Chapter 14
Lexa smiled, she got out of the car and walked towards the airport. She was so happy that her whole body started to tingle. Her euphoria was palpable.
The doorbell rang, Clarke opened it wearing a simple black dress, discreet makeup and carrying a handbag. In front of her stood Bellamy, wearing a white shirt and dark blue jeans. He looked nervous as he handed her flowers. She smiled at him, put the bouquet in a vase and then they walked to his car. The restaurant was about 20min drive away.
Both of them were silent for the first time because they didn't know exactly how to deal with the changed situation.
"I'm sorry to be so quiet right now, but I'm very excited, if I'm honest." Bell tried to find the right words.
"I am, too, since we've never been on a date before, and usually O` has always been along for the ride. But I'm sure we'll loosen up as time goes on."
Gratefully, he smiled at her.
"I was incredibly looking forward to today and I hope you enjoy the evening."
Lexa had just checked in and was walking to her seat. As soon as the flight took off and the alerts were turned off, the stewardess came to her seat and asked if she needed anything. Smiling, the brunette answered in the negative and closed her eyes. The flight would not take long, about 3h, then she would be there. To make the time pass as quickly as possible, she tried to catch up on some sleep. She hadn't had much of that while the movie had been in its final stages. But now it was ready.
They ordered alcoholic drinks to ease the slightly tense situation, which they succeeded in doing. Soon they were talking as usual. They had more in common than they knew before and got to know each other in a completely new way. Bell was charming, friendly and accommodating, if a bit shy.
"I'd like to do this again, if you would," he asked her.
"Is the evening over already?" she asked him with a smile.
"I hope not, but I want you to know how comfortable I feel here right now and I wanted to express my interest."
She smiled. "I'd like that, too."
After she finally had her luggage, she found a cab and told the driver the address she was aiming for.
She paid, got out and waited outside the front door.
Suddenly she heard a laugh, she would always recognize this one, only she didn't know the man's voice. Lexa saw Clarke and a young man coming toward her holding hands. Somehow she panicked and hid in one of the bushes.
"Thank you again for a lovely evening Bell. I enjoyed it very much."
Bell smiled at her and hesitated, not knowing if he was allowed to kiss her or not. Clarke took the decision from him and leaned over to him.
It stung the brunette, she didn't want to see this, only she couldn't escape the situation without having to explain herself. It was one of those situations where you couldn't look away, almost like a car accident.
Even though the kiss hadn't lasted long, it had felt like hours to Lexa before they finally parted. Clarke opened her front door and he walked to his car. After a few minutes, the brunette dared to come out of hiding and made her way to her hotel. The anticipation had suffered. She would have liked to know about it, then she could have prepared herself. Instead, she had left Indra behind and was now walking through the streets in the dark, kicking a stone in front of her.
Clarke had a quiet night, she had slept well and deeply and felt refreshed for the first time in ages. She turned on the radio while she ate breakfast.
"Last night the famous actress Lexa Woods landed in town. It's the first time she's been back since the shooting. We wonder if she's simply spending some free days here alone or if she's experiencing her first vacation together with her boyfriend. According to our sources, it's the latter. The two have been dating for a few months now, so it would be very likely that they are finally enjoying some time together here after filming. We're excited and staying tuned."
Clarke rolled her eyes, but then she realized what the host had said. Lexa was here and hadn't told her anything. She reached for her cell phone and called them directly. A sleepy voice answered.
"Yes?"
"You're here and you're not telling me?"
The woman on the other side immediately felt a little queasy. Had she not gone unnoticed after all? But the blonde immediately dispelled that fear. "They put it through on the radio. Why didn't you say anything? I could have picked you up, couldn't I?" Almost sulkily these words came out.
"I wanted to surprise you last night, but you weren't there."
Instantly, she felt guilty.
"I had a date. With Bellamy. If I'd known you were coming, I wouldn't have stayed out so late and we could have done something else together."
"We can still do that today, can't we?"
"Right. How long are you staying?"
"A month, for sure. I told Titus I needed a break."
A bright smile appeared on Clarke's face. This news had more than mellowed her.
"That's great news, even if I do have some work to do for the term paper."
"I'm sure we can still enjoy the time."
"Maybe we could do something with Octavia and Raven sometime, too?"
"I don't know if Octavia would like to see me again after the last time I saw her."
"That'll be fine. You'll be in for lots of jokes anyway. Both my girlfriends have an interesting sense of humor."
"First, I'd like to do something with you alone, if that's all right, Clarke?"
The latter nodded automatically, even if Lexa wouldn't see it.
"Sure, I'd love to."
"There's just one catch to all this."
"And what's that?"
"Because of the hoopla with the press, and because everyone knows I'll be there, Indra will be there. But she'll definitely be in the background."