Signals

“Welcome home!” Louise shouted as she threw herself into Tom’s arms at Heathrow. He had been in LA for almost five months and he was incredibly relieved to be back home.

“It’s good to be back,” he laughed as he patted her back. “So you got the day off work after all?”

“Sure did, but the boss isn’t happy,” she grinned as she grabbed one of Tom’s suitcases. “Are you going to tell me about what your project was or is it still super secret?”

“I’ve told you, my contract says that I can’t say a word until a certain date,” he replied with a shake of his head. It wasn’t completely the truth: if Louise knew his last name it would take a quick Google search to find out exactly what he had been doing in LA. But Tom didn’t want her to know, not yet. “So where to? What do you have planned for our afternoon?” Louise grinned and then led him to a taxi that took them to drop off his luggage at Louise’s apartment before they headed to the Museum of London to see a new exhibition that Louise guessed Tom would love to see. Afterwards, they filled up on sushi and then headed into a club for some fun, spending a lot of time drinking and catching up over the loud music.

“Update me on your love life. We never talked about that when I was away,” Tom pointed out before sipping at his Jack and Coke. He was briefly texting on his phone, telling a good friend to stop trying to call because he was busy and would see them tomorrow.

“I didn’t say much because it was hectic and rather depressing. Daniel and I fell apart about a month after you left, and then I found another guy but that didn’t last long,” Louise explained and Tom frowned, looking up from his cell.

“Why not? Did you still need my advice?” he playfully teased.

“No, it’s just…” Louise hesitated, uncertain whether or not she should say what Andy had said. “He said that I belonged to someone else and wasn’t ready to be with him.”

“Still hung up on Daniel?” Tom wondered and she shrugged, her eyes remaining down. “How about we go and dance? No point in being sad today.” They finished their drinks and merged into the crowd. Tom then started to bust the most hilarious yet coordinated dance moves that Louise had ever seen. She immediately laughed along and felt her worries slip away with the beat and the alcohol. Glad that he had changed her mood, Tom shifted closer and danced more subtly, not minding when a fellow dancer bumped into him and he nudged closer to Louise. Just when things were starting to heat up between them, Louise noticed how much Tom was swaying and she quickly called them a taxi to take them home.

“Thank you for the most delightful day,” Tom called out as he stumbled into her living room, tumbling onto one of her couches. Louise laughed as she flicked on the lights and tossed her handbag onto the kitchen counter, partly wishing that the night wasn’t drawing to a close.

“You’re very welcome,” she replied as she rounded the couch, only to see that Tom had passed out from intoxication and a sleepless flight. As Louise took a moment to look at his peaceful face, she finally acknowledged that she thought they had potential to be more than just friends.