* 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐲.

even  pressed  against  the  cold  glass  of  her  espresso  martini  ,  aria's  lips  can't  help  but  pull  into  a  smile  ,  the  thought  of  warm  weather  and  terrible  decisions  like  music  to  her  ears  .  "  and  here  i  thought  i  was  going  to  be  the  one  getting  you  into  trouble  in  the  coming  months  ,  "  she  teases  ,  taking  a  sip  from  her  drink  before  following  rio's  lead  and  setting  her  glass  back  down  on  the  table  .  "  i  think  the  first  item  in  your  string  of  terrible  decisions  should  be  to  take  a  vacation  .  .  .  like  you  said  ,  it's  getting  warm  out  and  i  for  one  think  we  are  deserving  of  a  girl's  trip  ⸻  my  parents  have  that  house  in  the  hamptons  you  know  ,  we  should  go  pay  a  visit  ?  "  an  eyebrow  playfully  raises  ,  an  equally  devious  look  overcoming  aria's  face  just  as  it  does  to  rio  .  "  we  could  even  invite  wes  but  if  we  do  you  guys  are  not  allowed  to  talk  about  work  ,  if  i  have  to  be  proxy  to  one  more  conversation  about  post-season  trade  offers  i  might  just  shove  my  own  fist  down  my  throat  .  "

            “   trust  me ,  you  would  have  gotten  my  full  cooperation .   you  might  have  to  rip  my  phone  away  from  my  hands  but  i  would  have  gone  with  you  willingly .   ”   rio  winked  at  her ,   making  a  mental  note  to  say  yes  even  before  knowing  aria’s  plan  for  the  two  was .   “   but  if  i’m  going  to  even  survive  this  season  of  baseball ,   i’m  going  to  need  some  time  for  myself  too .  otherwise  wes  will  literally  run  my  ass  into  the  ground  with  whatever  he  has  up  his  sleeve  for  this  summer .   ”   a  chill  ran  up  her  spine ,   feeling  almost  like  a  premonition  of  what’s  to  come .   she desperately  needed  dedicated  time  to  wind  down  and  feel  free  from  expectations ,  responsbilities ,   and  whatever  nonsense  came  with  adulthood .   “   you  mean  time  away  from  the  city ?   ”   as  much  as  she  loved  new  york  and  all  of  it’s  quirks  –  the  two  needed  a  break  from  each  other .   it  was  the  healthy  thing  to  do  with  any  relationship ,  right ?   even  if  it's  with  a  city .   “   yes ,   yes ,   yes !   and  a  hundred  times  yes  after  that !   ”   while  wes  would  be  with  them ,   they  could  trust  that  he’d  be  able  to  leave  work  talk  in  the  rearview  mirror  until  they  got  back  to  the  city .   “   wes  can  come  and  i  promise  to  be  on  my  very  worst ...   best ?   behavior .   no  work  talk  whatsoever  and  if  i  start ...   would  it  be  dumb  to  make  it  into  a  drinking  game ?   ”   she  knew  she’d  be  bound  to  slip  up  at  some  point .   so  why  not  make  it  fun ? 

         “  mmm  but  there’s  still  the  same  chance  of  running  into  a  line  out  the  door  because  everyone  thinks  the  wait  won’t  be  so  bad  .  ”  and  it’s  like  clockwork  when  it  happens  .  “  i  could’ve  sworn  aperol  spritzes  were  the  summer  drink  two  years  ago  ?  i  thought  all  the  rage  was  with  negroni  sbagliatos  because  of  that  one  tiktok  that  went  viral  .  time  doesn’t  feel  real  at  this  point  with  how  fast  trends  die  .  ”  don’t  even  get  them  started  on  how  that  nearly  started  bleeding  into  their  work  because  of  clients  with  unrealistic  expectations  .  “  speaking  of  cocktails  ,  i  read  somewhere  that  appletinis  might  make  a  comeback  this  summer  .  your  thoughts  ?  ”

            “   now  that  i  think  about  it ...   you’re  right ...   the  line  would  probably  double  with  additional  seating .   thank  god  restaurants  have  started  using  online  queues  though .   you  might  have  to  physically  check  in  at  the  place  before  fully  getting  a  spot  sometimes ,   but  at  least  you’ll  have  a  some  way  in .   ”   it  saved  his  ass  for  sure  last  week  when  he  tried  to  get  dinner  with  some  of  his  teammates .   “   i  swore  people  were  throwing  aperol  spritz  themed  parties  last  year  too ?   if  not  aperol  spritz  parties ,   it  was  negroni  sbagliatos  being  ordered  left ,  right ,  and  center  at  the  bars  last  year .   which ...   not  for  me .   an  original  negroni  with  gin  tastes  slightly  better .   ”   the  drink  is  bitter  as  is ,   he  personally  liked  it  better  without  the  added  fizz  of  a  sparkling  wine .   “   appletinis ?  ”   beau  tilted  his  head  to  the  side .   “   sounds  like  if  anyone  has  one  too  many ,   that  hangover  is  going  to  be  insane .   i’m  imagining  a  sweet  drink  and  it  might  even  be  one  that  tastes  like  juice .  so  yeah ,   sounds  like  the  perfect  summer  drink .   ”   he  lets  out  a  chuckle ,   rubbing  his  chin  as  he  thinks  about  it  some  more .   “   beats  out  the  negroni  sbagliato  in  terms  of  summer  vibes  if  you  asked  me.   ”

she   hadn’t   thought   this   far  ,   really  .   smile   freezing   on   her   face   at   the   sudden   request   for   proof  ,   mai   could   practically   hear   the   clown   music   playing   on   a   loop  in   her   head  .   “   haven’t   you   seen   the   tabloids   recently  ?   ”   the   fact   that   nearly   everything   printed   in   said   tabloids   about   mai   was   a   blatant   lie  was   neither   here   nor   there  .   “   i   get   into   more   trouble   than   i   know   what   to   do   with  ,   apparently  .   ”   she   was   maybe   more   than   a   little   bitter   about   the   whole   situation  ,   but   that   didn’t   mean   she   couldn’t   find   some   humor   in   it  .   “   you   know  ,   i   think   i’d   be   upset   if   you   didn’t   whisk   me   away   to   some   unknown   somewhere   just   for   the   hell   of   it  .   we   could   consider  it   the   christening   of   our   fresh   new   friendship  .   ”

            the  tabloids .   rio  nearly  let  out  a  groan  of  frustration  when  reminded  of ,   what  is  sadly  considered ,   piece  of  literary  work .   they’ve  had  their  own  run  ins  with  the  paparazzi  which  feeds  the  writers  that  report  for  said  tabloids .   “   mai ...   shall  i  remind  you  that  there  is  usually  not  a  single  shred  of  truth  in  tabloids ?   ”   they  reassured  her ,   knowing  that  most  of  the  time  those  bozos  spew  whatever  they  think  will  be  the  next  tantilizing  scandal  of  the  day  for  a  few  clicks .   “   if  i  don’t  hear  it  from  you ,   then  i’m  not  going  to  believe  a  single  word  they  say .   ”   she  reached  out  to  her  new  friend ,   patting  their  hand  in  a  comforting  way  to  affirm  her  further .   if  rio  was  anything ,   it  was  earnest .   she’d  much  rather  have  a  clear  understanding  of  whatever  situation  before  drawing  her  own  conclusions .   why  bother  falling  for  useless  fodder  when  she  can  hear  about  it  directly  from  mai ?   “   then  that  settles  it !   ”   rio  brought  her  hands  together  in  a  delighted  clap .   “   get  prepared  to  be  whisked  away  in  the  next  few  days .   i’ll  take  care  of  every  single  thing .   all  you  have  to  do  is  make  sure  someone  knows  who  you’ll  be  with  and  if  we  don’t  end  up  returning  on  the  return  date ...   ”   their  eyes  widened ,   pausing  longer  than  necessary  for  dramatic  effect .   “   to  just  call  me  because  we’re  probably  just  tired  as  hell ...   or  hungover .   ”

"oh geez... beau," taking the coffee, with a small sip, "i am not the person you should be asking." he laughs, "i have the palette of like a five year old. i eat like.. chicken tenders and fries. i make grilled cheeses like 6 times a week." he may be fit, but he wasn't necessarily healthy by any means, he favorite foods are cheetos and fruit roll-ups and he always has candy on him, hell, he had a hi-chew in his pocket right now! he's a prime example of someone who was never taught how to eat well. "can you like, make a fancy version of a grilled cheese? does that even exist?"

            “   chicken  tenders  and  fries ,   grilled  cheeses ,   and ...   ”   beau  took  a  sip  of  his  coffee .   the  bright  notes  of  the  beveraged  filled  his  senses .   and  then  –   “   pasta ...   pizza !   ”   he  turned  his  head  rather  quickly  over  to  neo ,   eyes  wide  as  the  epiphany  hit  him .   “   i  can  definitely  make  you  a  fancy - ish  grilled  cheese .   but  thoughts  on  pizza ?   it’s  been  a  while  since  i’ve  made  some  and  i  can  basically  put  whatever  you  want  on  it .   personalized  just  for  you .   ”   now  that  he  thought  about  it ,   he  could  probably  make  him  both .   the  grilled  cheese  first  to  hold  him  over  while  he  made  the  pizza  from  scratch .   a  little  snack  before  the  real  fun  began .   “   five  year  old  palette  or  not .   it  was  exactly  what  i  needed .   something  fun  and  will  be  pretty  good  content  too .   the  hardest  part  about  it  is  probably  making  the  crust .   ”

neo, the absolute enabler that he is, couldn't help the grin on his face from growing. "yes, absolutely. let it fuel you. as natasha bedingfield once said, free your inhibitions, feel the rain of your skin. absorb the energy and run free. eat whatever you want, drink as much as you want, buy everything your sweet heart desires. i personally, think that's always the right decision. we are simply beings." he chuckles, "yes, please. keep me involved. i have zero reservations, always, but especially during spring!"

            “   now  that's  the  spirit !   ”   rio  swished  her  finger  in  the  air  with  a  softer  grin  on  her  features .   although  the  playful  glint  in  their  eyes  hadn’t  disappeared  just  yet .   “   and  to  start  our  first  day  of  freeing  our  inhibitions ,   why  not  have  a  drink ?   on  me !   ”   a  dainty  hand  waved  their  server  over  to  their  table ,   while  the  other  grabbed  the  drink  menu  that  was  left  on  the  table .   “   what  do  you  say ,   neo ?   got  some  time  to  share  a  drink  with  me ?   i’m  kind  of  in  the  mood  to  throw  my  plans  out  the  window .   please  tell  me  that  you’ll  say  yes .   ”   however ,   they’d  happily  have  a  drink  by  themselves  if  neo  refused  them .   if  it  meant  a  chance  to  play  a  little  hooky  from  work  for  a  few  hours ,   then  so  be  it .   “   for  natasha  bedingfield !   ”

         “  i  think  it’s  a  nice  round  number  for  a  cutoff  ,  ”  ana  admits  ,  chuckling  lightly  .  “  i’ve  only  been  here  for  about  two  years  now  ?  so  technically  ,  i  still  have  an  excuse  as  to  why  i  haven’t  explored  much  of  the  city  !  ”  with  school  and  diplomatic  appearances  ,  she’s  mostly  been  confined  to  manhattan  .  at  rio’s  suggestion  ,  she  nods  enthusiastically  .  “  oh  my  god  ,  yes  !  absolutely  .  i  think  it’s  way  more  fun  to  explore  with  someone  else  .  especially  when  it  comes  to  restaurants  and  cafes  .  there’s  two  thai  spots  in  the  east  village  ––  somtum  der  and  terra  thai  .  the  food  hits  the  spot  when  i’m  feeling  a  little  homesick  .  ”  it  was  rare  but  it  happened  in  occasion  .  “  but  speaking  of  cafes  ,  which  ones  are  your  favorites  ?  or  at  least  ones  you  keep  going  back  to  if  you  don’t  have  an  absolute  favorite  .  ”

            “   why  don’t  we  make  a  list  of  places  we  want  to  go ?   and  they  have  to  be  places  that  aren’t  downtown .   be  intentional  with  our  lists  so  we  get  some  exploring  in .   maybe ...   maybe  even  picking  out  our  own  favorite  places  to  show  the  other ?   no  gatekeeping  here .   ”   rio  grinned ,   her  fingers  lightly  strumming  against  the  table .   “   although ,   some  gatekeeping  is  understandable  too .   if  the  little  pizza  place  i  like  to  go  to  after  going  out  for  drinks  starts  getting  too  busy ...   i  will  have  no  qualms  with  causing  some problems .   ”   she  thoughtlessly  shrugged  her  shoulders .   perhaps  they  were  a  touch  too  protective  of  their  favorite  things .   would  they  ever  apologize  for  it ?   nope !   “   both  added  to  my  upcoming  places  to  eat .   i’ll  ask  the  servers  what  their  recommendations  are .  unless ...   you  have  your  own  recommendations ?   ”   rio  offered  her  a  grin .   “   as  far  as  my  favorite  cafés ?   for  their  coffee  –  variety  coffee  roasters .   they  have  a  few  locations .   but  my  overall  favorite  is  abarçao .   the  vibes  and  the  baked  goods ?   perfection .   ”  

as usual , rio’s brows were knitted together as she looked at her phone . unopened emails piled on top of each other . some that commanded her undivided attention , not that she had any to spare at the moment . they’d heard his concerns initially , their mind already trying to come up with something to remedy them . “ if you think there’s something missing , it’s always best to film what you can . it can be edited out in post production . and if it doesn't make it , then it could be added to some cool behind the scenes video . ” she looked up at zyran , offering him a polite smile while she slid her phone back into her pocket . the emails would have to wait for now . what was once an opportunity to network at an earlier music video shoot of his , fate would have rather that they’d become rather fast friends during one of his breaks . “ why not ... just show your chest ? obviously you’d be shirtless , but nothing shot from the waist up . it gives the fans what they want , and you don’t have to worry about your belly hair ? ”

neo probably slept about 3 hours, and is running off the fumes of his last energy drink. he sits on the park bench housing a box of sour patch kids. watching the dogs run around in the dog park, and thinks, "i know there's a reason, us dogless humans aren't allowed in the dog park. like someone could steal a dog or cause harm or whatever. but there's got to be a way to get in there without a dog. and i think this figurative barrier, due to a valid rule, is really hindering my happiness. i could be playing fetch right now. petting a good boy! because he deserves it! and i can't because that man right there, knows i'm dogless." he points with a green sour patch kid and glares at a park security guard.

“ i mean ... ” beau rubbed the back of his neck , somewhat understanding where neo was coming from . from his own experience , there were dog parks that allowed people in without a dog . he’s had his fair share of simply walking through the park , not necessarily approaching any dogs though . “ that security guard does look like they mean business ... or could just have one HELL of a resting face . if it's any consolation , i’m sure the lovely dog owners who go to other public parks would let you pet their dogs . or if you happen to pass one by on the way home ? ” he’s reminded of the tiktok user that goes around taking pictures of the dogs he encounters while out and about . “ and if i had a dog , you’d definitely get a ‘ feel free to take out on walks ’ pass to go to these dog parks . ”

      "   i   don't   think   miscreant   behavior   ever   really   stops   around   here.   "   the   light   haired   woman   chuckles   softly,   swirling   the   fork   in   her   spaghetti.   "   are   you   saying   that   you're   gonna   end   up   participating   in   the   debauchary   of   summer?   something   about   a   hot   girl   summer   i   always   hear   about?   "   jisu   is   only   teasing,   head   shaking   lightly.   the   warmth   of   summer   had   always   been   her   personal   favorite,   as   she   no   longer   had   to   spend   a   thousand   years   layering   appropriately.   the   look   on   rio's   face   has   jisu   a   little   bit   nervous,   and   she   swallows   down   the   bite   of   spaghetti   before   she   chokes.   "   well,   that   depends.   do   your   plans   include   any   interaction   with   the   nypd?   the   fdny?   if   neither   of   those   are   involved,   then   i   can   join   you.   "

rio picked up a piece of bread to dip into some olive oil , her head moving from side to side as if she were weighing her options . “ some debauchery here and there ... a dash of salaciousness ... a sprinkle of friskiness to really round it out . then and only then will i think the hot girl summer of my dreams would be complete . ” did they have an inkling on how they’d be able to achieve just that ? somewhat . but the fun that came with something like this was the spontaneity of it all . with the sound of choking coming from their companion , their eyes widened . rio waved over a server to get jisu some water . “ hm ? oh ... OH . ” her own eyes widened further . “ no . it feels like i interact with the police at least every other week because of one of my clients . i can't really afford to start seeing the nypd on my own time . ” or else she’ll never hear the end of it from both said client and her own boss ( read as : her father ) . “ day parties , brunch , nights out , shopping sprees , and anything else we can come up with . how does that sound ? ”

      nanami   accepts   the   coffee,   instantly   swirling   her   straw   in   the   caramel   sweetened   drink.   "   ah,   if   there's   one   thing   i   can   help   with,   it's   a   content   slump!   "   she   takes   a   sip   of   her   drink,   and   thinks   for   a   moment   as   she   attempts   to   come   up   with   an   idea.   "   hmm,   how   about   you   make   it   some   kind   of   challenge   for   yourself?   like,   you   can   only   cook   with   what   you   already   have   or   you   can   only   buy   stuff   from   one   store   with   a   limited   budget?   "   the   young   woman's   head   tilts.   "  as   for   what   you'll   actually   be   cooking,   what   about   ramen?   seems   like   everyone   is   obsessed   with   those   buldak   noodles,   so   you   could   do   a   recipe   with   that?   "

beau nodded along to everything she’d suggested , the vision coming together with every word . “ you’re onto something . like one of those ‘ let’s clear out my pantry and refrigerator ’ type of videos . ” he could see it now – all the ingredients that were leftover from the other meals he’s cooked this week . even though he’d just eaten before getting some coffee , his stomach already had other ideas . “ and who doesn’t love a good buldak video where you’re not just adding cheese and milk to it ? on trend but still not overdone i think . ” bringing up his cup up to his lips , dreaming up all of the multiple combinations he'd be able to make . “ as a thank you , it only feels right to make sure you get a chance to have a taste too . ”

“  i  think ,  ”  they  began ,  blinking  at  beau  with  a  blank  look  on  his  face .  “  that  you  put  maybe  a  little  more  thought  into  it  than  i  did  …  ”  truthfully ,  he  hadn’t  gotten  to  the  ride  concept  part  of  the  fantasy ,  stuck  wholly  on  the  big - picture  idea  itself .  if  they’re being  generous  to  himself ,  then  he  knew  he  wanted  to  include  the  whole  ceremony  with  the  monster  story  and  the  hologram  thing and ... that's pretty much it .  “  the  only  snack  i  can  think  of  to  have  would  be  those  scooby  ice  creams  you  get  from  the  guy  in  the  truck ,  you  know ?  with  the  bubblegum  eyeballs .  ”

“ you’d be surprised what i do end up thinking about . you might think i’m sleeping on the team plane but i’m definitely dreaming up a few ideas . ” he says simply , shoulders moving up in a shrug . it was easy for him to just get lost in his thoughts . do they have better things to do with their time ? sure , but where was the fun in that ? they’d run circles around whatever hypothetical marketing team warner brothers had with how much he thought about this . “ that and maybe some ice cream where they had those cinnamon scooby snack treats in it . but food wise ... has to be munchie friendly . ” maybe they did think more about this than normal ... “ i feel like i was some amusement park tycoon in another life . ”

“   making   good    choices   is   overrated  ,   anyways  ,   ”   she   agreed   with   a   sly   smirk   of   her   own   to   mirror   rio’s  .   was   mai   typically   known   for   making   poor   decisions  ?   well  ,   no  …   at   least ,   not   unless   it   was   in   relation   to   her   love   life  …   but   people   can   evolve  .   “   i   always   say  ,   ”   (   she   did   not   always   say   )   “   that   you   won’t   have   any   stories   to   tell   if   you’re   on   that   ol’   straight  -  and  -  narrow   all   the   time  ,   you   know  ?   ”   honestly  ,   if   rio   hadn’t   already   clocked   her   for   the  trouble  -  fraud   that   she   was  ,   that   sentence   alone   was   enough   to   do   the   job  .   “   you   won’t   find   me   complaining  !   i   put   myself   in   your   capable   hands  .   ”

“ right ... the ol’ straight - and - narrow . ” she emphasized each part , wondering just how much of what mai said was true . now this was going to be interesting . rio's grin softened just a touch after hearing mai’s response . “ so tell me , mai , what kind of trouble have you been in ? ” did they mean to challenge her a bit ? maybe , but it was more to gauge how far she’d be able to take mai with their future plans . “ if i whisk you away to , say , an impromptu trip somewhere and you really had to trust me ... would that be okay with you ? ” a for effort in healthy boundaries , right ? “ i promise to make sure that we’ll have as much fun responsibly . because honestly , i’d rather not have your agent yell at me the day after for all the shenanigans we got ourselves into . ”

gemma nodded, resonating with rio's commentary. there was something about the warm weather that just brought out the mischief and no fucks given type of attitude. "i have a feeling there will be some getting up to trouble on the agenda very soon... and gonna look damn good while doing it." maybe it was all the built up winter hibernation and restlessness finally being released. almost like a dog with the zoomies. she had always thrived more in the summer months and places anyway. "i would expect nothin' less. appreciate the heads up though. one thing for sure, whatever happens, it'll be a fun ass time and a good story to tell afterwards."

wishing they had gotten something other than water at that moment , rio picks up her glass and raises it once more . if there was one thing that she'd been anticipating with the warm weather , it would be the new pieces she added to her closet recently . “ i'd drink to that . taking the city by storm and not caring about any of the consequences until after the fact . i don't know what it is , but i have a feeling this summer is going to be different from the rest . ” she really had no basis for thinking this way . call it intuition , maybe it was wishful thinking . but one thing was for certain , if they were going to let loose a little , the warmer weather would definitely boost those chances . “ you have no idea how relieved i am that you said that . when i propose a bar crawl on a weekday ... please entertain me . i'll make sure we get home in one piece with a bottle of water on the bedside table and a greasy breakfast in the morning. ”

maybe   she   was   dreaming  .   it   wouldn’t   be   the   first   time   she’d   conjured   him   up   in   her   imagination  ,   kind   smile   and   all  ,   especially   considering   how   sleep   deprived   she'd been since returning to new york  .   surely   this   wasn’t   actually   happening  ,   because   otherwise  ,   this   would   be   way   too   surreal  .   five   years   was   a   long   time   to   go   without   seeing   someone  ,   long   enough   that   you   realize   you   can’t   quite recall   their   features   like   you   used   to  …   but   this   likeness   …   eyes   widening   when   their   fingers   brushed   as   she   robotically   took   the   offered   cup   from   his   hand  ,   she   nearly   dropped   it   in   her   surprise  .   no  ,    this   was   beau  —   real  ,   tangible ,   here   —   looking   at   her   like   they’d   never   been   apart   for   a   day  .   she   should   say   something  ,   really  ,   because   standing   in   the   middle   of   a   cafe   with   the   most   ridiculous   shell  -  shocked   look   on   her   face   was   getting   her   nothing   but   curious   looks   from   passersby  .   finally   opening   her   mouth   to   respond  ,   unfortunately  ,   all   that   her   brain   could   come   up   with   was   a   forcefully   cheerful   smile   and   a   pathetic  ,   “   thanks   for   the   coffee  !   ”   before   she   turned   on   her   heel   and   sped   from   the  store  .   she   turned   the   corner   into   an   alleyway  ,    pressing   her   back   against   the   cool   brick   and   she   tried   not   to   let   herself   start   panicking  .   what   was   wrong   with   her  ?   running   into   your   ex   shouldn’t   render   a   person   completely  incapable   of   rational   thought  …   even   if   they   are   that   ex  ,   the   one   she’d   so   desperately   tried   replacing   with   all   the   others ... though , clearly ,   with   no   lasting   effect  .

it couldn't have been ... right ? his eyes weren't deceiving him . this wasn't some kind of cruel joke that his conscience had conjured up . it was her . a whisper of a gasp passed through his lips as he eyes finally focused at the person standing next to him . it was such a small physical interaction – a fleeting moment where their fingers brushed against one another . and yet ... that feeling was the most electrifying thing he's felt since the last time he lived in this city . their city . “ wait –– mai ! ” being left breathless was an understatement . no , it wasn't enough to describe the depths of how he felt being near her again . watching her leave left his soul feeling unsettled , like it was begging for him to chase after her – just so it could feel whole again . you'd think that after all these years and the heartache he's felt since leaving the city that it would have been easier to blame her . so why did he run after her ? leaving the coffee on the counter and searched the sidewalks frantically for her . because you don't want to make the mistake of not chasing after her again . it was a sobering thought . one he thought he'd gotten out of his system long before he moved into the city . “ mai , where are you ? ” he mumbled to himself , eyes desperately scanning for just a glimpse of her . “ come on , angel . where –– ” beau stopped in his tracks , heart practically urging to beat out of his chest and return back to her . “ hi . ” alright , loser , that's the best you can say to her ? if he were being honest , his mouth could barely utter anything else . what were you supposed to say in this moment ? “ um , you – you left ... the café . and ... ” a nervous hand raked through his hair , eyes boring holes into the ground like they'd offer some form of support . “ i'm sorry , i don't know why i went looking after you . you probably don't want to see ... me . ” so why hadn't he walked away yet ?

         “  well  …  ”  ana  starts  ,  a  teasing  smile  present  on  the  princess’  lips  .  “  i’d  say  it’s  passable  if  you  haven’t  lived  in  the  city  long  enough  but  that  just  gives  you  the  excuse  to  start  venturing  out  more  .  don’t  get  me  wrong  ,  downtown  is  great  but  i  am  determined  to  not  turn  into  the  person  who’s  lived  in  the  city  for  five  years  and  knows  nothing  else  outside  of  downtown  .  ”  she  reaches  for  her  glass  of  mimosa  before  leaning  in  to  view  the  pictures  on  their  phone  .  “  oh  that’s  so  beautiful  .  it’s  so  ethereal  .  i  need  to  step  it  up  a  notch  .  i  just  go  to  the  same  café  by  columbia  because  it  does  the  job  ,  ”  she’ll  admit  with  a  light  laugh  .  “  my  current  mission  is  to  find  the  best  thai  restaurants  in  the  city  .  ”

“ five years , huh ? good thing i'm sitting at four years living here myself . i know that seems like i've been living here for quite some time but ... ” the words ‘ i spend a lot of my time running around moving mountains for my clients ’ nearly leave her mouth . perhaps this was the sign she needed some form of work - life balance . “ anyways , i guess that means it's time to start exploring and all that . maybe we can do that together . what do you think ? ” rio grinned at her , nodding a bit as she placed her phone back down onto the table . “ i need a change of scenery from time to time so i guess cafés have become my thing . plus i'm a sucker for a good iced coffee ... some might say i'm a coffee snob . ” which was true . “ i absolutely adore thai food . have any restaurants stood out to you yet ? ”