Ebony and Irony

"It's so good to see you again!" Lyle exclaimed once we swapped greetings- him gifting me a kiss on the cheek, the gracious bastard- and ordered drinks. Coincidentally, we got the same thing. "How long has it been? Two, three years?"

I laughed; the boy had no sense of time passing whatsoever.

"Ly, honey, it's been like six years. I was about three feet tall last time you saw me." My tone was supposed to be chiding, but I couldn't keep the grin off my face. "I've grown up, Lyle."

"So I see," he noted, tipping his head and wiggling his eyebrows as the waitress came and gave us our caffeine; I was blushing as I thanked her and she meandered back to the counter, eyes on my date. "You look all sorts of grown up now, Lydia."

My face turned, if anything, hotter, and I mumbled thanks as I ducked my head to sip my savior, a white chocolate mocha; it scalded my throat in a relaxing way, and I stole a glance at Lyle.

"You've grown as well," I accused, wagging finger and all, and he just laughed. "How tall are you now, six-foot, six-foot-five?" I continued, sizing him up to Claudio in my mind's eye; I didn't have to, it turned out.

"Lyd?"

I turned and was bombarded by a bear hug, instantly recognizing the scent, and hugging back; Lyle looked less than pleased. My friend pulled away from me, and shot me a smile that lit my whole day.

"Claude, this is Lyle. You remember him, right?"

He nodded towards Lyle for a minute before looking back at me; no greetings were exchanged.

I stole a glance at Lyle; he was staring at the ceiling fan, his eyes an odd mix of anger and jealousy. What was wrong with the males I spent time with these days? Couldn't I go out to coffee with a friend and see another friend there, give greetings, and go back to my coffee? Apparently not.

"So why are you here, Claudio? Not here to spy, are you?" My tone was skeptical, and he gave me a sheepish smile that spoke for him; he was going to be in big trouble later. "Gah, this is hopeless! Lyle, would you care to go for a walk?" I asked my date, turning to him and seeing him smile and nod before standing and waiting for me to follow suit. I looked at Claude once more, seeing his eyes fill with fury and worry, before hugging him, grabbing my coffee and hoodie, and walking arm in arm with Lyle out of the coffee shop.

Ironically, I got All Time Low stuck in my head.

-Claudio-

She just left with her stupid date, Lyle. I sat in her seat and ordered some hot chocolate; there was no way I would drop it that easily. She had to know I'd follow her.

"Here you go," the waitress said with a nice smile, setting down my hot chocolate and lingering by me.

"What? Oh, thanks," I mumbled, leaving a five on the table and standing abruptly, making for the door. If I hurried now, I could still catch them.

"Um, would you like to go out tonight?"

I stopped, shocked for a minute, before turning and looking at the waitress once more.

Her head was bowed, and she held her tray behind her back. Her name plate read "Olivia".

"I would go out tonight, but I haven't got a stitch to wear," I spouted, saying the first thing that popped into my head. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," she mumbled before walking back to the counter and fixing the next order.

Damn you, guilt.

I stood in the coffee shop, scratching the back of my mind for a good solution, before taking a receipt from my wallet, borrowing a man's ball-point pen, and scribbling my name and number on the back of the slip of paper.

My hand hit the counter, and Olivia looked up, embarrassed again.

"Here you go," I told her with a kind smile. "Maybe some other time."

Before I knew what I was doing, the gentleman in me picked up her hand, pushed the slip into her grasp, and kissed her knuckles before I flew out the door, hot chocolate in hand.

She was kinda cute.

Oh no he didn't.