Finding X

Chapter Two

Carlisle stared at herself in the bathroom mirror the next day. Marty had already left for an early meeting somewhere and she was left to her own devices again.

Last night felt surreal. Who was that guy? And why did it feel so easy to talk to him? Cute as he was, she didn’t talk to strangers so obligingly like that.

She laughed at herself. She was getting older, and she shouldn’t be acting like a high school girl over a guy she just met. But was it too much to hope to see him again? What were the chances of seeing him at breakfast when he had admitted that he wasn’t even staying at the hotel?

She admonished herself. But a little lipstick this morning won’t hurt. A bit of eye shadow. And some blush.

Making herself up turned out to be a good decision. Because who of all people turned up to sit down in front of her and make her almost-choke on her scrambled eggs?

“Morning, fellow older sibling.”

She grabbed the table napkin from her lap and not-so-gracefully covered her mouth. The cute guy from yesterday nudged a glass of water towards her.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to surprise you,” he said sheepishly.

Carlisle was still coughing, her cheeks pink in embarrassment. She must be dreaming; she shouldn’t be seeing him this soon and this early. Surely she was still fast asleep in her hotel room.

“Uh, yeah. Didn’t think I’d be seeing you again,” she confessed, voice muffled. She cleared her throat before putting the napkin down and grabbing a glass of water to drink. She took a few gulps, but she was very conscious of a pair of eyes watching her.

It was only when she put down the glass did he start speaking. “I was dropping my sister off for the conference and thought I’d grab some coffee,” he explained.

She gave the whole room a cursory glance, noting that the cafe wasn’t as full as last night and he could’ve had any pick of the tables. But he sat there.

“And you had the urge to sit here?” she asked, openly confused.

He simply shrugged, a movement she realized was growing on her. “Well, I saw you eating alone. I thought you’d appreciate some company. I can go grab another table—” He made a move to get up.

“No, please. Sit.” She raised a hand, gesturing to him to sit back down. “Sorry, I was just really surprised. I… didn’t think anyone would want to sit with me,” she said shyly.

“Why not?” he wanted to know.

“Er, just that, really,” she promptly said.

He nodded then called over a server for a cup of regular coffee. “I hope you don’t mind,” he said as soon as the server left.

Carlisle shook her head, still confused. She was also growing very conscious of how she would be eating the rest of her meal. Why did she grab a lot of bacon today, of all days?

“D-do you fancy always eating by yourself?” he asked, leaning forward, arms and elbows on the table.

“Not really, but it’s good for you sometimes. Helps you appreciate the food.”

And apparently good for meeting cute strangers.

Oh shush. I don’t even have a name yet.

He briefly looked at her plate of food and gave a little grin. “You didn’t order the tectonic plate. At least you didn’t have to wait a while.”

Carlisle was confused for a bit, unsure how their talk went from food to a massive slab of solid rock. She saw his eyes widen a bit, then he gave a little cough and cleared his throat.

“I, uh, I mean, so… I noticed you like bacon?” he asked, resetting the mood.

“I do, actually.” She smiled at him, amused. “Maybe you should get some breakfast for yourself as well? Coffee alone in mornings is not always a good idea.”

“M-maybe later.” He smiled back, looking somewhat relieved at her going back to the main topic.

“Only if you’re sure.”

He nodded again in silence.

A silence that went on for a few more minutes which oddly, she didn’t find remotely awkward. He wasn’t really looking directly at her. His eyes wandered about the room and he occasionally checked his phone. Carlisle actually found that she welcomed his companionable silence.

Something was bugging her though, but she held off her question until his coffee arrived and he was already taking a sip (after two sugars and a generous amount of cream, she noted).

“Why didn’t you just grab coffee from the fast food place across the road?” she asked, and she thought she saw him choke a bit on his drink. She thought it was a legitimate question, since there was a fast food joint across the road, with free parking even. He could even just drive through.

“Well, I just thought I’d hang around a bit.” It was his turn to go slightly pink.

She just nodded in turn.

Again, the silence. This time it felt awkward and intolerable. What were mere seconds now felt like minutes. She would’ve stood up, made up an excuse, and left. But there was still food on her plate, and she was never one to let bacon go to waste. So despite this silence, she forged on and ate.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to question your decision. I just found it odd,” she told him, trying to ease the awkwardness.

“No, no, you were right. I could’ve easily gotten coffee outside. Probably even cheaper.” He raised a hand to the back of his head, like a boy would when found guilty. “I just thought I could catch you here. Talk to you.”

She had a slice of bacon speared in midair, and she just looked at him.

“Sorry, I, didn’t mean to sound like a creeper,” he mumbled, genuinely embarrassed. “I-I could go. I should.” He stood up, taking his cup with him. In his hurry, he bumped against his chair, ignoring drops of coffee that spilled onto the saucer. “Uh, see you.” Then he left, and she didn’t make a move to call him back.

Well, that was weird.

Cute. But weird.