Oh Love

I groaned at how uncomfortable I was and just as I started to roll on my back I felt someone pull me back. “Don’t fall.” A voice above my head said sleepily. It took me a minute to remember everything that happened last night. But when I did I smiled. I liked Alex. I looked up to the pink and orange sky and smiled. This place may have had a handful of flaws but it had such beauty within it.

I pulled myself into a sitting position and slipped on my heels before I stood on the dirty floor of the warehouse. I was not going to risk getting some nasty infection from a rusty nail. Then I stretched and remembered I was still wearing Alex’s sweatshirt. It made me smile.

“You look beautiful in the morning.” He said sleepily. I looked over at him and he was grinning at me.

“Thanks.” I said blushing. I grabbed my bag and checked my phone and found six missed calls from Camilla. “Shit.”

“What’s up?” He was sitting now and his hair was even more out of place.

“Camilla.”

“Thinks you’re dead?”

“Probably.”

“Ouch. Well, can I take you to breakfast and you can call her on the way?”

I smiled. “Sure.”

He pulled the blanket off the couch and wrapped it around the both of us as we made our way back to his car. I was grateful for the blanket and sweatshirt. It was a little chilly this morning. I sighed. It already looked like I was going to do the walk of shame since I was still in my dress and my hair was a mess. Alex threw the blanket in the trunk then proceeded to turn the heat on. I rubbed my hands together as he drove away from the secret location.

---

“So, tell me about yourself, Odette.” Alex grinned over his waffles and I giggled as I took a bite of my chocolate chip pancakes.

“What do you want to know?”

“Siblings, where you grew up, just anything you think I would want to know.” He looked at me innocently and I rolled my eye.

“Umm. I’m an only child. And I grew up in Seattle. And I’m either half albino or just incredibly white. I’m not really sure.” I laughed and so did he.

“You aren’t half albino. It’s not possible.”

“How do you know?”

“It was probably one of the few things I learned from my biology class. We did genetics and I remember that vividly.”

I giggled. “Good to know.”

“I’m guessing your pale-ness comes from living in Seattle where the sun doesn’t shine.” He smirked and took another bite of his waffles. I slapped his arm lightly. “Hey!”

“You asked for it.”

“I did not.”

“Did too.”

He rolled his eyes. “Is your dad scary?”

I choked on my pancakes. “What?”

“Since he’s German. Is he scary?”

I giggled. “Not to me. But maybe to you.”

“Oh? I’m gonna meet him?”

“I never said that,” I laughed. “But maybe one day.”

He raised an eyebrow but let it go. “Why did you move to Baltimore?”

I rolled my eyes. “I don’t know. I just needed something new. And I kind of wanted a sunrise over a sunset.”

“Really?”

“Mhmm.” I took another bite before I decided it was my turn. “So, what about you? I know next to nothing. Other than your secret location.”

“That is something. I’ve never told anyone about that before.”

“Sure. I’m sure you take all the girls there.”

He shook his head. “Nope.”

“Alright. Still don’t believe you but I’ll leave it be. What do you do? Like, job wise.”

He grinned bigger than I thought possible. “I’m in a band.”

I rolled my eyes dramatically. “Don’t think you are going to impress me with that.”

“It’s true! I’m the singer and I play some guitar. Jack plays guitar too. And then there is Rian who does drums and Zack who’s on bass. I’m not making this up. I swear.”

I giggled. “Uh-huh.”

“I’m not! We’re called All Time Low and we have a decent fanbase.”

I laughed at how hard he was trying to convince me that he was in a band. Honestly, I didn’t doubt it. He was at Gabe’s party and he knew most of the people at the party. You don’t just become friends with all sorts of famous people without being in a band. And I would never admit it, but I found it crazy attractive. Camilla could vouch for that. I was always a sucker for a musician.

Especially singers. I had a vision in my head of them singing to me while doing something cheesy. I shook my head while Alex looked annoyed and I held back my giggle. I hoped he would be much smoother than all the idiots in my dreams. So far, he was pretty good.

“Alex, I’m kidding.”

“Really?” His face perked up and I tried not to laugh.

“Yes. You don’t just get into parties like Gabe’s without knowing someone.”

He smirked at me. “How did you get in?”

“I have no idea. That was all Camilla.”

“Right.”

The waiter brought us the bill as we finished our food and I reached for it, not wanting to let him pay for everything. He’d already bought my drinks and saved me from the nightmare that was Camilla and Gabe. But Alex pulled it out of my hands before I could even look at it.

“Don’t even think about it.” He grinned.

“Alex! Let me pay. You bought drinks and saved me from the events in my apartment.”

He snorted. “Not happening.”

“Please?” I stuck out my lip and gave him my best puppy dog eyes.

“That doesn’t work on me. So, no.” He grinned and handed the woman the check with cash in it. “Keep the change.” He said simply.

He took my hand and led me back to his car. I smiled at the contact. Then I giggled when I remembered I told Alex I felt like I was doing the walk of shame. He had just looked at me and laughed. Then he asked why.

“Because I’m in all the clothes from last night. Including the hooker heels.” I responded.

It only made him laugh harder before he slung his arm around my shoulder and walked me into the small breakfast cafe. The hostess gave me a questioning look but I didn’t really care. I was enjoying my time with Alex and I wasn’t about to let some bimbo ruin it.

“What are you laughing at?” He asked as I sat in the passenger seat.

“Just what we talked about when we got here.”

“Oh right. You and the hooker heels.”

I giggled. “It sounds funnier when you say it.”

He rolled his eyes. “I think they’re hot.”

“Yeah, okay.”

“I do!”

“Thanks. I guess.”

I flipped through the handful of CDs that were spread across the dashboard of his car. I pulled a colorful CD and giggled at the name. Honestly, I couldn’t believe he had his own band in his car. It should have been extremely cocky but I actually found it quite adorable. I pushed the CD into stereo and he groaned as the first chords rang through the car. I couldn’t control my giggle.

“Why are you playing this?” He groaned again.

“Why is it in your car?” I giggled.

“I just...oh fuck. I don’t fucking know.” I burst into laughter at his pain.

I bit my lip as tapped along to the song that was playing. He flipped it to a song that I assumed was a single. It sounded slightly familiar and I was wondering if I had heard of them before without knowing it. But I was a little surprised at how much I liked it.

“I really like this, Alex.”

“Really?” His eyebrows rose and I smiled.

“Yeah! It’s so fun and upbeat.” I grinned.

“You know the video for this song includes a stripper, right?”

“Alex!” I said hitting his arm again.

“What? It’s true. I’ll have to show it to you sometime.”

I rolled my eyes and was sad when we turned on the street of my apartment. He parked in front of my building and I sighed internally. I was having fun with Alex, I didn’t want to leave him at all. I wanted to spend the rest of the day just talking to him about anything that came up. Alex laced his fingers with mine and walked me all the way to the elevator.

He couldn’t keep the grin off of his face as he tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear. He leaned in and pressed his lips to my cheek just as the elevator opened and I could feel the shock on my face and he grinned at me before walking away laughing hysterically. I got in the elevator and pressed the button of my floor, while running my fingers along my cheek lightly.