A/N: So guys...Yeah I suck.
Chapter 7: The Hanna Martin's Guide to Love; Seek and Discover
"Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it."
-Rumi
"Wait," Hanna asked, wearing her confusion like good pair of louboutins. "Do you guys know each other?"
Cas, confusion engraved on her features as she looked between Spencer and the handsome stranger, planted herself next to her blond friend and across from Caleb. It was obvious to all three as they looked at their friends that they were definitely missing something. Both Spencer and Toby had yet to exchange actual words past simple greetings, but even the receptionist was aware that as they gazed at each other they were exchanging something more than mere words, something that none of them could ever even hope to understand.
Toby broke the silence first.
"Let me guess your Hanna's Wendell's contact?"
Spencer chuckled. "And your Caleb's friend, right?"
Both smiled.
At the hilarity of the situation, the dumbstruck looks still stuck on their friends faces, the distress painted on the already unhinged receptionist.
At the freakin' impossibility of that they were less than two feet away from each other; that she was even more stunning surrounded by boring legal types than she had been drenched in old country music and coffee; that his eyes were even brighter under these unflattering florescent lights than under the dim lights of the quaint café.
But, honestly?
The unfaltering smiles etched on their faces were because of their plain dumb luck. It was unbelievable the way the world around them, the huge city of New York, had shrunk just enough to lead both of them straight back into each other's paths. Their ignorant friends indirectly pushing each into the other despite the odds.
It was the stuff of fiction. The kind of crazy good things that never happened to the two of them, and they both wondered if they should spared a moment to see if someone up there had made a wonderful mistake. But looking at each other neither is willing to jinx erratic, irrational, unrealistically good luck bestowed upon them with a fleeting thought.
"Looks like my luck is finally looking up," Toby commented, sliding back into place next to a confused Caleb.
"I have to agree," Spencer answered, as she took a seat next to an equally, if not more-so, confused Cas. "Mine's never been better."
"Okay," Cas said, looking between the two newly reunited... something's. "Is anyone going to explain what's going on? Because for once, as much as it pains me to admit, I'm lost."
Hanna and Caleb nodded in agreement, and all three looked expectantly at Spencer and Toby.
"We've met already," Spencer started as her amber eyes scanned over the man sat once again in front of her committing to memory ever crook and crevice on his face as if it were the last time. She'd give up her law degree happily if she could be guaranteed that it wouldn't be. "A couple of months ago actually."
Toby nodded, his eyes locked on the fascinating mash-up of hues dancing in her warm brown eyes.
"It was late and we were at an all-night café."
"Wait?!" Hanna half-whispered half-squealed, everything becoming overwhelmingly clear all at once." You mean Spencer's the café girl!?"
"That means he's the coffee guy?" Cas said, understanding apparent in her voice and backed up by the 'o' shape her lips had subconsciously taken.
"So you do have a name." Toby grinned, "Spencer. I like it."
"Thank you." Spencer didn't even attempt to cover the slight colouring of her cheeks as she smiled. Why should she? "So, stranger. Have I finally earned the privilege of knowing your name?"
"Toby. Toby Cavanaugh."
"Nice to meet you, Toby Cavanaugh."
Toby decided that his name on her lips had to be some kind of therapy, cause all tension was pushed back and for once there was no nagging feeling keeping him from being one hundred percent there.
"Spencer Hastings."
"Likewise, Spencer Hastings. It's great to see you again."
And it was true. He'd have happily waited years to see Spencer again if she'd smiled and laughed like she was doing. Her beauty had enhanced, if that were even possible, since their last meetings as had, as far as he could tell, her mood. The lightening in not only her mannerisms but deep in her eyes was a clear sign that she was much happier than she'd been previously. And a small part of him hoped that it was because of him. But for now he was content just being there with her, memorising the tone of her laugh and the pitch of her voice, holding on tight to this moment as if it could shatter at any second.
Snapping both parties from their thoughts, Caleb, who had been more or less absorbing the sight in front of him, spoke up.
"Okay, let me get straight," Caleb began.
"Toby and Spencer know each other," Caleb shook his head, feeling the generalization was a long way off judging by the looks on both parties faces," scratch that. They met at some random café at the corner of who-the-hell-knows street and had some kind of," he turned to Hanna and Cas looking for some input, he received non, "epiphany that actually made this guy lighten up. And to top it all off the girl, that we've spent the last couple hours combing through New York for was…Spencer."
"You were looking for me?" Spencer whispered loud enough for the sound to reach Toby.
Hanna, completely drowning Spencer out, shook her head in disbelief and looked at Cas,"Damn, Cas. How did we miss this one?"
"I have no freakin' idea." Cas answered. "We really are losing our touch."
"Of course I was." Toby answered, the focus of his azure eyes causing a slight hitch in Spencer's breathing. "I promised you I'd find you."
"We were on the phone that whole time…" Hanna continued.
"But," Spencer rationalized, "let's be honest, Toby. There's over eight million people in New York. The odds that we were ever going to meet again were microscopic at best. I wouldn't have blamed you for giving up "
"...I didn't know you knew coffee guy. If I'd have known then maybe…."
"But not impossible," Toby smiled. "Besides, if I had to search all of America to find you I'd do it in a heartbeat."
"You'd go to all that trouble for some girl you met in a coffee shop?" Spencer asked, still in awe of the man in front of her.
Toby reached across the small wooded coffee table with both hands and grabbed her much daintier hands in his work torn and callous ones. His eyes linger on the sudden connection between them and his smile returns to his face full forces at the Picasso like visual. His eyes travel up her slender, smooth looking arms that lead to an expensive looking suit. Up past her neck and perfectly arched red stained lips, as a brief shiver passes through his, and into those eyes he's beginning to become shamelessly attached to.
"You are worth looking for Spencer.
A/N: Guys I am so sorry! I know I said that I'd have this out like two months ago but school had other plans and just life in general. But i felt so bad about leaving you guys handing (after being reminded by like the last two reviewers. Thanks Guests x2, spobylover1237, and all-those-pretty-lights-PLL for giving me a kick in the ass).
It's short but its the beginning of the new Muviri in the new year. No promises but I swear there will be no more three month waits guys!
-Muviri
