Catch My Breath and Go For It

Saturday April 23, 2014

“Hey!” Rian's cheerful voice boomed through my head and I winced.
“Hangover?” I glared at him through my squinted eyes, wishing I brought my sunnies.
“What. The Fuck. Do. You. Think.” He grinned at me, fucking hell. That smile. So blinding, but so, so cute. Ugh. Must not show emotion. He isn’t hot. At all. No. No. Straight face. Imagine him naked. OH GOD NO DON’T HOLY SHIT. That wasn’t a good idea.
By now you can imagine that to anyone looking on, my eyes are glazed and looking at his crotch. Awkward.
“You right there?” I pulled my eyes away from his crotch and could feel my cheeks burning.
“Peachy. Err, what were you saying?” He shook his head.
“I asked if you wanted to get a coffee with me some day!” Ah, shit…
“So, like a date?”
“...If you want it to be?”
“No.”
“No?”
“…That’s what I said.” Rian raised an eyebrow at my snide comment.
“Are you sure of that answer, Mia?” I narrowed my eyes at him.
“Yes.”
“What if I bribed you with greasy chips and coffee?” Fuck. He’s good. I lifted my chin up and tried not to squint. “Still nope.”
A baby started crying and Rian lifted an eyebrow. My resolution wavered as my ear drums vibrated in pain. I gave in. “Okayfineyoucanbuymechipsandcoffee.” I said in a short breath.
Rian’s eyes sparkled with amusement. “Awesome! We’ll get off at the next stop.” I pressed the heel of my hands into my eyes and groaned.
“God I’m so stupid!” I wailed to myself. And I mean it, I love parties but I get hung over so badly. “Hangovers fucking suck.” Rian stared at me for a second of two, and then scooted over to my seat. He put his arms around me and pulled me in close without a word. I put my head on his shoulder and closed my eyes, the effects of the hangover dimming as Rian absentmindedly combed my hair through his fingers. It should have felt weird but it felt… nice. Comforting, even.


The train reached the next stop, and we got off. Rian located the nearest Maccas, ordered the food, and we sat down in a booth near the back. And chowed down on an artery’s worst nightmare.
“So,” I said through a full mouth of nuggets. “What inspired you to ask me to coffee?” He wiped some ketchup from his mouth.
“Oh, well I think you’re cute.” I almost spat out my nuggets and hastily swallowed them.
“What? How could you- but... but me? I have the sexual appeal of a chair!”
“Well I never said anything about sexual appeal, but that too.” I glared at him, and he winked. Me? Sexual? No. At the very least, only when I’m drunk.
“Since when did you get so cocky?”
“Since I got a hot girl to have Maccas and coffee with me.” I glared at him, again.
“I’d punch you in the arm, if your biceps weren’t the size of volley balls. What, were you a body builder in your previous life?”
“I try my hardest, and something like that. I hope.” I laughed, and we fell into easy conversation for a while until we finished our food, then walked back to the train, both taking sips out of my coke. Partly because Rian couldn’t be fucked buying himself one, and I was too hung over to argue. If I wanted to, that is. When we got back on the train, I deliberately sat next to Rian, and put my head on his shoulder. I looked up at him and saw him smiling at me, and he put his arm around me and pulled me in closer, so my head rested in the crook of his neck. “So what about that coffee, hey?” Rian squeezed my shoulder as I unsuccessfully tried to hide a grin.
“Is tomorrow good?” I asked.
His face lit up. “Tomorrow is perfect! The coffee shop at 10 sound good?”
“Sounds splendid!” I said, genuinely excited. The train jerked to a halt at my stop. “I shall see you then!”
He bowed. “It has been a pleasure, my lady.” I giggled and did a small curtsey, before walking off the train and waving him off.


Later that afternoon

“Finger bun, please.” A lady asked, a small toddler hanging off her leg.
“Sure!” I plastered a smile on my face, and handed it to her in exchange for the money. As I was putting it into the cash register I felt my phone start buzzing in my pocket. ‘You’re like a black cat with a black backpack…’ “Stace!” I shouted over to my friend, and co-worker, Stacey. “Can I take this call?”
“Sure! Don’t be too long though!? Knowing her, she’d probably create a huge line talking to some insanely hot guy. Or they’d keep stalling. She does that to guys, with her thick platinum hair, green eyes are perfect body. It’s so unfair.
I swiped my phone to answer and brought it to my ear.
“Hello?”
“Mia!” I heard Shaye speak animatedly into the phone.
“Oh, hey Shaye.”
“Are you at work?”
“…Yeah.”
“Oh, cool. Tell Stace I said hi. But whatever, I was thinking… we haven’t thrown a party in donkey’s years!”
“Oh my god Shaye, we went to one last night!”
“So? The best cure for a hangover is to get drunk again! Lighten up!”
“Bitch. But okay, fine. But you’re buying and paying for everything, okay?” I heard Shaye squeal.
“Yep! Text as many people as you know, and ask some hot guys that you serve to come!”
“You’re shameless! C’ya tonight.”
“Byee Mia, thank you so much!” Shaye hung up and I shook my head at her carelessness. She loves partying too much for her own good. The amount of times I’ve picked her up off the sidewalk is countless. She’s done the same for me though, I’m not so self-conscious when I’m drunk and can get pretty careless.
I walked back up front and started serving again; talking to Stace about the party and witnessing her ask about 20 guys to come. Tonight was going to be fun, I have to admit.