On her way to her art station, once she got to her stool, she noticed Rylie. He was thumbing through a small magazine and sorta turning around on the mobile turning stool. Awe, he looks cute, she thought. A little touching, he was waiting for her at her station. Delia braced herself. She hadn't expected to see him for at least another twenty minutes.
Heart beating, she approached her stool.
Rylie looked up from his magazine. Smiling that gorgeous smile, he looked into Delia's eyes and held her gaze.
"Hey Delia."
"Hey Rylie," she responded.
"I brought my stool over to your station so we could chat for a few minutes before class."
"That's fine Rylie." Delia said as she placed her things on the countertop and began to unpack her and set up.
"You must already be settled at your station. As usual," she snickered.
"Yes. You know me, the early bird."
"Oh yes."
Delia finished and took a seat on her stool and sorta leaned in Rylie's way.
"So? What's new with you? Catch me up on your life. Tell me things we didn't get to cover last time."
"Like what?" His eyes sparkled.
"Like, what are you doing with yourself now? Where are you staying? What are your future plans?"
"Oh .... well, I have one more year to go before I finish here with a degree with interior design. I have a friend with a very successful business that has a job opening for me once I'm finished. I live in my own apartment and I basically spend time either with my parents, friends I've made here since having moved here, or ..... with my fiance. That simple and that complicated," he laughed. "What about you? Did your parents move to Georgia? What brought you here? What are your future plans?"
"Well I will have a degree in business next year as well. Plans are uncertain as of right now. No, my parents stayed in New York, just moved out of the city. My parents and I made up about a week or so after your death, and have slowly began to rebuild a relationship. It's much better now. I work at an orthodontics office where kids get braces. I live on campus, have made a few friends, and not dating anyone seriously yet ...... sorry, my story is even more boring than yours." She laughed.
Rylie laughed to.
Just then the teacher walked in. Catching Rylie's attention, he turned then looked back at Delia.
"Delia let's have dinner at the same place we met up at last week. Sound good?"
"Sure!" She replied. She had secretly hoped he would ask again.
"Ok." Before he left, he did something she did not quite expect. He leaned in and kissed Delia on the cheek.
"Whoa! That's unexpected." She said. He only smiled and winked back. Turning away, Rylie got up, grabbed his stool, and went back upfront. Both awaited their now 2nd date with great anticipation.
The walk to the café brought back a few memories for Delia. She remembered walks her and Rylie used to take. They used to walked at Central Park and people all over the place would just stare. They really were the amazing couple.
Inside, the two had their order taken by the same waitress, which recognized them, and after their plates were delivered, both sorta settled in to chat.
"You know. I told Franscetta about you."
"Who?" Delia asked.
"My fiance Fran. She's really sweet. You would like her."
Delia nodded.
Rylie took a look around.
"This café is really nice. Sorta quaint."
Delia agreed. It had a little age to it, as did most of Atlanta, to Delia's impropriety, but all in all, Delia's liked her surroundings.
"It's not New York. Not sure about you, but I get homesick once in a while."
"Awe." Rylie said, flashing his smile.
"You probably won't stay in Atlanta long then, I imagine," he said. "You don't look like it appeals to you."
"It's ok. I guess everything I've gone through the last three years has been an unappealing awakening. Being the kid I was while we were together and having been in love for the first time, I really had preplanned my entire life. Now it's back staring into my eyes like a haunting ghost. It's kinda hard."
"You mean me? ..... I was your life?!" Rylie asked, eyes lighting up.
Delia smiled. "Technically you were. Everything else didn't matter to me as long as we were together. That's was really all I cared about."
Rylie's eyes teared up. He smiled to, but it didn't stop the tears.
He looked down.
