Wrong Quarterback | ✓

1 | summer

         "Is there any way I can persuade you to take this cake off my hands?"

Avery lifts her gaze from the screen in front of her at the sound of Anna's voice, seeing her boss stood in the office kitchenette across the room, door to the fridge wide open before her.

"We have all this cake left from the book club meeting – they're all on a diet together or something," She continues, lifting the two paper boxes that's taken up half of the fridge for three consecutive days out and placing them on top the marble counter. "I doubt they'll last through the weekend. Do you want to take one home? Really, you'd be doing me a favor."

"Oh," Avery mindlessly grabs the pen lying in front of her on the desk, tapping it against her leg. It's only her first week of interning at T.H Publishing but if the past five days have been any indication of what's to come it's definitely looking to be even better than she could've imagined. Especially if she's about to be sent off with left over book club sweets every Friday. Smiling, she nods, "Yeah, okay. I'll survive some cake."

           Twenty minutes – and having made sure at least four times that all documents have been properly saved and backed up before shutting the computer off – later Avery bids Anna goodbye and leaves the office behind.

Running down the three flights of stairs turns out to be a bit more of a struggle while also carrying a box of Carrot Cake in her hands but she eventually reaches the ground floor and manages to balance her hold on the box long enough to twist the lock and push the door open. She digs through her tote as she steps out into the early summer afternoon, skin already growing sticky from the warmth in the air and pauses just a few steps out of the door as she searches for her sunglasses.

She glances up momentarily as a car sidles up next to her on the street, double parking without even caring to try and fit it into the open parking space by the curb.

Readjusting her grip on the box she feels her fingers clasp around her sunglasses at the bottom of the bag and with a breath of relief she pulls them out as something about the Volvo SUV pursues her to lift her gaze again. She recognizes it.

As soon as the car door swings open and the driver steps out, removing his own sunglasses and pulling a hand through his dark brown hair in the process, she realizes why.

Holding back a sigh she watches as he shuts the door behind him, wondering if it's too late to make a run for it – Carrot Cake, tote bag and all. Just as she casts a glance down the block as to survey her chances, he spots her. Ugh.

Rounding the car, locking it with a nonchalant flick of his hand as he does, his brows raise slightly as he shoots her a look of recognition. "Waters."

She's sure there's a scowl on her face as she puts her sunglasses on, casting everything in a orange-like glow, and she's not making any effort to wipe it away. "Taylor."

He continues on without another word, walking past her and into the very same building she's just come from.

She's stood there for a moment, seeing her own reflection in the window before lifting her hand to her hair, releasing the blonde thickness from the hair clip keeping it up in a loose bun. She pulls her fingers through it to shake it out before turning on her heel, her lips pulling into a small smile as the sun hits her face. Taking a new firm hold of the cake box, she steers her steps towards the City Circle, thinking that she'll have time to get herself an iced chai at Beans & Bagels before she's supposed to meet up with her mother.

♡♡♡

"Are you chewing gum? It sounds like you're chewing gum."