Dinners, Meetings and Phone calls
Penny was partly nervous and partly excited. She was surprised that she was actually looking forward to having dinner with the tenant, Aurora. The girl was genuinely nice and sweet. And, perhaps a little shy too. Her bashful nature was pretty cute. Her shift was already over and she was in the process of getting ready.
The dinner was at Aurora's apartment itself, so she didn't see any point in going all fancy but she did want to make a good impression. Keeping this in mind she chose from her cleaner, more sophisticated pile of clothes. After several minutes of deep thought; she ended up in a spaghetti strapped, loose fitting, double layered, soft pink crop top. She paired it with some light blue, slightly ripped skinny jeans and white converse.
Checking herself out in the mirror, she winked. She looked pretty hot. Leaving her hair open over her shoulders, she checked the time. 6:15 pm blazed on her digital watch, her father had gifted her on her birthday. It was almost time for her to leave. It was 15-20 minutes too early to go but she was sure the other girl wouldn't mind too much.
Penny picked up her purse and half-hazardously stuffed it with her keys and phone. Leaving her apartment, she traipsed down the one flight of stairs. She fidgeted in front of the door emblazoned with a large 3A and coughed nervously. Finally, she gathered enough courage to knock softly.
She had to wait only for about a few short moments before the sound of small pitter-patters filled her ears. Soon enough, the door opened with a tiny squeak. Aurora stood there smiling awkwardly but no less sweetly at her.
And again, she looked beautiful. She wasn't wearing anything fancy. Just a form-fitting, lace strapped, sage green top with a short cardigan thrown over it in the same colouring, and a pair of white boot-cut pants. She was barefoot and was very visibly curling her toes against the plush carpet nervously.
"Oh! Hi Penny, come on in", Aurora said and shifted aside to let the blonde woman in.
Penny whistled appreciatively. The apartment was spacious and sensibly decorated. Very colour coordinated and rather hyper clean. She couldn't help but notice the very victorian styled decor, it seemed that her potential friend had a taste for vintage stuff.
"Wow, your apartment is very pretty", the 'struggling actress' said truthfully and gave the place another glance for emphasis. The red-head flushed from the praise to her living space.
"Sit down, sit down", she hurriedly claimed and led the blonde to the couch. Both the girls sat down, making the couch squeak a little from the sudden added weight.
For few minutes they just looked around tensely, not knowing what to talk about, until distraction came in form of a tumbling little kitty who scratched softly against his owner's leg and tried to stand up, as if demanding to be picked up.
"Awwww, who is this?", Penny cooed delightedly as her eyes zeroed in on the adorable feline.
Aurora smiled at Oreo and gently picked him up and bundled him up in her arms. "This is my cute little meow meow, Oreo", she crooned and gave Oreo's bum a small push, so as to encourage him towards Penny's direction.
"Awww, hi Oreo", Penny gave a small delighted smile and tickled the cat's pink nose, "he's so cute!" She looked up at the grinning female and exclaimed happily.
"Can I rub his belly?", she questioned, her hand hovering over the kitten warily. Most cats were very moody being touched by strangers and she didn't want to be scratched by an angry cat.
"Yeah-yeah, go ahead. Oreo's very friendly", the green-eyed girl assured the waitress and gently turned over the cat on his back. Penny giggled and gave the fuzzy belly a small, tender rub.
"How long have you had him?"
Aurora hummed softly. "A year. He was birthday gift from someone".
Penny ahed and flicked Oreo's eras mindlessly.
"I was going to get up to pour Reo some milk, would you like something to drink?", the pretty fashion designer asked curiously and stood up with the black and white feline in her arms.
"Not Oreo's milk, that's for sure", Penny joked and laughed along as her new friend gave a giggle. "Well, do you have wine?"
Aurora flushed a little and shook her head. "I-I'm only nineteen", she offered as an explanation as she opened her fridge for the carton of milk.
The blonde's eyes widened in surprise. Yeah, when she had first seen the girl she had though she was young but her estimate had been around 20-21 not 19. "Wow, you're only 19?!", she exclaimed loudly.
"I-I graduated college early".
That was another surprise for Penny. She'd thought for sure that the girl probably dropped out of high school and moved out here but had never anticipated that she had already graduated college.
Seeing the disbelief on the other girl's face, Aurora felt the need to explain, "I actually graduated when I was 15. Then I spent 3 years working under a fashion designer in Paris."
"Huh", Penny said dumbly. She was actually really impressed. Apparently she was destined to be friends with only geniuses. The only difference was that while Leonard and the other guys were more academically inclined, this girl was a prodigy in fashion designing. No wonder her fashion sense was that good. "That's really impressive", she couldn't help but say it out loud in wonder and watched from her place on the sofa as a pretty red consumed Aurora's alabaster pale cheeks.
"Aww, thank you so much. That's very nice of you", the younger woman beamed widely with a small blush on her cheeks. "And I know that Aurora can be a bit of mouthful, so you can call me Rory."
"Alright, Rory", Penny smiled. The previous awkward atmosphere had mostly dissipated and instead it was filled soft, friendly sort-of air as Rory filled up Oreo's dispenser.
"Would you like a coke instead?"
"Sure."
Soon enough both girls were relaxing on the comfortable sofa and chit-chatting happily about, would you guess it- clothes. The younger girl was delighted that her new friend had excellent taste in clothing. It was 7 when finally Rory looked at her watch and gasped softly.
"Oh mon Dieu (oh god), it's 7:00 already, you must be hungry, right?", she asked, not even realising when she slipped into French due to her worry.
"A little", Penny admitted, a little shocked herself at how quickly the time had passed. She hadn't realised how hungry she had been, though she didn't exaggerate too much in fear of making the bubbly red-head feel too bad.
"You know what- it won't take me all that long to set up for dinner. I made french food", Aurora claimed hurriedly as she stood up, "I hope you don't mind." She wouldn't admit it aloud but she had gone way overboard to make a delicious dinner for someone who was practically a stranger. Well, she was secretly a people pleaser (and in need of a friend), screw her.
"Really?! I've never had french food before", Penny exclaimed truthfully, very excited to try out something new. Though, deep inside she was a little apprehensive about not liking Rory's cooking and offending her with her reaction.
The green-eyed fashion designer grinned and bounced to set up the dinning table, firmly declining Penny's offer for help, instead pointing her towards the bathroom for freshening up before dinner. Like she had said; she arranged the table, heated up the food and artfully presented it in record time. Since, she couldn't serve wine, she cracked open two new cans of coke and poured them into two glasses.
Penny was pleasantly taken-aback by how efficient and professional Rory was in what she did. She tried out to shake of the creeping jealousy, but she couldn't deny the slight self-depreciation at the fact that a nineteen year old was more successful and had a better grasp on her life than her. Shaking her head to get rid of the depressive thoughts, she smiled at the happy red-head and sat down on the comfortable dining chair.
She took a deep breath and actually salivated at the absolutely delicious aroma coming from the food. And not only did it smell amazing, it looked positively beautiful as well. She had no doubt that she would not have a problem liking Rory's cooking. "Wow, this smells amazing."
Rory smiled shyly at the compliment and thanked the blonde bashfully.
"So, what's this?", Penny curiously pointed towards a very fancy looking dish. Rory followed where Penny was pointing and ahed softly. "That is a chicken confit with light mashed potatoes", she answered and went on explaining the rest of the dishes, "that is a plate of salade rachel; which is mostly mayonnaise, potatoes and artichoke, and lastly a bowl of french onion soup with cheese croutons."
"Huh", the waitress said and eagerly served herself some of the salad. Usually she wasn't very particularly fond of vegetables and stuff but this one looked rather tempting, loaded with mayonnaise and potatoes. She gave a thoughtful hum as she chewed slowly. The salad was a little bland due to the lack of honey and lemon but the mayonnaise, and some other sauce she was unfamiliar with, really brought a blast of flavour to the blend. After swallowing the bite, it was decided that Penny did indeed like the salad. "Hmmmm...it’s nice. A little unfamiliar, if you know what I mean, but tasty."
Rory hummed along the statement. She'd had the same reaction the first she had tasted the dish. She had to admit, it did taste slightly peculiar to a first-timer, but it was still one of her favourites. "I know its a bit weird tasting it for the first time, the artichoke and potatoes and the sauces make an odd little blend. But, honestly with a few bites it kind-of grows on you."
Rory's remark was met with a with a series of nods of total agreement from the blonde (who was secretly thankful that her reaction, or lack there-of, hadn't been met with disappointed).
"Have you lived here your entire life?", the small red-head asked curiously as she poured soup for herself.
Penny spoke as she herself copied her companion's actions, "No, I just moved her a year, a year and half ago. I actually grew up in Nebraska."
"Oh! I've always wanted to visit Nebraska. I've always thought that fields were so peaceful, you know. Away from the pollution and noisiness of the city", Rory gushed, positively delighted about the new development. The waitress had to smile at the other girl's infectious enthusiasm as she started to talk about her love for fields.
"I loved living Nebraska too", Penny shared, "so, how are you liking California?"
"Even though, I've only been living here for 2 days, I like it. Sure, its very different to Paris", both the girls gave the same 'duh' scoff at that, "but it's been pretty nice."
"You said worked in Paris for 3 years. Where did you live before-", Penny started to probe but cut-off with an abrupt moan as she took a bite of the chicken. Fucking hell that was fricking delicious. "Wow, that was amazing!", she stated, punctuating every single word to show her appreciation.
"Aww, you're really sweet", Rory murmured, her plump lips lifting up in sweet smile. "And to answer your question, before Paris I used to live in England." She tried really hard to suppress the horrible memories that came up at the mention of England. But years of being in public due to her line of passion had conditioned her acting and she managed to suppress the oncoming anxiety admirably.
Penny couldn't help but notice the small trail of soup on the corner of the girl's lips as she smiled. She had to suppress an endeared giggle. The red-head looked adorable. "You know, when I first moved here I met this group of guys; very sweet, very nice. I've been friends with them ever since. Two of them actually live in the apartment across from me. If you want I could introduce you", the waitress told her new friend. She was very excited to see Rory's reaction to the boys...and Sheldon. Especially Sheldon.
Rory shifted uncomfortably at the thought of being around being new people. She wasn't very comfortable being around too many people. Beside, what if Penny's friends didn't like her personality, that would probably make things awkward between them too. "But what if they don't like me?", she asked insecurely, her eyes shifting down to her empty plate.
"Oh, don't worry 'bout that. They might be total geeks and very socially awkward, but I'm pretty sure they'll love you", Penny assured her. And it was true...for the most part. Raj, while would like her, wouldn't be able to talk to her without out a drink. Howard would be completely dazzled and a total creep. Leonard would initially hesitate a little but would eventually take a shine to her shy, conserved nature. And Sheldon would be...well Sheldon.
"Well, if you're sure", Rory conceded after some persuasion.
"Great!", the blonde cheered in victory and the rest of the dinner passed away with the woman telling stories about the boys to make the younger girl more comfortable with the prospect of meeting them. And she was very prompt in warning the darker-haired female about Howard's 'slight' pervertedness and Sheldon's peculiar (but rather endearing when you get to know him properly) nature as well.
"You know he kinda looks like a preying mantis", Penny and Rory were giggling together as the former finished telling the latter about her other friends. Rory, in spite of being deeply anxious, was looking forward to meeting the seemingly odd bunch.
"Where you going?", Penny asked when Rory got up after a few moments of consistent giggling at the preying mantis comment. "To bring out dessert. Hope you like soufflé."
The blonde observed how the latter's tone had finally lost the slight formal and awkward quality and had become quite playful and teasing. She found herself being glad that her friend was finally coming out of her shell around her. "Well, I'll help you clear up", she said and firmly added, "and its no inconvenience, so you better not say no", when the petite girl went to protest.
Rory finally accepted the 'offer' for help, a small grin adorning her tiny, heart-shaped face.
Few minutes of cleaning up saw the girls lounging on the sofa, eagerly consuming the soufflé, sharing endeared laughs whenever a 'napping' Oreo would sneakily snag a bite of the desert.
It was eleven at night when they came to a reluctant and mutual decision of Penny going back to her flat because she had work the next day, not mention Rory herself had a meeting with a realtor.
"I had a great time Rory. And the food was...out of the world", Penny admitted truthfully as they stood by the door.
"I had a lovely time too. I can't remember when I talked to girl like that. I had a few friends back in France and all of them were guys", Rory reciprocated with a beam, tiny rays of sunshine filling the room even though it was night.
"I totally understand the feeling", Penny huffed. "What do you say I take you to meet the guys tomorrow?"
"Oh yeah, sure. I'm busy the entire day but is it alright if we can meet at the Cheesecake Factory. The meeting I have is right down the street from it", Rory asked hesitantly, her conservative nature peeking through.
"Oh yeah, definitely. You can swing by eight", Penny agreed heartily before bidding the latter a good night and sweet dreams.
The door was shut nimbly after the wish was reciprocated. That night both the females slept deeply, satisfied with the dinner, hoping that they could be really good friends in the future.
**************
Oreo gave a jerk as he heard a shout and thump sound from his caretaker's bedroom. Indeed, Rory's alarm had as always gone off at six am and yet again in her haste to turn off the alarm she had fallen off the bed. At this point she was pretty sure she would develop back pains at the age of nineteen if she didn't stop falling off the bed literally every single morning. This had been going on ever since she was seventeen and by now it had happened so frequently that not falling off actually threw her off balance for a few moments.
She got up from the carpeted floor with a barley audible groan. She poured herself a glass of water from the plastic jug on her bedside table. Today was a big day for her. Her former employer and very good friend had called on a favour and set up a meeting for her with a good realtor. Today was the day she was finally going to decide where her shop was going to open. She was going to cash in almost all the money she had earned back in Paris for the opening.
She had to decide on a place and layout soon so the renovation could start soon. She would already need atleast an additional month to complete her very first line of clothing, so she didn't have much time to waste on choosing a place. She could stall for a week-week an half but not more than that. Plus her very second fashion show, courtesy of one of the American designers she had met in France, was in five months as well. If her carefully crafted schedule was to be referred, she was going to have hell of a busy six months.
Finishing her first two to three lines of clothing was extremely important to her because a lot of fashion designers were going to attend the big opening. Including her mentor. Her mentor who she respected and loved deeply. The very same mentor who had invested a lot of his trust, money and time so she could succeed as a designer. She couldn't afford to embarrass and disappoint him. A lot was riding on these few months.
Light scratching on her closed door distracted Rory from her thoughts. It would seem that her fall had woken up Oreo too. Setting the half empty glass back down, she gave one small stretch, sighing in relief as her back popped slightly and opened the door. She immediately scooped up the little feline and let her affectionate pet lick at her neck. Her meeting wasn't till later in the afternoon and she had enough to time go through her routine, it wouldn't hurt to cuddle with Oreo for a while.
It was eight in the morning when she finally sat down to consume her warm cup of tea, topped with copious amount of honey. She had taken her bath and dressed in some casual clothes till the time of her meeting. Finishing her tea, she decided to work on some of her sketches for the time being. The meeting was a few hours away and she was't in the mood for a breakfast after the heavy dinner the previous day.
The thought of dinner brought a smile to her face. The meal with Penny the other day had gone spectacularly. It may have started off awkwardly but it ended in exchange of numbers and a scheduled meeting with Penny's friends, which she counted as a win. She dutifully got up before she could get immersed in her thoughts yet again. After washing the cup thoroughly she ended up in her work room.
The next three hours were spend sketching and altering her previous work to perfection. As Rory looked up at the clock, seeing the the hands of the clock both on 12 made her curse under her breath. Her lunch meet was at three and she still had to chose the clothes she would be wearing and take another bath.
She dropped her files back the cabinet and rushed to the bathroom. She would shower first before picking out clothes. It would save more time. After an acceptably long shower, she wrapped a big fluffy towel around her. Since, she lived alone wearing a robe before stepping out the bathroom wasn't necessary and she traipsed down the hall to her room, being quick so as to not drip on the floor.
Choosing her outfit was a long, gruelling process and by the end she was happy with the way she looked. Dressed in a soft white blousson top with trumpet sleeves under a black, strapless jumpsuit made of polyester crêpe with flare pants, she looked sophisticated and professional.
To make her height more intimating she matched her outfit with a pair of strappy black, 5 inch heels. Looking in the mirror, she contemplated if she should wear a chiffon scarf or her favourite rosary necklace made of a thin, feminine gold chain and baby pink gems. In the end she decided to go with the necklace as it complemented her gold cuff bracelet spectacularly.
Not in the mood for contacts, she slipped them off and replaced them with a pair of slim aviators (she had personally requested to customise the sunglass's with prescription lenses instead, for important occasions). Her only dilemma was her hair. She wasn't sure if she should leave her hair open or style them in a bun. In the end she tied them up in a tight high ponytail, leaving some loose strands to frame her face.
Rory's meeting was half an hour away and she didn't know exactly how long it would take for her to reach the realtor's office. So as to not be late she resolved to leave right away. It was always more acceptable to be early instead of being late. She knew she was overthinking this little meting to much, but she wanted to come off as professional and mature and not some dumb nineteen year who didn't know what she was doing.
It took her barely two minutes to order an uber and while she waited she refilled her cat's food and water dispenser and set it to automatic. A ding alerted the girl to her uber arriving. She hitched her black micro bag up her small shoulder and after picking up her keys, raced down the stairs. Or as fast as she could walk wearing 5 inch heels.
Turns out it took her only fifteen minutes to reach the realtor's office. It wasn't a very big structure. Small and homely for that matter. It was sandwiched between a clothing store and a small stationery shop. Pretty honeysuckle was climbing up the wall, giving the store an elegant look. She pushed open the tinted glass door, shivering slightly as a cold draft wafted over her.
"Good evening, how may I help you?"
She looked up to see the pretty, dark-haired receptionist looking at her curiously. Her thin lips were twisted up in a pleasant smile as she questioned her.
"I'm Aurora Potter. I have a meeting with Mrs Evangeline", Rory answered, mentally patting herself on the back for not stuttering and keeping her tone professional.
The receptionist, Amelia Tanner as the employee badge on her blouse read, deftly pressed a few keys and checked her computer, before giving a brief nod of satisfaction and stepping from behind her desk. "Mrs Evangeline just left her previous meeting. If you would follow me Miss Potter", she said and started walking down the hall with swift, precise steps.
As it turned out the external view of the building betrayed it's true size internally. They had to walk for quite some time before they reached the end of the hallway, passing a few doors, all of which were emblazoned with names of different agents. The last door had the fanciest label so far, apparently the fancier the label the more in demand the agent.
Amelia knocked lightly on the oak door and spoke in the intercom beside the frame. "Mrs Evangeline, you're 3:00 is here." She must have gotten some indication to enter because she opened the door and stepped aside to let the nervous red-head in.
"Ah, Miss Potter", an elderly woman behind the big, ornate desk gave a delighted little smile. Gwendoline Evangeline had heard all about the sweet, little, talented girl from Beaufoy. According to him, Aurora was the kindest, most sweetest girl, and ever since he had told her that the girl would be visiting her, she had been so excited to meet her.
"Sit down, please", the woman said and gestured towards a comfortable looking, spin chair. Rory bit her lip briefly and shyly sat down, not even noticing when the receptionist left, closing the door gently behind her.
"You can relax Miss Potter, I'm not going to bite you", Gwendolyn claimed softly and watched with tender eyes as the girl blushed to the tips of her ears but relaxed her rigid posture nonetheless.
"It's good to meet you Mrs Evangeline. I've been told a lot about you", Aurora said nicely, very happy that the realtor was so kind and seemed to like her.
"Thank you darlin'. Beaufoy told me a ton about you too. And don't can Mrs Evangeline, makes me feel old. You can call me Gwendolyn or Gwen."
The small girl relaxed even further as she looked at the gentle, old woman. "Thank you Mrs- Gwen. It's delight to finally meet you", she said kindly, finally managing to pull herself together and straighten out a little.
Gwen beamed brightly. Rory was such a lovely, polite thing. Not many kids her age were so well-mannered towards their elders. "So sweetheart, your mentor sent me a ton of pictures of what kind of place you'd like. I have just the place you'd like. It's right down this street, which is perfect 'cause this is one of the busiest streets. Would you like to see pictures honey?"
Rory was eagerly nodding along as the realtor talked and answered affirmatively to the question. She patiently waited as Gwen rummaged through the pile of catalogues and folders on her neatly assembled desk. She ah-had in victory and pulled out a a loose page from the pile.
"Here, this is a beautiful location. The shop is the only one there, but it's centred right in the middle. Very attractive spot. Not too expensive. I've had a lot of bids for this place but I've been exclusively saving this for you", Gwen spoke rapidly, as she pointed the different positive attributes on the page. "The interior is just as beautiful. Its partly already renovated and its totally your choice if you want to tear down the previous interior but you would have to pay extra. The inside is big, it has a big reception area and three rooms. The hall is huge enough for you display your clothes comfortably. The place comes with a basement but again you have to pay extra if you want to rent out the basement."
The red-head was overwhelmed from the information override and she was made to look at various other papers; one for the basement, the other three for the above aforementioned rooms, two of the hall and the rest of the prior interior.
But she had to admit it was a gorgeous spot for setting up her shop. As promised the place was vastly spacious, enough space for the four interns Deve was sending for her help. The company she worked for before was funding her two other design majors, one major from marketing and one from accounts. They all agreed readily as this was probably a great opportunity for experience.
"T-this looks marvellous so far, I'm already coming to adore it. But I would like to check out some other places too before I make a decision", Rory spoke up hastily before Gwen could continue her gushing. She didn't want to be rude but she didn't want to fixate on just one place before she made up her mind.
The elderly woman nodded understandingly, "I completely understand dear. This is your first shop and you want to consider all your options. No need to worry. I'm well informed of your needs and I've surfed a bunch of other options for you to choose from", she assured her client.
The next three hours were spent discussing options and interior needs. They had to consider Rory's independent financial situation as well. After that they ate the lunch they missed, so immersed in work. Apparently Gwen being the absolute darling she is had pre-ordered chinese for them to eat while working.
In the end, Rory was left with three choices; the first one and two others, which seemed equally lovely. Gwen had graciously provided her three days worth thinking time to reach a decision.
"Thank you so much Gwen. You've helped me so much. I was extremely nervous about this meeting and you just dashed my fears right off. And I can't thank you enough for helping me find such amazing places", Rory confessed truthfully and beamed dazzlingly up at the woman.
"Honey, don't mention it. And never be too shy to call old Gwen. Beaufoy talked so much about how sweet and punctual and shy you were but I have to admit I was a bit sceptical, but you turned out to be exactly like all the stories I've heard about you. I knew you were a good kid the moment you came to the meeting on time", Gwen praised the little girl infront of her abundantly, she could feel how touch-starved and mature she was for her age. She hadn't felt this motherly ever since her grandson left for college.
Rory blushed and looked away from the intense, tender look Gwen was pinning her with. It felt like she was looking right through her soul. She felt oddly vulnerable in face of such a maternal woman. "I-I'll call you as soon as I choose a place. I'll see you soon Gwen", she said and stood up nimbly.
Gwen got up with her client and insisted on seeing her till the exit and patted her tenderly on her head before she bid a shy farewell with a promise to call. She watched with soft eyes as the girl looked back one last time to smile and left.
*************
Penny sighed as she wiped down one last table. It was five minutes till eight and her shift was almost over. After she to wait for Rory to get here so she could meet the rest of her friends, who had also agreed to come. She had to spend a lot of her energy to convince Sheldon to visit the Cheesecake Factory on a thursday. She had to manipulate him by threatening his precious mint-condition comics and bringing up the recent concept of ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN THURSDAY.
Though, she hadn't told them why exactly they were being called here, not wanting to ruin her fun. She couldn't wait to see their reactions when they saw Rory sitting on their table. She was definitely recording their reactions and on that note it seemed that Rory was already here. Penny rushed to the gorgeous girl before she could choose a table. She wanted to make sure the girl sat on Sheldon's chair.
"Rory", she called out softly, not wanting to disturb their other patrons. The red-head turned her head confusedly before her eyes landed on Penny. She immediately walked over to where the blonde was standing.
"Hey", Rory greeted and smiled sweetly up at the waitress, whose lips twitched up in a wide grin as well.
"How was your meeting?", Penny quizzed as she showed the latter to her table.
"Oh, it went great! Better than I thought it would. The woman I was meeting was the sweetest", Rory gushed cheerily and sat down carelessly on the chair Penny sneakily pulled out for her. "When's your shift ending?", she asked curiously and looked around briefly.
Penny hummed and looked down on her watch, "Just got over actually. I'll just go change out of my clothes", she informed the younger female and left after handing her the menu and prattling out the specials one last time.
Just as the blonde left Rory’s phone started to ring. She knew who it was before she even looked at the screen. She always knew. She had picked up before it even reached third ring. "You know I'm a little upset", she teased playfully but tried to make her tone serious.
Her plush lips involuntarily twisted in a small grin as soon as the other person's heavy accented voice filled her ears making them buzz pleasantly. She giggled at the equally playful response she received in return. "Uh-huh, this is the first time you're calling since I arrived here and you should know that I'm very mad at you."
"Hey! I'll have you know that I'm not giggling", she gasped in mock offence. This, right here, was the happiest she had been since she came to California. She couldn't possibly express in words how much she had missed him.
She continued to hum and ah as the person on the other line talked. "I haven't forgotten french, I'm merely polishing my english", she replied and languidly placed her chin on her palm. "Uh-hun, so you want proof now?", she teased with a slow, fond smile. This is what she had missed the most about Paris. Her one friend.
"Tu me manques (I miss you)", she whispered, her voice losing the playful edge and taking on a more melancholic one.
"Je suis content que tu le fasses (I'm glad you do too)", Rory said softly as she heard his response, her sad mood lifting up just a tad.
"Je dois y aller maintenant (I have to go now)", she said sadly as she spied Penny coming out of the bathroom.
"Je t’aime aussi (love you too)."
She hung up and glance down at the screen. Her mentor's name shined up at her in bold letter. The next she would be able to see him was months away. She wasn't allowed to dwell on it as a loud, extremely offended and slightly obnoxious voice pierced her ears.
"You're sitting in my spot!"