Chapter Nineteen
After a very long dinner, it was late into the night, the driver waited while Lexa walked Clarke to her door. It seemed for a moment that there might be a second kiss but after a moment of awkwardness, Lexa said that she too had a confession, of sorts. The civvies that she had worn earlier, were the first civvies she had worn in years, literally, she had to dig them out of a box. And when Clarke asked why, Lexa said,
"Like you, I work, all the time."
"Costia?"
"Costia." Lexa nodded but maintained eye contact, "Thank you for dinner, Clarke, g'night."
Clarke woke early next morning, force of habit. She pulled on a pair of jeans that she bought yesterday, along with a pair of dress pants and a few tops, she grinned wryly and tucked away the receipt thinking that if she got rejected before the three days were up she could always return them. It was a rainy day and Clarke liked rainy days. She wanted to run through the crowds rushing to get work so she could sit in a bookshop and drink loads of coffee.
L:
Good morning.
Doctor:
Morning.
L:
Can I see you?
Doctor:
I am at Reader's Cafe, do you know it?
L:
Yes, 10 mins ish
Doctor:
How do you take your coffee?
L:
Wh x2 shot, 0 sugar, ty
"How are you?" Lexa slid into an arm chair across from Clarke, "Thank you," she said taking a sip of her coffee.
"Fine, how are you?"
"Grrr, work." She shrugged, took another sip, "I am sorry about last night, Clarke, I wanted to kiss you and then Costia came up and…" She shrugged again, pulling her cap down.
"Well a kiss would have been lovely, I am sure, but it's no cause for apologies."
"And I haven't dated anyone since Costia, and I can not stop saying her name. Twice already and I have been here one minute. I am sorry."
"It's fine. She was a person, you loved her, I am sorry about what they did to her."
"You don't mind?"
"Maybe you should tell me about her?"
"Really? That doesn't sound right."
"Well, I turned up with no clothes to punish you so, you know?"
Lexa smiled at Clarke and felt, really for the first time that she was someone special, that this could really be something. Clarke waved for a waitperson and ordered a refill on their coffees and two pieces of cake, something with chocolate and something with fruit. When the person left, Clarke turned and asked, "So, how did you meet her?"