Authors Note- Sorry I've been taking my time with this, it's just my life's been a bit hectic at the moment, and I've had other things on my mind so I wasn't really in the mood to write. But here it is, as promised, a very long chapter 4. And I didn't even manage to fit everything I wanted in so I'm gonna kind of over flow into the next chapter. Thank you for the reviews and story alerts! They make me feel like I'm actually good at this! That's about all I have to say for now. Enjoy, Hannah x
"Hey sexy ;)"
Colleen sighed as she stepped out into the cold March air. The local church bells chimed quarter to nine as she pulled her coat tighter around herself and buttoned it up. She began fishing around in her bag, looking for her phone, as she skipped down the front stairs of the converted Victorian town house, which was now a flat complex.
"Morning Mrs. Jenkins!" Colleen smiled as she passed her elderly neighbour, who was returning home with her morning shop.
"Morning dear." The woman replied kindly.
"How are you this fine morning?" Colleen beamed.
"I'm wonderful!" Mrs. Jenkins smiled back "And yourself?"
"I am fantastic!"
"You seem in a good mood!" The old woman laughed.
"I am! Everything just seems to be going right!" Colleen smiled as she performed a pirouette, arms wide. Mrs. Jenkins applauded her and laughed again.
"Whose the lucky fella then?"
"No fella!" Colleen laughed "Well not yet anyway!" She continued cheekily. "Right I best be off to work! See ya' Mrs. J!"
"Goodbye dear!" Mrs. Jenkins called after Colleen, who was already half way down the street.
Colleen pulled her phone from her bag, removed the case and took out the business card, where she had been storing it for "safe keeping". Although the real reason was so she wouldn't keep seeing it and be tempted to call him. She didn't want to seem too desperate. No, if the card was out of sight she would forget about it. That was the logic anyway. Truth was she had been thinking about it all night. It had taken all her will power not to call him. Laura hadn't helped either.
"You called him yet? Xx"
"No xx"
"Why not! Xx"
"Because! Xx"
"That's not a real reason! Xx"
"Because I don't want to look desperate! Xx"
"You won't look desperate! The chemistry between you two was obvious! Just call him! Xx"
"No! Xx"
"Text him at least! Xx"
"Oh go away Laura! Xx"
Colleen toyed with the card in her hand, even typed out the number a few times, before chickening out. She was scared. For the first time in her life she was scared to call a guy! She quickly brushed it off and put the card back into her phone case as she rounded the corner and pushed open the door of the cafe.
Her eyes scanned the room and landed on the only customer, a student furiously typing at her laptop. Probably completing an essay that was due in 1 hour. Suddenly Colleen heard a door bang on the other side of the room. Before she even had chance to look away from the student she heard a very familiar voice shout- "You called him yet?"
"Well good morning to you too, Laura!"
"Well?"
"No"
"What! Why!"
"For the same reason as last night! I'm not desperate!" Colleen sighed as she walked towards the counter.
"You're chicken!" Laura smirked following behind her. Colleen spun to face her friend gasping.
"How dare you call me chicken!" She joked.
"Well call him then!" Laura shouted, attracting a dirty look from the student.
"No! I will not be pressured into this!" She laughed, dumping her bag behind the counter and donning her apron. Laura leaned against the counter top, smirking. Colleen caught her eye. "What!" She laughed, suspiciously, but before Laura had chance to answer a customer approached them. "Yes, ma'am, what can I get for you?"
"Just a latte, please." Colleen quickly made the woman's coffee and handed it to her.
"£2.75 please" she smiled, "Thank you, have a nice day." She shouted after the woman who was already half way out the door.
Colleen sighed and turned to Laura to continue their conversation. Laura was still smirking but no longer at her friend, she was smirking at her hands. Colleen looked down to see that Laura had hold of her phone. Colleen froze.
"Oh. My. God." She uttered slowly. "What have you done?" She asked slowly approaching her friend.
"Nothing" Laura smiled sweetly, like a school girl who had done something wrong.
"Give me my phone!" Colleen screamed as she pounced on Laura, ripping the phone from her hands. She quickly scrolled though her phone and apps checking for Laura's prank. Facebook? No. Twitter? No. Suddenly it dawned on her. "Oooh you didn't!" Colleen muttered quietly to herself, but she heard Laura laugh behind her.
She slowly tapped the 'messages' app and held her breath. "To Richard Brook: Hey Sexy ;) xx". Colleen stayed where she was, calmly reading and re-reading the text. She slowly placed her phone on the counter top. Suddenly, out of nowhere, she spun to face her friend. "I can't believe you did that!" She screamed, half laughing. Laura just shrugged "You can thank me later" she smiled as she turned to serve a customer. Colleen hopped up onto the counter and sat with her head in her hands.
"I can't believe you did that." Colleen sighed as Laura finished with the customer.
"You've already said that." Laura laughed as she hopped up on the counter next to her friend. "Come on. Cheer up chuck!" Laura took a breath to continue but was cut off by a beep from the counter. Colleen slowly raised her head and the two looked towards her phone. There was a few seconds of stillness before they both leapt for the phone. Colleen grabbed it and turned to Laura sternly, who just grinned back at her. She tentatively tapped the messages icon and read: "From Richard Brook: Good morning beautiful, I was just on my way to see you xx"
"Oh my god." Colleen muttered to herself.
"Oh my god!" Laura echoed, shrinking.
"He's coming here?"
"He's coming here!" Laura echoed again.
"Stop that."
"Sorry" Laura apologised.
"What do I do!" Colleen panicked.
"You talk to him!" Laura replied calmly.
"About what!"
"Work! Friends! Life! The normal stuff people talk about on dates!"
"This isn't a date! Is it?"
"Its two people who don't really know each other, sitting in a coffee shop, talking. Sounds like a date to me!"
"Yeah but..."
"Morning ladies!" A chirpy Irish voice called across the cafe.
"Richard!" Laura smiled over the counter.
"What can I get for you?"
"Another coffee please, my dear. Same as yesterday."
"Coming right up!" Laura took a cheeky glance at her best friend before, turning away to the coffee machine. Colleen smirked at Laura and pushed her hair behind her ears.
"Hey"
"Hi" Richard smiled.
"Where did you run off to yesterday?"
"Meeting with my agent. He said it was urgent." He sighed.
"Was it?" "No. Just making sure I was ready for today's audition." He laughed. "That's where I was heading actually"
"Oh" Laura sighed "Well good luck, I'm sure you'll knock 'em dead." she smiled, sadly.
"Thanks." He said as Laura handed him the coffee. "And thank you." He smiled and handed Laura his money.
The two girls waved as Richard turned to leave.
'What just happened!' Laura mouthed.
'I don't know!' Colleen replied.
'I thought he liked you!'
'So did I!'
'So why didn't he ask...' She began but was cut off by Richard who turned back to face them.
"Hey Colleen!" He called.
"Yeah?" She replied calmly, a tone that didn't match her thoughts at all.
"What are you doing tonight?"
"Nothing." She was about to ask why, before he butted in.
"Good, I'll pick you up at 8!" He winked at her, before spinning on his heals and pushing through the door.