Chapter 5
For a few days, everything went on as usual, but then Clarke was on call and in the middle of the night an emergency had roused her from her deep sleep. She quickly got dressed and hurried to her car.
She spent the night and most of the day there before saying goodbye to the doorman, completely exhausted. It had already become dark and so she saw only very late that someone was leaning against her car. At first she didn't recognize who it was, but gradually her fogged mind cleared and she was finally able to recognize someone.
"Lexa?
The latter visibly startled and looked at Clarke sheepishly.
"Is everything all right?"
She nodded.
"How did you know I was on duty today, anyway?"
"I didn't know." A slight blush crept into her face. "But I just thought I'd give it a try, and when I saw your car, I decided to wait."
"How long have you been here?"
She shrugged. "Quite a while."
Clarke just looked at her questioningly, and Lexa's complexion looked more and more like a tomato.
"I...I wanted to ask you something." She seemed to notice how she just stood up and suddenly her shoulders straightened and a serene, almost sublime expression was now evident on her face.
"I was going to ask you for your number the other day on the beach, but then suddenly it started raining so hard and the right moment didn't arise."
"So you have another one that works?" asked Clarke with a grin.
Embarrassed, the brunette smiled. "Yes, right after our first meeting I bought another one. Fortunately, the sim - card had still been in order."
She opened the contact list, selected Add new contact and stuck it out to Clarke. It was the bravest thing she had done in a long time.
Clarke smiled and nodded. She appreciated the action, even if she didn't quite understand what it meant. How much of a stretch it had been for Lexa to come here and ask her that. How much cover she gave up for it, how much of herself she revealed and how much trust it cost her.
>>Thank you for giving me your number. I wasn't quite sure if you would do it.>> Lexa wrote and then deleted the second part before sending the message. She took a deep breath and wondered what she was doing. Since when did she ask someone for a number? When was the last time she had gotten this nervous? It was just a message, nothing more.
Suddenly an online appeared on her display under Clarke's name, followed by a, write....
Spellbound, she stared at her screen. The write... disappeared but no message appeared, there it appeared again and Lexa fell a big stone from the heart.
>> Thanks for asking me about mine. And for waiting.>>
These tiny lines managed to make her smile broadly and with the same expression on her face she fell asleep a short time later.
The next morning she got up early, meditated on the floor in front of her bed and enjoyed the silence, the time she took for herself and the strength she could draw from it. Her good mood was boundless and so she decided to explore the city once again. She had been walking for a while when she was approached by an unmistakable blonde, at her side and holding hands was a young man. When Clarke saw Lexa, she began to smile broadly, the joy clearly evident. As happy as Lexa was to see Clarke, she didn't like holding hands with anyone at all, because it put a slight stab in her heart. They had never talked about whether one of them was in a relationship, they hadn't known each other long enough for that and it shouldn't really surprise her with Clarke. It didn't really and yet she didn't want to imagine it and certainly didn't want to see it.
But the two headed straight for her until they stood directly in front of her.
"May I introduce you to Finn?" Now Lexa could take a closer look at the young man. He had wispy black hair and a sunnyboy smile with which he surely charmed rows of women. He had straight teeth and beautiful hands that were very well-groomed for a man.
"Hey Finn, I'm Lexa." He extended a hand to her and politely she took it. He smiled broadly at her. "Nice to meet you. Clarke already told me that you know each other and how nice the other day at the beach was. " He had a velvety voice that suited him perfectly, yet she didn't like him.
Her eyes darted to Clarke, pleased that she had talked to him about her and at the same time not liking the thought. Pillow talk, ran through her mind, followed shortly by murder thoughts.
"We're going to sit at a coffee shop some more. Do you want to go?" Uncertainly she looked at the blonde, actually she wanted to refuse, she didn't want to see them together more than absolutely necessary, but her smile made sure she agreed.
"How did you two actually meet?"
The two looked at each other in love.
"I was sitting in my favorite coffee shop, the one we were in the other day, and there he was. Charming as he is, he invited me in for a coffee and asked if he could sit down. We talked for a few hours and he asked me for my number." She reached for his hands before continuing. "Since then, we've been seeing each other as often as we can. He's been traveling a lot in his job as a nature photographer and journalist and just got back the day we met. That was only two weeks ago, and it actually takes me longer to give someone my number, but he did." She smiled slightly at the thought and Finn did the same.
"I'm often in places where my cell phone is of no use to me, and unfortunately I'm rarely here for more than a few days." Lexa thought to herself that he was certainly in the category that incredibly liked to hear himself talk, no matter how relevant it was to what they had to say.
"He just finished writing a report for National Geographic on extinct species." You could tell how proud she was. For some time Lexa listened to the two newly in love before she said goodbye and left. Enough sweet talk for today, or she would have to wash the sugar off her clothes at some point, but jealous? She definitely wasn't, she just didn't like him and Clarke clearly deserved better. Her mood had hit the basement by now, maybe more like a bunker. She just wanted to go back to her hotel room and forget the day.
Lexas phone made a soft pling.
>>Hey. Are you still awake?>> It was Clarke, she didn't know if she should be happy or not. She wanted to hear from her, but nothing about Finn.
>> Yes I am. Why?>> Stay aloof, don't let on, she thought to herself.
>> Do you feel like going to the water?>>
>>What if I don't?
>> That would be stupid, because I'm already standing in front of your hotel.>> Instantly her heart beat faster and she was wide awake. She quickly put on something comfortable and warm, but before she could go downstairs, she heard a new pling.
>> Lexa?>>
>> Be right there. >>
Hectically she pressed the elevator button, she was well aware that it didn't make it go any faster, but still she couldn't help it. Finally it opened, she wanted to get in and only then noticed that she had forgotten her shoes. Inwardly she cursed herself, hurried back to her room, put some on and ran directly to the elevator, which was still there, thank God.
She hurried through the lobby where only the doorman was still on duty, wished him a good night and went outside.
Clarke's car was parked right in front of the hotel, she leaned against it and waited. When she saw Lexa, she went straight to her and hugged her.