Chapter 4: Actions
Elle:
I wanted to shoot Myrianna for making me do this. I felt like an idiot as I walked beside Connor silently. He seemed very nervous; he couldn't stop talking.
"I'm very glad you agreed to…to come out with me tonight. Not that this has to be considered a date, I mean, date was never even mentioned. Of course, it can be; a date, I mean. I'm really bad at this actually. I'd just like to get to know you, you know?" he rambled. I laughed and pushed my hair out of my eyes.
"I want to get to know you too, Connor," I said.
"Brilliant! Well, uh, what's….what's it been like being Stephen's younger sister?" he asked. I laughed quietly and could feel cheeks flush. "That came out wrong," he chuckled and shook his head.
"I know what you mean. I also know most people don't like Stephen, but he's my brother. Not many people know how funny he can be. He can play the trumpet. Being his little sister isn't always wonderful, but that's how any sibling relationship is," I said and stared at the pavement.
"Wouldn't know, I'm an only child," he said with a smirk, though his eyes looked solemn. He had been a lonely little boy.
"I've never been alone. Then again, not all twins are as close as people think."
"Yeah, you and Myra don't seem to care much for each other," Connor said and stopped at the door of a pub. He opened the door for me like a true gentleman. I smiled and went in. He found us a table for two and pulled out my chair for me. When we sat down, I continued our conversation.
"Actually, my sister is probably the one person who knows me better than anyone else. We're so opposite that we basically complete each other. I'm sorry, I feel so…catty. I'm not trying to be negative; things just come out that way."
"We're both pretty bad at this whole talking thing, yeah?" he said with a laugh. I smiled.
"We may not be able to talk, but you have wonderful manners," I said lightly. Apparently he'd still heard me.
"My parents wanted me to be a gentleman, especially me mother. She always pulled me out of the dirt, fixed my hair and stuck me inside with books," he said and grabbed a menu.
"So that's what made you go into archaeology, you have a passion for playing in the dirt to combine with your book smarts."
"Hmmm," Connor said and looked up from the menu, his eyes shining happily, "I suppose so!"
We ordered our food and discussed work a bit more. He asked about my job, and I explained that I worked for a science publication based in Kent, where we grew up. He'd never heard of it.
"I chose to stay in the country, while Myrianna went to Scotland to become a lawyer to get as far away from her roots as possible without leaving her culture," I explained. Connor laughed.
"Well, that's interesting. She's quite the character, just like the Doctor. Very blunt."
"Yes," I said with a laugh, "I can hear her now: 'Elloise! You went out for a proper drink and neither of you even ordered a proper drink!'"
"Well, I'm not a very big drinker, but one drink wouldn't hurt. Next time the waitress comes around," Connor said with a wink. I giggled.
"What are you going to get?" I asked. The waitress came around as I asked. Connor ordered a Guinness, while I stuck to my normal drink: "A whisky and Coke, Coke for color, please."
"Wow, look at you," he said. I blushed. "I like a girl who can hold hard liquor."
"I try," I laughed. The waitress brought over our drinks a few minutes later.
"Cheers," Connor said and held up his drink. I raise my glass to his and thought To wonderful possibilities.
***Fast forward just a bit***
"I don't know about you, but I had a blast," Connor said with a grin as he walked me back to Stephen's flat.
"It was wonderful," I said as I looked up at him with a smile. He hadn't pulled any moves; he hadn't put an arm around me or grabbed for my hand. This man genuinely wanted to know me.
"It's a shame that you're leaving after this week."
"I don't know I'm starting to like the city. I'm feeling like it's time for a change in my life. Maybe I'll stay," I said. Connor's eyes lit up. "We'll see."
"Well," he started and rubbed his neck, "I know I'm not exactly…easy to understand sometimes. My thoughts and feelings get all…jumbled. So…just to show what I think about you," Connor said and leaned down to kiss me. I caught myself kissing him back, but I didn't try to fight it. My tongue danced on his lips before he pulled away with a sigh. "Don't want to get stuck in the friend zone, yeah?" Connor said. His eyes were burning into me, begging for more. Then, Myra and the Doctor came running down the sidewalk.
