London Blast, chapter 4
Daniel sat alone in the small café and waited as patiently as he could. He was supposed to meet Meagan at ten and it was now twenty after. He checked his watch again for the third time in the past seven minutes.
He was being stood up. For the first time ever, he was being stood up.
Daniel bit his tongue and cursed mentally. Why did he get so excited? Why would she want to come have lame brunch with him when she was living it up like a rock star at the Hilton with her uncle?
Knowing he should just get up and leave, Daniel took a farewell sip of water and started to stand when a streak of girl ran past the picture windows of the restaurant.
"I'm so sorry," Meagan panted as the hostess showed her to her seat. "I had to get away from Uncle Billie, who asks a million questions about the dumbest things, and then Aunt Adie was giving me the rundown. We're shopping by the way. That's what we told my uncle so I could come. I'll have water with lemon please." She told the waiter who had appeared by the table.
Daniel leaned back in his chair and made himself comfortable. "I was about to leave to be honest. I thought you had stood me up."
Meagan set her menu that she had been looking at down. "What? No, no. I wouldn't stand you up. I tried to call but my phone won't let me put any calls through. It's time for an upgrade. I dropped it once in the toilet and it's never been the same since."
Daniel laughed. "No you didn't."
"Yes I did," Meagan insisted as she picked up her menu again. "It was an accident and there wasn't anything in it, thank God, but it did take a swim in the porcelain pool. Oooh, Belgium Waffles."
After the two ate a leisurely brunch, Daniel escorted her politely out of the café. "So what time do you have to be back?"
"Uh, I have to be at the venue at one so probably until, like, 12:15 or so," Meagan replied as her arm was looped through his casually. "That was really good. I think I ate too much."
"Me too," Daniel agreed. "I'm just proud that you actually ate something. Most girls just get a salad or whatever and pick at it."
Meagan shook her head distastefully. "Not me. I like food too much. Do pick up girls and take them to brunch often?"
"Well, let's see." Daniel ran a hand down his chin. "Including you, that's one."
"Uh uh."
"Uh huh. I don't just randomly get pick girls up and I must remind you that you were the one who picked me up outside that coffee shop when you ran away from Landon, which speaks very well of your character because if I were you, I would have ran away too."
Meagan dropped her jaw and playfully hit him. "I did not pick you up. You totally picked me up with that long handshake and 'Megan' line so I would talk to you more."
Daniel looked down at her with that grin she was becoming very fond of. "It's not my fault you have a weird name and you picked me up, love."
"Whatever." Meagan sighed and leaned her head against Daniel's shoulder.
"Where are we going?"
Daniel shrugged, which made Meagan lift her head. "Sorry. I don't know."
"Do you mind if I lean on you?"
"No." Daniel moved his arm so his hand was next to hers. "Can I hold your hand?"
"Yes please, it's cold." Meagan joked as Daniel took her hand in his, intertwining his fingers with hers.
They walked just like that for a block or so, holding hands and lightly canoodling on the sidewalk. Daniel wore dark glasses to try to grant him a little anonymity as he enjoyed his simple time with Meagan.
"Oh shit!" Meagan tore her hand out of Daniel's and darted into an adjacent alleyway.
Daniel stood in place in the middle of the sidewalk still looking ahead. He bluntly turned and followed her into the alleyway much calmer than she did. "Okay. I'm a little confused and a little weirded out right now."
"Sorry." Meagan whispered. "Are they still there?"
"Who?" Daniel looked out into the street but didn't see anything unusual.
Meagan chanced a peek around. "Those two guys right there; the one in the red shirt and the other with all the tattoos on his arms. Those guys are with the Green Day tour and if they saw me they'll tell BJ and I want that really pretty cherry red Mustang with black leather interior and fully loaded. I can only get that if I follow the rules and one of the main rules is no boys."
"Oh." Daniel nodded his head as the one of the guys put out his cigarette and they both walked away in the opposite direction of them. "They're gone."
Meagan sighed a sigh of relief. "Good. Sorry if I freaked you out." She fell in step next to Daniel, but they were no longer holding hands.
"It's okay. I'll probably do something similar one day and you may be privileged enough to see it."
Meagan grinned at him. "I'm looking forward to it."
Daniel slid his arm around her waist, but kept it at a safe position, and they finished their walk in peace.
He was being stood up. For the first time ever, he was being stood up.
Daniel bit his tongue and cursed mentally. Why did he get so excited? Why would she want to come have lame brunch with him when she was living it up like a rock star at the Hilton with her uncle?
Knowing he should just get up and leave, Daniel took a farewell sip of water and started to stand when a streak of girl ran past the picture windows of the restaurant.
"I'm so sorry," Meagan panted as the hostess showed her to her seat. "I had to get away from Uncle Billie, who asks a million questions about the dumbest things, and then Aunt Adie was giving me the rundown. We're shopping by the way. That's what we told my uncle so I could come. I'll have water with lemon please." She told the waiter who had appeared by the table.
Daniel leaned back in his chair and made himself comfortable. "I was about to leave to be honest. I thought you had stood me up."
Meagan set her menu that she had been looking at down. "What? No, no. I wouldn't stand you up. I tried to call but my phone won't let me put any calls through. It's time for an upgrade. I dropped it once in the toilet and it's never been the same since."
Daniel laughed. "No you didn't."
"Yes I did," Meagan insisted as she picked up her menu again. "It was an accident and there wasn't anything in it, thank God, but it did take a swim in the porcelain pool. Oooh, Belgium Waffles."
After the two ate a leisurely brunch, Daniel escorted her politely out of the café. "So what time do you have to be back?"
"Uh, I have to be at the venue at one so probably until, like, 12:15 or so," Meagan replied as her arm was looped through his casually. "That was really good. I think I ate too much."
"Me too," Daniel agreed. "I'm just proud that you actually ate something. Most girls just get a salad or whatever and pick at it."
Meagan shook her head distastefully. "Not me. I like food too much. Do pick up girls and take them to brunch often?"
"Well, let's see." Daniel ran a hand down his chin. "Including you, that's one."
"Uh uh."
"Uh huh. I don't just randomly get pick girls up and I must remind you that you were the one who picked me up outside that coffee shop when you ran away from Landon, which speaks very well of your character because if I were you, I would have ran away too."
Meagan dropped her jaw and playfully hit him. "I did not pick you up. You totally picked me up with that long handshake and 'Megan' line so I would talk to you more."
Daniel looked down at her with that grin she was becoming very fond of. "It's not my fault you have a weird name and you picked me up, love."
"Whatever." Meagan sighed and leaned her head against Daniel's shoulder.
"Where are we going?"
Daniel shrugged, which made Meagan lift her head. "Sorry. I don't know."
"Do you mind if I lean on you?"
"No." Daniel moved his arm so his hand was next to hers. "Can I hold your hand?"
"Yes please, it's cold." Meagan joked as Daniel took her hand in his, intertwining his fingers with hers.
They walked just like that for a block or so, holding hands and lightly canoodling on the sidewalk. Daniel wore dark glasses to try to grant him a little anonymity as he enjoyed his simple time with Meagan.
"Oh shit!" Meagan tore her hand out of Daniel's and darted into an adjacent alleyway.
Daniel stood in place in the middle of the sidewalk still looking ahead. He bluntly turned and followed her into the alleyway much calmer than she did. "Okay. I'm a little confused and a little weirded out right now."
"Sorry." Meagan whispered. "Are they still there?"
"Who?" Daniel looked out into the street but didn't see anything unusual.
Meagan chanced a peek around. "Those two guys right there; the one in the red shirt and the other with all the tattoos on his arms. Those guys are with the Green Day tour and if they saw me they'll tell BJ and I want that really pretty cherry red Mustang with black leather interior and fully loaded. I can only get that if I follow the rules and one of the main rules is no boys."
"Oh." Daniel nodded his head as the one of the guys put out his cigarette and they both walked away in the opposite direction of them. "They're gone."
Meagan sighed a sigh of relief. "Good. Sorry if I freaked you out." She fell in step next to Daniel, but they were no longer holding hands.
"It's okay. I'll probably do something similar one day and you may be privileged enough to see it."
Meagan grinned at him. "I'm looking forward to it."
Daniel slid his arm around her waist, but kept it at a safe position, and they finished their walk in peace.
