In The Spotlight

Leafy- Hello (Again)

Every single person on screen was someone I knew. Not necessarily individually, but I knew the type. I learned enough to guess how they operate, what they are in this for. I know enough about people to know that everyone in the room was lying. We don't like to reveal much about ourselves to strangers. To me, everyone I met that first night was like a puzzle to be solved.

My initial plan was to stay a wallflower, but after a glass or two of champagne, I didn't feel the same. I decided to find a member of my team. I felt like I was in middle school. With less B.O.

I saw the young man with the perpetually angry eyes. Donut, I recalled. He was wearing a dapper little bow tie, and chatting with some dude who looked to be about the opposite of him in every way.

I would go see Donut, and get to know him, and make an ally. I would have ticked the unofficial boxes for the night, and I could spend some quality time in L.A. before taking a train back south.

If only that had happened.

Instead, while attempting to make my way to the chatting men, I thwacked my purse into an oncoming partygoer. As I apologized, I realized he was one of my teammates. I'm still not sure if that made it better or worse. Despite this, I couldn't for the life of me place his name.

"It's okay. Refreshing honestly! Most of the time that I get injured at a party it's my drunk ass' fault." Based on his looks that didn't surprise me. Young, but with dark under eye circles. He looked as if he tried to shave, but did it poorly. Slightly yellowed teeth made up a wide smile.

"Still sorry. I'm Leafy. Believe we've met?" I told him. I was always taught politeness. I've been giving formal introductions since I was 3.

"Really? Where are you from then?" Well, I suppose it's better to know now than later that he's an airhead.

"San Diego. But I meant on the call." I laughed a little so that I didn't sound mean, but I'm not convinced that it worked. His hands started to fidget with his hair as he insincerely laughed back.

"Oh, sorry. I can be a bit of a dunce. It's like my job title. Well, that would be substitute teacher, but..." He trailed off nervously. I guess he noticed me watching him. He was kind of funny. In the way that a dog missing the jump onto the couch is funny.

"But you know that. Because we introduced ourselves on the call that we were just talking about. Sorry." I just blinked at him for a second. The word vomit was amusing.

Firey. He was called Firey. "Have you ever had a chocolate croissant at 10 pm? Because they are untouched." He laughed a bit.

"Everyone's going for the booze, I guess. But yeah, a croissant would be nice." We walked over to the table of desserts, all of which seemed delectable. I scanned for the pastry that seemed the flakiest.

"So, you said you're a lawyer, right? What kind of law do you do?" Great, back to small talk.

"Family law, actually." I answered.

"I'm guessing it isn't all 'you are not the father!'
in real life, right?" This one made me actually giggle, which was difficult considering the food in my mouth. I started coughing pretty hard.

"I don't know the Heimlich! Oh god, don't die, please." Despite the hilarity of everything he just said, I forced myself to quit laughing and begin breathing. I lifted a thumbs up sign, and then used his shoulder to steady myself.

I took a deep breath and told him I was fine. He sighed from relief. "Guess that one was killer!" I gave him a disapproving look. "No? Okay, I'll see myself out." He started to turn around and leave.

"No, don't go away! You're the most fun person I've talked to tonight."

"Not to be rude, but I am also the only person you've talked to tonight." Fair. He turned back toward me. "And I wasn't really leaving anyway." He smiled. I rolled my eyes.

"Do you actually like me, or are you just antisocial?" It had been an hour, and still Firey was the only person I'd talked to.

"I don't hate you or anything, but I don't like people much anymore either." My line of work makes people angry. Children, clients, their exes.

"Anymore? You used to?" I wasn't sure if he was actually younger than me or if he just seemed to be. Regardless, I felt like I was revealing some wisdom of the future.

"Yeah. But people hate lawyers, so I hate people back. Easier that way." His eyes narrowed to the point I wondered if I said something wrong.

"You sound like a damn Disney villain, you know that?" He smirked. I laughed a bit. "Just don't make me your henchman. I'm too young to be roped into a scheme."

"I'm not evil, I swear." I found myself looking at his smile. He had a dimple on one side. It was the kind of thing I would have been into in a past life. I touched his hand. He pulled away.

"Whoa there! I think you're drunk." Whoops. At least he wasn't mad. Only kind of concerned.

"Just a little. Sorry." What had I been thinking? I suppose I really wasn't.

Firey took his phone from his pocket. Without looking up, he asked me "Where are you staying?"

"Why do you ask?" He was cool, but not tell-him-where-you're-sleeping-for-no-reason-cool.

"I'm walking you when we leave. If you're drunk enough to pull a move on your teammate, you're drunk enough to get mugged." Fair enough.

"The Hilton downtown. It's only like a 10 minute walk. I'll be fine." I wasn't lying. But I also really didn't want to talk to him any longer after my awkward flirtation.

He wasn't having it. "No, I insist. Plus, it's on the way to my hotel." He smiled non-threateningly.

Right as I was going to thank him, I was met with the face of Four. They seemed taller up close. Their eyes had the same deranged look I had seen in them on the meeting.

"You're getting on fine then?" asked Four. We were of course, but if we hadn't been, I wouldn't have said so. They scared me somewhat.

"We are, thank you!" Firey said. He didn't seem at all intimidated by them. He must be a little bit crazy.

"Well, things seem to be winding down now, but thank you for coming." It was when they said this that I noticed their shorter, less scary counterpart. I recognized them as X. They had also been on the meeting, but hadn't spoken.

"We'll be in touch!" Said X. They gave me a friendly smile as they handed us each a business card.

"Thanks! Leafy and I will call you when we get the chance." I would not be doing that.

"I sure will!" I did try to be nice. Can't be a bad thing to get in the hosts' good graces.

The two of them walked off to my initial target of Donut and Other Guy. I was relieved. Not a fan of them.

"Thanks again for bringing me." He grabbed a slip of paper from his pocket.

"No problem! Here's my number. Text me sometime." I put the number in my phone.

"I will. Thank you for making tonight not miserable." I laughed and gave him a side-hug.

"Mine probably would have been too. So, thanks." I grinned a pulled open the door. I shouted a goodbye and headed for the elevator.

I felt stupid for it, but his face was in my mind all night. Up until the moment I fell asleep I wondered about him and his life.

Most of all I wondered if he was thinking of me in the same way.

(A/N: Okay, to address the elephant in the room- I am so sorry about missing last week's update! I got very sick, to the point that I was pretty much bedridden. Hopefully this chapter is long and cute enough to make up for it! 1356 words. Song for the day: Pork and Beans- Weezer)