Status: Unfinished and won't be updated.
Time After Time
Fifty First
Two days after Christmas, Rose sat alone on a café, with her MacBook opened in front of her. The café she was in was packed with people in sweater, coat, and boots. The place smelled like coffee, hot chocolate, and fireplace. She smiled to herself as she sipped her second cup of hot chocolate. Some of the happiest moment in her life was this; sitting on a café in London. From where she sat, next to wide, glass window, she could see people packed in the street. And among the sea of faces, she could spot a face belong to a girl.
It was weird that Rose could spot the girl’s face. She seemed familiar, but unlike anyone she knew by name. She was just as average as Rose; medium body height, shoulder-length dark brown hair, doe-eyes, sweater that was a little too big, and tote bag. Rose returned her gaze to the MacBook screen, trying to remember where she saw this girl. It wouldn’t be weird if she was somewhere in Sydney or Perth, because that face could be a face of her classmates, ex-neighbours… but she was in London and the possibility to see one of her acquaintance was small here.
Suddenly, a new email took Rose’s full attention. It was from Michael. It was another email about the surgery and how it would be done sometime after New Year. Rose sipped her hot chocolate slowly. Once again she was reminded that the pain wasn’t over for Gustav until he could sing again.
When Rose told Gustav about New Year party invitation from Robert. Gustav didn’t even try to hide his frown when Rose grinned sheepishly, “You remember Robert, right? Michael’s friend? Boutique?”
He grumbled, “Of course I do. What does he want?”
Rose looked a little taken aback, “Well, he’s having a party on this place…” she sat on the edge of the bed—their bed—and reading a place. Gustav’s eyes almost popped out when he heard the name of the building and street where the party was going to be celebrated. Of course he knew that place. It was the perfect place to see New Year’s firework in London, the kind where the richest people go because they have the money to rent place like that.
The half-Norwegian man hesitated. He wanted to go, because the place would be amazing. On the other hand, he couldn’t bare the idea of spending hours with people like Robert. It wasn’t that Robert was an awful person or something, but his interest and Gustav’s interest were as different as the night and day. He worked in entertainment industry and spent his days working on rock music. Robert taught in university and reading medical journal at his spare time. Gustav ate fish and chips and Robert drink tea with sugar that was also used for the Royal Family. Gustav had sat together with that man, and he couldn’t find anything to talk about, unlike Rose who could easily talk about Australian politic or Italian wine with Robert.
But seeing the excitement in Rose’s eyes, Gustav couldn’t help but nod.
“Alright. We’ll go.”
She ran to him and attempted to hug him in the neck, but in the end she hugged him where she cold put her hands around; his hips.
“Oh, thank you, Gustav! Thank you, thank you, thank you!”
He chuckled and hugged her back. Wherever they go, he thought, Rose would be there too and it would still be the best place in the world.
It was weird that Rose could spot the girl’s face. She seemed familiar, but unlike anyone she knew by name. She was just as average as Rose; medium body height, shoulder-length dark brown hair, doe-eyes, sweater that was a little too big, and tote bag. Rose returned her gaze to the MacBook screen, trying to remember where she saw this girl. It wouldn’t be weird if she was somewhere in Sydney or Perth, because that face could be a face of her classmates, ex-neighbours… but she was in London and the possibility to see one of her acquaintance was small here.
Suddenly, a new email took Rose’s full attention. It was from Michael. It was another email about the surgery and how it would be done sometime after New Year. Rose sipped her hot chocolate slowly. Once again she was reminded that the pain wasn’t over for Gustav until he could sing again.
***
When Rose told Gustav about New Year party invitation from Robert. Gustav didn’t even try to hide his frown when Rose grinned sheepishly, “You remember Robert, right? Michael’s friend? Boutique?”
He grumbled, “Of course I do. What does he want?”
Rose looked a little taken aback, “Well, he’s having a party on this place…” she sat on the edge of the bed—their bed—and reading a place. Gustav’s eyes almost popped out when he heard the name of the building and street where the party was going to be celebrated. Of course he knew that place. It was the perfect place to see New Year’s firework in London, the kind where the richest people go because they have the money to rent place like that.
The half-Norwegian man hesitated. He wanted to go, because the place would be amazing. On the other hand, he couldn’t bare the idea of spending hours with people like Robert. It wasn’t that Robert was an awful person or something, but his interest and Gustav’s interest were as different as the night and day. He worked in entertainment industry and spent his days working on rock music. Robert taught in university and reading medical journal at his spare time. Gustav ate fish and chips and Robert drink tea with sugar that was also used for the Royal Family. Gustav had sat together with that man, and he couldn’t find anything to talk about, unlike Rose who could easily talk about Australian politic or Italian wine with Robert.
But seeing the excitement in Rose’s eyes, Gustav couldn’t help but nod.
“Alright. We’ll go.”
She ran to him and attempted to hug him in the neck, but in the end she hugged him where she cold put her hands around; his hips.
“Oh, thank you, Gustav! Thank you, thank you, thank you!”
He chuckled and hugged her back. Wherever they go, he thought, Rose would be there too and it would still be the best place in the world.
♠ ♠ ♠
Author’s Note: I apologise because this chapter is extra short, but I want to write it and put it out there before I'm busy again. The other problem I have writing "Time After Time" is that my draft is so messy, so before I forget about this sequence because it will be buried in some other new writings, I'm going to put this here.(And yes, there's a sub-plot concerning the brunette. You'll know about it later and I'm so excited to unfold it.)
As always, big thank you for mosher123, Beccathecookie, and nikkiniknak12 for the comments. They are so great and they always made my day, so I hope you understand how much I appreciate it.