Aspirations
The restuarant had been as beautiful as Chandra had expected. Gentle ambiance, soft music, and the food was this side of divine. But her favorite part of the night came afterwards, when Cameron led her outside into the cool evening air and helped her into the jacket that Elizabeth had insisted she bring just in case-- Chandra notes to herself to thank her friend later for this little bit of foresight-- and they'd walked side by side towards a park, listening to the soft chattering of late night creatures.
"Are you having a good time?" he asks her after a moment, careful not to allow his arm to stray too far down her back as she steps up onto the sidewalk and continues following it along a brightly lit up lagoon.
"Yes," she says, equally surprised by the question and pleased that he's asking such a thing of her. "The restuarant was incredible, and this park is gorgeous. I've never been here at night before. It's amazing."
He nods and smiles, staring at the water glistening in the soft moonlight. "I come here often, when my apartment is too quiet. It is peaceful enough, but yet with enough ambient noise, that I feel comforted."
She stares up at him, taken, as always, by his voice and the way he speaks, soft and slow, but confident and at ease with himself. She envies him that. "Yes, it is too hard to think sometimes when it's too quiet, isn't it?"
"Yes it is, especially when I have a deadline coming up, and the words just won't come." He is one of their on-staff bloggers, regularly fighting to generate hits to the website with his thoughts on the latest in fashions or whatever thought to be on the cutting edge of those who frequent the internet. "So I come here, and I think things through, and generally it helps." He smiles at her before turning to follow the curve of the concrete as it leads in a circle around the lagoon. "I've always aspired to write one story, or one article, or one anything that will make everyone forget all of the others that came before it. Ridiculous prospect, I suppose, but it's nice to dream."
She thinks if anyone could accomplish this, it'd be him. Her dreams had never been that lofty, especially after escaping schooling to come face to face with an iffy job market and no one truly inclined to take a chance on her. She had eventually ended up at a temp agency, which had assigned her to their company. Luck had rained down upon her, however, and the higher ups had liked her enough to keep her on for a trial basis beyond what she'd initially been assigned for. Sometimes she's not sure how long she'll be able to hold on, wanting to have a permanent place in the firm-- especially when there are people like Cameron around, but she's relieved with what she has anyway. It's enough to live on, for now, and she's content with the work.
He shifts as the sidewalk narrows, walking closer to her, and their fingers brush now and again. Her lips twitch up into a smile when he glances over at her, beginning to smile as well. "I suppose I should get you home soon," he says, some regret hidden behind his accent. "It is getting late, and I have an early morning tomorrow. Thank you for agreeing to come out with me, I had a good time."
She stares up at him and nods. "I did too, Cameron. Thank you for inviting me." She licks her lips slightly, glancing down at where his fingers are lazily brushing against hers and releasing a soft sigh when he steps closer, searching her face for permission. He must find it because he leans in and gently brushes his lips against hers, a ghost of a kiss, barely obvious, but enough to make her skin tingle.
Elizabeth is waiting for her when he drops her back at her home, but she barely notices the girl, all but walking on air as she makes her way into her apartment, absently kicking her shoes off and heading straight for her bedroom, to sleep and dream of the best parts of tonight. She's not sure what Elizabeth asks, just distantly hears her voice through the fog in her brain, and somehow finds the words to respond dreamily, "It was fantastic."
"Are you having a good time?" he asks her after a moment, careful not to allow his arm to stray too far down her back as she steps up onto the sidewalk and continues following it along a brightly lit up lagoon.
"Yes," she says, equally surprised by the question and pleased that he's asking such a thing of her. "The restuarant was incredible, and this park is gorgeous. I've never been here at night before. It's amazing."
He nods and smiles, staring at the water glistening in the soft moonlight. "I come here often, when my apartment is too quiet. It is peaceful enough, but yet with enough ambient noise, that I feel comforted."
She stares up at him, taken, as always, by his voice and the way he speaks, soft and slow, but confident and at ease with himself. She envies him that. "Yes, it is too hard to think sometimes when it's too quiet, isn't it?"
"Yes it is, especially when I have a deadline coming up, and the words just won't come." He is one of their on-staff bloggers, regularly fighting to generate hits to the website with his thoughts on the latest in fashions or whatever thought to be on the cutting edge of those who frequent the internet. "So I come here, and I think things through, and generally it helps." He smiles at her before turning to follow the curve of the concrete as it leads in a circle around the lagoon. "I've always aspired to write one story, or one article, or one anything that will make everyone forget all of the others that came before it. Ridiculous prospect, I suppose, but it's nice to dream."
She thinks if anyone could accomplish this, it'd be him. Her dreams had never been that lofty, especially after escaping schooling to come face to face with an iffy job market and no one truly inclined to take a chance on her. She had eventually ended up at a temp agency, which had assigned her to their company. Luck had rained down upon her, however, and the higher ups had liked her enough to keep her on for a trial basis beyond what she'd initially been assigned for. Sometimes she's not sure how long she'll be able to hold on, wanting to have a permanent place in the firm-- especially when there are people like Cameron around, but she's relieved with what she has anyway. It's enough to live on, for now, and she's content with the work.
He shifts as the sidewalk narrows, walking closer to her, and their fingers brush now and again. Her lips twitch up into a smile when he glances over at her, beginning to smile as well. "I suppose I should get you home soon," he says, some regret hidden behind his accent. "It is getting late, and I have an early morning tomorrow. Thank you for agreeing to come out with me, I had a good time."
She stares up at him and nods. "I did too, Cameron. Thank you for inviting me." She licks her lips slightly, glancing down at where his fingers are lazily brushing against hers and releasing a soft sigh when he steps closer, searching her face for permission. He must find it because he leans in and gently brushes his lips against hers, a ghost of a kiss, barely obvious, but enough to make her skin tingle.
Elizabeth is waiting for her when he drops her back at her home, but she barely notices the girl, all but walking on air as she makes her way into her apartment, absently kicking her shoes off and heading straight for her bedroom, to sleep and dream of the best parts of tonight. She's not sure what Elizabeth asks, just distantly hears her voice through the fog in her brain, and somehow finds the words to respond dreamily, "It was fantastic."