There Was You
08: You Know I Am Worth The Wait
Slowly stirring the mug of tea which sat on the table ahead of her, Riley spared a brief glance towards the café door, watching as people filed past it outside for a few seconds before she returned her stare down to her drink, letting out a slightly nervous sigh. She knew that Iker wasn’t deliberately late, when they’d made plans to meet up after she had finished work for the day, he had told her that there was a chance that she would arrive before him, and that he’d make it as soon as he could, but still she felt nervous that he might not show, even if he had texted a couple of times to assure her that he was on his way. She still couldn’t shake the nerves from the pit of her stomach.
They had started to spend a lot of time together, after their first, slightly awkward lunch a couple of weeks previous, they’d managed to get together on a couple of different occasions, and whilst there was no denying that there were still a few bumps in their conversation, Riley had to admit that she found herself looking forwards to seeing him more and more, something which surprised her. It hadn’t started well, the first two times that she and Iker had seen one another, she had been a mess, and she was sure that that would have been enough to send him running in the other direction, but still he hung around, something which pleased Riley more than she wanted to admit. There was a part of her that was growing to like having him around.
Slipping the spoon out of her mug, she placed it down onto the table before she moved to take a sip of the warm drink.
“I really thought you’d have left already”
Riley smiled a little into her drink before she set the cup back onto the table, turning to look up at Iker who’d stopped behind her, smiling gently. “You’re not that late” she quipped as she shuffled to her feet, greeting him with a slightly hesitant hug.
Iker laughed quietly as he hugged her back. “I’m still sorry” he mused as he stepped back “I had a couple of things I couldn’t get out of doing. How long ago did you get here?” he asked, moving to sit in the seat opposite her.
“I got off work a little late” Riley quipped “So only about five or ten minutes ago” she added, sipping on her drink.
Iker quirked a boyish smile. “So, how close were you to leaving?” he asked after a couple of beats of silence.
Riley laughed into her drink before she shook her head, shrugging her shoulders nonchalantly. “You had ten more minutes” she replied.
Iker, who’d started to scan the menu, rolled his eyes, peeking over at her. “You know I am worth the wait, Riley” he quipped.
Riley blinked a couple of times at his comment, feeling her cheeks blush, before she shook her head, keeping her eyes fixed on her drink.
Iker smiled a little, watching as the blush grew over her cheeks, before he shifted his foot beneath the table, lightly nudging it against hers. Riley jumped at the contact, something which caused her to jolt the table, knocking her mug of tea over and across the table, splashing the front of Iker’s shirt.
“Oh” Iker squeaked as he jumped up, tugging the damp t-shirt away from himself slightly.
“I’m so sorry!” Riley squeaked “You just...you caught me off guard. I’m so, so sorry” she added as she rushed to hand him napkins.
Iker took a handful of napkins before her shook his head. “It’s fine” he quipped, dabbing the material carefully.
“It’s not” Riley retorted, shaking her head.
Iker offered her a small smile. “Riley” he mused, causing her to look up at his face “It’s fine” he added kindly.
Riley allowed her eyes to search his face for a second before she nodded, looking back down at her feet. “You need a new shirt” she quipped.
“It’s fine” Iker repeated.
“It’s a mess” Riley countered “And the least I can do is replace it for you. I live about ten minutes from here and I am sure that I have a t-shirt you can borrow. If you’d just give me a lift...” she trailed off, chewing on her lip shyly.
Iker glanced at her for a second, briefly contemplating insisting that there was no need, before he nodded his head. “OK” he mused.
Riley smiled a little before she collected her jacket and bag, hanging them over her arm. “Ok, good” she mused “I’ll give you directions” she added.
Iker just offered her a small smile before he gestured for her to walk ahead, guiding her out towards his car.
~#~
“I think there is likely to be a shirt that fits you in the bottom drawer in the dresser” Riley quipped as she pushed the front door closed behind her, turning to look at Iker who’d stood a couple of paces away from her, curiously looking around her apartment.
Iker blinked a couple of times, surprised by her voice, before he turned around to look at her. “Huh?” he asked.
“A t-shirt” Riley repeated “Ben...there’s going to be something that’ll fit you in the bottom drawer of the dresser in my bedroom” she stumbled out, her expression flinching as her ex-boyfriend’s name slipped out of her mouth.
Iker stepped a little closer to her, but Riley shook her head, offering him a small, grateful smile. “I’m fine” she mused softly “You should go and change” she added.
Iker hesitated for a second, offering her a dubious look, before he nodded his head. “Just down the hall?” he asked.
“The first door” Riley confirmed.
Iker offered her another soft look before he stepped away, making his way towards Riley’s bedroom.
Riley watched after him for a second before she shook her head to herself, letting out a quiet sigh. Placing her bag and coat down, she padded through towards the living room before the sound of the doorbell reached her ears, causing her to huff out another sigh before she padded back into the hall. Stopping ahead of the door, she placed her hand on the handle before she pulled it open, almost being knocked off of her feet as Marisol rushed in, a familiar wad of magazines clutched in her hands. “Thank god you’re here” she announced “I’ve found the most gorgeous dress and I couldn’t wait to show it to someone. You have to see it, Ry, it’s so beautiful” she gushed almost sprinting into the living room.
Riley blinked a couple of times, caught off guard by Marisol’s arrival, before she opened her mouth to say something.
“Riley, which drawer am I looking for?”
Riley closed her mouth at the sound of Iker’s voice before she turned around, her eyes widening a little as he stepped back into view, his stained white t-shirt clutched in his hand. Blinking a couple of times, she felt her cheeks turn red before she dropped her eyes to her feet, spluttering for a second.
“Iker?” Marisol asked, stopping Riley before she had the chance to say anything.
Iker’s eyes widened as Marisol stepped back into the hall, her eyebrows lifting as she caught sight of him. Blinking a couple of times, she glanced between Riley and Iker before she quirked a smirk, something which caused Riley’s stomach to tighten. “Really” she murmured “Mari, this isn’t what it looks like” she added softly.
They had started to spend a lot of time together, after their first, slightly awkward lunch a couple of weeks previous, they’d managed to get together on a couple of different occasions, and whilst there was no denying that there were still a few bumps in their conversation, Riley had to admit that she found herself looking forwards to seeing him more and more, something which surprised her. It hadn’t started well, the first two times that she and Iker had seen one another, she had been a mess, and she was sure that that would have been enough to send him running in the other direction, but still he hung around, something which pleased Riley more than she wanted to admit. There was a part of her that was growing to like having him around.
Slipping the spoon out of her mug, she placed it down onto the table before she moved to take a sip of the warm drink.
“I really thought you’d have left already”
Riley smiled a little into her drink before she set the cup back onto the table, turning to look up at Iker who’d stopped behind her, smiling gently. “You’re not that late” she quipped as she shuffled to her feet, greeting him with a slightly hesitant hug.
Iker laughed quietly as he hugged her back. “I’m still sorry” he mused as he stepped back “I had a couple of things I couldn’t get out of doing. How long ago did you get here?” he asked, moving to sit in the seat opposite her.
“I got off work a little late” Riley quipped “So only about five or ten minutes ago” she added, sipping on her drink.
Iker quirked a boyish smile. “So, how close were you to leaving?” he asked after a couple of beats of silence.
Riley laughed into her drink before she shook her head, shrugging her shoulders nonchalantly. “You had ten more minutes” she replied.
Iker, who’d started to scan the menu, rolled his eyes, peeking over at her. “You know I am worth the wait, Riley” he quipped.
Riley blinked a couple of times at his comment, feeling her cheeks blush, before she shook her head, keeping her eyes fixed on her drink.
Iker smiled a little, watching as the blush grew over her cheeks, before he shifted his foot beneath the table, lightly nudging it against hers. Riley jumped at the contact, something which caused her to jolt the table, knocking her mug of tea over and across the table, splashing the front of Iker’s shirt.
“Oh” Iker squeaked as he jumped up, tugging the damp t-shirt away from himself slightly.
“I’m so sorry!” Riley squeaked “You just...you caught me off guard. I’m so, so sorry” she added as she rushed to hand him napkins.
Iker took a handful of napkins before her shook his head. “It’s fine” he quipped, dabbing the material carefully.
“It’s not” Riley retorted, shaking her head.
Iker offered her a small smile. “Riley” he mused, causing her to look up at his face “It’s fine” he added kindly.
Riley allowed her eyes to search his face for a second before she nodded, looking back down at her feet. “You need a new shirt” she quipped.
“It’s fine” Iker repeated.
“It’s a mess” Riley countered “And the least I can do is replace it for you. I live about ten minutes from here and I am sure that I have a t-shirt you can borrow. If you’d just give me a lift...” she trailed off, chewing on her lip shyly.
Iker glanced at her for a second, briefly contemplating insisting that there was no need, before he nodded his head. “OK” he mused.
Riley smiled a little before she collected her jacket and bag, hanging them over her arm. “Ok, good” she mused “I’ll give you directions” she added.
Iker just offered her a small smile before he gestured for her to walk ahead, guiding her out towards his car.
~#~
“I think there is likely to be a shirt that fits you in the bottom drawer in the dresser” Riley quipped as she pushed the front door closed behind her, turning to look at Iker who’d stood a couple of paces away from her, curiously looking around her apartment.
Iker blinked a couple of times, surprised by her voice, before he turned around to look at her. “Huh?” he asked.
“A t-shirt” Riley repeated “Ben...there’s going to be something that’ll fit you in the bottom drawer of the dresser in my bedroom” she stumbled out, her expression flinching as her ex-boyfriend’s name slipped out of her mouth.
Iker stepped a little closer to her, but Riley shook her head, offering him a small, grateful smile. “I’m fine” she mused softly “You should go and change” she added.
Iker hesitated for a second, offering her a dubious look, before he nodded his head. “Just down the hall?” he asked.
“The first door” Riley confirmed.
Iker offered her another soft look before he stepped away, making his way towards Riley’s bedroom.
Riley watched after him for a second before she shook her head to herself, letting out a quiet sigh. Placing her bag and coat down, she padded through towards the living room before the sound of the doorbell reached her ears, causing her to huff out another sigh before she padded back into the hall. Stopping ahead of the door, she placed her hand on the handle before she pulled it open, almost being knocked off of her feet as Marisol rushed in, a familiar wad of magazines clutched in her hands. “Thank god you’re here” she announced “I’ve found the most gorgeous dress and I couldn’t wait to show it to someone. You have to see it, Ry, it’s so beautiful” she gushed almost sprinting into the living room.
Riley blinked a couple of times, caught off guard by Marisol’s arrival, before she opened her mouth to say something.
“Riley, which drawer am I looking for?”
Riley closed her mouth at the sound of Iker’s voice before she turned around, her eyes widening a little as he stepped back into view, his stained white t-shirt clutched in his hand. Blinking a couple of times, she felt her cheeks turn red before she dropped her eyes to her feet, spluttering for a second.
“Iker?” Marisol asked, stopping Riley before she had the chance to say anything.
Iker’s eyes widened as Marisol stepped back into the hall, her eyebrows lifting as she caught sight of him. Blinking a couple of times, she glanced between Riley and Iker before she quirked a smirk, something which caused Riley’s stomach to tighten. “Really” she murmured “Mari, this isn’t what it looks like” she added softly.
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Thanks to FootieJo and Twisted;;Symphony for the comments :)