The Things That You Do
06: Be Careful
Flattening a few wayward blonde hairs, Alexa turned back towards the mirror, scanning her reflection critically. It had been a while, with her feelings towards Lionel, it’d been a long time since she had headed out on a date, but when Andres had suggested that they meet up for coffee, she had jumped at the chance, wanting to spend a little more time with waiter. She knew that it likely wasn’t the perfect time to start a relationship, with her emotions a little scattered still and things between her and Lionel weighing on her mind, she doubted that it was the right time to start seeing someone, but still she wanted to go out with Andres, even if they did simply become friends. She wanted to spend more time with him.
Surveying her reflection, she lightly readjusted the material of her sweater before she picked up her phone, snapping a quick picture before she sent it to Poppy, asking if she looked OK. Tossing her phone down onto the bed, she moved to slip her feet into the pair of boots she had left beside her wardrobe before her ringtone caught her ears, causing her to pick up the phone once more, answering it with a swift hello.
“You look nice” Poppy chirped “What’s the occasion?” she asked.
Alexa, who’d moved to sit down on her bed, blushed. “There has to be an occasion?” she asked.
“You don’t text me to ask if you look Ok for no reason, Alexa” Poppy countered “So, what is it?” she pressed.
Alexa was quiet for a few seconds, contemplating lying to her friend, before she let out a small nervous laugh. “I’m going out with a guy” she revealed timidly.
“A guy?” Poppy squeaked “You’re going on a date?” she added, the surprise audible in her voice.
Alexa let out another shy laugh. “I wouldn’t call it that” she mused “But I met a guy when I went out to dinner with Leo the other day and he invited me to coffee” she explained shyly.
Poppy was quiet for a few seconds before she let out a soft sigh. “You had dinner with Leo?” she posed.
Alexa frowned. “About a week ago, yeah” she quipped “Is something wrong?” she posed.
“I’m just surprised” Poppy mused “I mean, after what happened between the two of you, I didn’t exactly picture you letting him hang around” she explained. She knew that Alexa had been hurt, when Lionel had revealed that he was dating someone new, it had been a blow to the blonde girl, and she wanted to encourage her to be careful around the argentine, even if a small part of her was glad that she was starting to let Lionel back in again. The last thing she wanted was to watch Alexa get hurt again.
Alexa shook her head. “It’s a work in progress” she mumbled “I mean, a lot of the time, we’re fine around one another, but we’re both aware that there’s an elephant in the room, and it’s not something I am quite ready to talk to him about yet. I know I have to explain it to him, but right now...I can’t” she babbled softly.
“I get that” Poppy mused “Just promise me that you’ll be careful, OK? I don’t want you to get hurt, Alexa, not by Leo or by running into something else too quickly” she insisted gently.
Alexa smiled gently at her friend’s fussing. “I promise” she mused.
“Good” Poppy quipped “Now, shouldn’t you be going?” she posed.
Alexa laughed. “Probably” she noted “But I will call you later to let you know how it went” she added.
“I expect nothing less” Poppy teased brightly before she said a quick goodbye, hanging up the phone.
Alexa pulled the phone away from her ear before she slipped it into her pocket, moving towards the door. She knew that Poppy was right, for a little while, it as best to be cautious rather than to run into things, but still she wanted to meet up with Andres, even if it did end up being the only time they went out together. She wanted to at least give a shot.
~#~
Stepping cautiously into the café, Alexa buried her hands in her pockets, her blue eyes searching for any sign of Andres. It had taken her a while to work up the nerve, after she had parked her car, she had spent nearly ten minutes trying to work up the courage to step into the café, but she didn’t want to back down, even if a part of her was terrified, another part of her was excited by the idea of spending time with him. Pulling at a loose thread in her pocket, she looked around the room before her stare met Andres’, something which caused him to grin widely before he gestured to her, asking her to join him.
Alexa bit her lip, trying to stifle the smile that itched to spread across her features, before she padded across the café, greeting him with a soft kiss on the cheek. “Hola, Andres” she mused.
Andres mimicked her, kissing her cheek softly, before he stepped back, retaking his seat. “I was starting to think that you’d changed your mind” he quipped.
Alexa shook her head. “Of course not” she noted as she sat down “My friend called me just before I left and it delayed me a little, but I got here, even if I am a little late” she babbled gently.
Andres watched her, not missing the slight hint of pink which played on her cheeks, before he quirked a small smile. “I’m glad that you’re here” he mused warmly “I’ve been looking forwards to this” he added.
“Really?” Alexa squeaked.
Andres chuckled. “Really” he quipped.
Alexa smiled at him timidly, something which made Andres chuckle once before he leant across the table, kissing her cheek gently as he mumbled a soft comment about her being cute into her ear. Alexa’s cheeks flushed a deeper shade of red before Andres pulled back, pushing himself up to his feet. “I am going to order” he quipped “What can I get for you?” he asked.
“A latte” Alexa replied “And, if they have them, I’d love a chocolate chip cookie” she added.
“Coming right up” Andres quipped before he padded away towards the counter, throwing a playful wink over his shoulder.
Alexa laughed brightly before she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. Shaking her head, she gently slipped it out before she scanned the message that she had received, something which made her sigh gently. It was a short message, Lionel had merely sent one word as an invitation to dinner that night, but still it made Alexa’s stomach flip. Shaking her head, she sent him a quick reply before she slipped the phone back into her pocket, hoping that the knot in her stomach which appeared whenever she thought of Lionel disappeared quickly.
Surveying her reflection, she lightly readjusted the material of her sweater before she picked up her phone, snapping a quick picture before she sent it to Poppy, asking if she looked OK. Tossing her phone down onto the bed, she moved to slip her feet into the pair of boots she had left beside her wardrobe before her ringtone caught her ears, causing her to pick up the phone once more, answering it with a swift hello.
“You look nice” Poppy chirped “What’s the occasion?” she asked.
Alexa, who’d moved to sit down on her bed, blushed. “There has to be an occasion?” she asked.
“You don’t text me to ask if you look Ok for no reason, Alexa” Poppy countered “So, what is it?” she pressed.
Alexa was quiet for a few seconds, contemplating lying to her friend, before she let out a small nervous laugh. “I’m going out with a guy” she revealed timidly.
“A guy?” Poppy squeaked “You’re going on a date?” she added, the surprise audible in her voice.
Alexa let out another shy laugh. “I wouldn’t call it that” she mused “But I met a guy when I went out to dinner with Leo the other day and he invited me to coffee” she explained shyly.
Poppy was quiet for a few seconds before she let out a soft sigh. “You had dinner with Leo?” she posed.
Alexa frowned. “About a week ago, yeah” she quipped “Is something wrong?” she posed.
“I’m just surprised” Poppy mused “I mean, after what happened between the two of you, I didn’t exactly picture you letting him hang around” she explained. She knew that Alexa had been hurt, when Lionel had revealed that he was dating someone new, it had been a blow to the blonde girl, and she wanted to encourage her to be careful around the argentine, even if a small part of her was glad that she was starting to let Lionel back in again. The last thing she wanted was to watch Alexa get hurt again.
Alexa shook her head. “It’s a work in progress” she mumbled “I mean, a lot of the time, we’re fine around one another, but we’re both aware that there’s an elephant in the room, and it’s not something I am quite ready to talk to him about yet. I know I have to explain it to him, but right now...I can’t” she babbled softly.
“I get that” Poppy mused “Just promise me that you’ll be careful, OK? I don’t want you to get hurt, Alexa, not by Leo or by running into something else too quickly” she insisted gently.
Alexa smiled gently at her friend’s fussing. “I promise” she mused.
“Good” Poppy quipped “Now, shouldn’t you be going?” she posed.
Alexa laughed. “Probably” she noted “But I will call you later to let you know how it went” she added.
“I expect nothing less” Poppy teased brightly before she said a quick goodbye, hanging up the phone.
Alexa pulled the phone away from her ear before she slipped it into her pocket, moving towards the door. She knew that Poppy was right, for a little while, it as best to be cautious rather than to run into things, but still she wanted to meet up with Andres, even if it did end up being the only time they went out together. She wanted to at least give a shot.
~#~
Stepping cautiously into the café, Alexa buried her hands in her pockets, her blue eyes searching for any sign of Andres. It had taken her a while to work up the nerve, after she had parked her car, she had spent nearly ten minutes trying to work up the courage to step into the café, but she didn’t want to back down, even if a part of her was terrified, another part of her was excited by the idea of spending time with him. Pulling at a loose thread in her pocket, she looked around the room before her stare met Andres’, something which caused him to grin widely before he gestured to her, asking her to join him.
Alexa bit her lip, trying to stifle the smile that itched to spread across her features, before she padded across the café, greeting him with a soft kiss on the cheek. “Hola, Andres” she mused.
Andres mimicked her, kissing her cheek softly, before he stepped back, retaking his seat. “I was starting to think that you’d changed your mind” he quipped.
Alexa shook her head. “Of course not” she noted as she sat down “My friend called me just before I left and it delayed me a little, but I got here, even if I am a little late” she babbled gently.
Andres watched her, not missing the slight hint of pink which played on her cheeks, before he quirked a small smile. “I’m glad that you’re here” he mused warmly “I’ve been looking forwards to this” he added.
“Really?” Alexa squeaked.
Andres chuckled. “Really” he quipped.
Alexa smiled at him timidly, something which made Andres chuckle once before he leant across the table, kissing her cheek gently as he mumbled a soft comment about her being cute into her ear. Alexa’s cheeks flushed a deeper shade of red before Andres pulled back, pushing himself up to his feet. “I am going to order” he quipped “What can I get for you?” he asked.
“A latte” Alexa replied “And, if they have them, I’d love a chocolate chip cookie” she added.
“Coming right up” Andres quipped before he padded away towards the counter, throwing a playful wink over his shoulder.
Alexa laughed brightly before she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. Shaking her head, she gently slipped it out before she scanned the message that she had received, something which made her sigh gently. It was a short message, Lionel had merely sent one word as an invitation to dinner that night, but still it made Alexa’s stomach flip. Shaking her head, she sent him a quick reply before she slipped the phone back into her pocket, hoping that the knot in her stomach which appeared whenever she thought of Lionel disappeared quickly.