he and I both automatically start singing comes on:

"I was left to my own devices. Many days fell away with nothing to show. And the walls kept tumbling down in the city that we love. Grey clouds roll over the hills, bringing darkness from above."

"Ah, so Athena Cykes knows even more songs I know? Funny, since all you do is listen to Top 40 shit." He smirks at me. He knows that isn't true, but loves picking on my music taste, the same way I do to him.

"Hey, popular music is great. I can dance to it. Plus this WAS Top 40 music at one point." I smirk back at him.

He sighs, "you're right. One point, the Tigers." I pretend to cheer as he states the last line.

We continue to sing along, taking us on our 42-minute drive back to the condo.

"Oh, where do we begin? The rubble or our sins? Oh, where do we begin? The rubble or our sins? But if you close your eyes does it almost feel like nothing changed at all?"

Oh, I hope moments like this never change.


We arrive back at the condo and decide to settle in for the night. With my early wake this morning, and Apollo's tiresome driving back and forth today, we both found ourselves exhausted. The Boss and Maya were cuddled up on the couch, watching some movie they rented, whilst Trucy and Pearls fell asleep on the other couch.

I decided to shower, considering I smell like sunscreen and sweat from the walking we did in Carmel.

My mind starts to wander as I shower, mostly towards the actions of my senior co-worker from today. Opening the door for me, the way his eyes lit up when I appeared in the dress I tried on, his buying wine for me. I may be reading into this too much: he's my co-worker, but also one of my best friends.

He could be doing so from the kindness of his own heart. This could just be innocent gestures from a guy who only considers you as a friend, nothing more, nothing less.

OR this could be something more?

Could there possibly, possibly be something there? Could…could Apollo Justice actually have…feelings for me?

And could I, Athena, have…feelings for him?

I finish my shower, opting to air-dry my hair for the night, and placing it in a braid to sleep in. For pajamas, I chose a pair of blue ribbed shorts and a matching blue tank top, with a cute black bralette underneath. What can I say, I'm feeling a little bold tonight.

I exit the bathroom to see Apollo laying down in bed already, pajamas on, watching something on the TV that hasn't been used all trip. To my excitement, it's a show I have actually watched before, and one that Apollo has as well.

I lay in bed, watching along with my co-worker.

I know exactly which episode of this show this is: The Job. I've swooned over this episode every time it has aired on TV or has magically "come up" on my Netflix account. It's the same scene that sends electricity up and down my veins, and a warmth to my heart, when the couple you've been rooting for all series long (well, so far: this is season 3) finally get together. I look over at Apollo, as that exact scene appears on the screen. A warm smile creeps onto his face, and I look down, as I see his head turn.

"Athena? Do…do you think I'll find that one day?" he inquires. I look over at him, kind of jokingly, "Who? A Dwight? Absolutely!" I playfully push him. "You know I kid." I look down, with a heavy heart, then I look back at him, wholeheartedly. "Apollo, the right girl's out there for you. You'll know when you find her. And when that time comes, it will come naturally. You won't have to try to be somebody you're not, or force a smile or a pick-up line or anything. She'll fall for you, and the way you already are. But she's out there, you'll find her one day." I shift my body to the right side, to turn the light out in the room. I watch Apollo mute the TV, leaving it on for some brightness in the room as another tv show comes on. "Who knows, Apollo? Maybe she'll appear soon." "Thanks, Athena…I, uh, I hope he appears soon for you too. Goodnight," he says, turning onto his left side, our backs facing each other. "Goodnight," I state my last words to him for the night.

Who knows, Apollo? Maybe she's right under your nose and you just need to see it. I hear in my head.

Maybe…just maybe…I do have feelings for him…

I know I've stated before that I could only like Apollo as a friend, but to quote my favorite song at the moment:

"With my feelings on fire, guess I'm a bad liar."