A/N: Just so you know, the first part is Eliza, then it goes back in time a little to show Alex's morning. Thank you for your wonderful reviews, you lovely people. I love recommendations on any other ships (that don't include either of them, of course) or anything else for the story. I swear I'll add more characters soon. Thanks!
Her heart pounded. She leaned over the sink, checking once more for anything in her teeth, and straightened up. She adjusted her clothes from top to bottom; the jeans, short boots, blouse, and the knock-off sort of peacoat in a bright blue-teal color. Checking her phone and the time, Eliza exited the bathroom in the back of the shop.
'Bye, Eliza. Good luck on your date," the young college student she had as a part time employee bid her farewell.
"Oh, thanks. I should be back soon, but I'm sure you have it under control," Eliza slung her purse over one shoulder, waved goodbye, and left the shop.
The coffee shop was warm, and smelled of the warming drink and fresh baked goods. She looked around at him, his face crystal clear after only seeing him for fifteen minutes a week ago. Still, no sign of him. They hadn't spoken much since that first night, only making arrangements and the occasional flirtatious text, both probably wanting to save the first date conversation for real life. What if he was going to blow her off?
Hurriedly, Eliza dug around her purse, finding her phone at the bottom of receipts, loose dollar bills and coins, her makeup bag with most of her made up outside of the bag, a tiny sweater balled up and shoved in one corner, about a million hairbands, tampons, and pens. Needless to say, it was a bag on the definitive larger side. But what if he was just running late? Then it would be stupid to text him, seem whiny and horribly difficult. At ten minutes, maybe? No. Fifteen. Eliza moved to find a seat that would work to wait for him in.
"Hey sweetheart!" She heard a voice from behind her. Rolling her eyes at the name, she turned around.
"Yes," the voice belonged to the barista.
"No loitering. Order something, or go," he told her, glaring.
"I'm waiting for a date, actually," she replied, "He'll be here soon."
"Honey, he's standing you up. I don't see why, though. I'd take you," he continued, seemingly drunk, high, or sick with privilege. When he didn't get a response, he continued, "You got a rockin' bod, not super curvy or busty, actually a little flat, but I'd still take ya," he told her, now earning a few disapproving looks from various customers.
Eliza continued on, looking down at her phone, pretending to text or something. When would he be here? Was disgusting barista right? Did he find someone better? Prettier or smarter? The barista continued to call across the room, and the people who looked as if they were disturbed by it left. For some reason, there weren't a ton of people around, perhaps they were all at work on this weekday, and it was a little late for that. She occupied herself by thinking of her sister. What would Angelica do? She would have some sort of reply, witty, funny, scalding, powerful, brilliant. Perhaps all of the above. Probably all of the above. Once, when they had been catcalled when walking down the street and she faced the guy, giving what could only be called an impromptu speech. Eliza tried to remember the words, the sentiment, anything.
She turned to face the man, and saw him. Alexander. Finally. He looked out of breath, as if he could have ran there. He was late, and she wasn't going to let him off the hook, but there he was.
"Hey," she said to him, purposefully clearly in front of the barista to prove that her date was here, "You're late," she couldn't help but say.
"I'm sorry, I am, I-" he was cut off.
"Make lateness a one time thing," she replied.
Alexander grinned, "Do you want to go somewhere else? Away from this guy?" He asked.
"That sounds wonderful," she said, glancing at the barista and walking away without another word.
"Ham!" No reply. "Ham!" Again, no reply. "Alex!" Nothing. John groaned, getting up from where he saw on the couch sketching, walking into the "bedroom" that consisted only of a desk and mattress on the ground. Apparently, a bed wasn't a priority for his friend. There wasn't even a clock.
There he sat, typing madly, his face growing angrier by the second, a product of writing on something he was passionate about.
"Alex, you're gonna be late for your date," this wasn't new, making him stop working for just a second, taking a break from that damn political blog, or something like that to get to his own event. In fact, it was as regular as the daily news that he insisted on having on constantly while simultaneously tearing apart practically all of the different sources.
"What?" he asked, finally moving his eyes away, looking at the clock on the corner of the laptop screen, "oh," he stood up, not moving his fingers, but instead completing the sentence while standing up, then slamming it shut to move and change.
"Thanks, Laurens, for interrupting what you were doing in order to make sure I don't miss my date. You really are the best," John tried to mimic Alexander's voice.
"Yeah, thanks," he heard Alex reply with an audible eye roll from in the bathroom where he was hurriedly brushing his teeth. Then another yell, "No, Herc, I need the bathroom. You have to wait." The shower went on, then off in record speed, then it seemed that he was brushing his hair into a ponytail, towel dried only enough.
Then just like that, he was dressed and running toward the door.
"Have a good time," John told him, to which he got no reply except Alexander's rustling around the drawer. "Oh, I'll have a great day, thanks so much for your well wishing," he replied to the silence he received.
Alex arrived at the coffees hop late, but saw her immediately. She was hunched over, ignoring some asshole barista. She turned to say something, and saw him. They made eye contact. Her eyes crinkled at the ends when she smiled at him, offering a tiny and adorable wave. He waved back.
"Hey," he was greeted, "you're late."
Crap, Alexander thought. What if this was a deal breaker. His hurried apologies were cut off.
"Make lateness a one time thing," she told him.
Relief. It wasn't a deal breaker and it was okay. Thank god. "Do you want to go somewhere else? Away from this guy?" He asked her, wanting to take her hand, but both were on her purse.
"That sounds wonderful," she replied, smiling up at him sweetly. She had a wonderful smile that started at her eyes. Her eyes smiled first, then her mouth, then her cheeks joined in. That smile. He was starting to fall for that smile.