Those Eyes
Chapter Three
The song for this chapter is Young and Beautiful by Lana Del Rey.
It was weeks before I heard from Nina again, I guess I could have called or texted her first, but if she wanted to talk to me I knew she would.
‘Hey, I’m back in London for a few days. Are you busy?’
‘I’m free right now. You?’
‘Yeah, what should we do?’
‘Meet me at Balthazar, it’s on Russell St. Say an hour?’
‘I’ll be there.’
I caught sight of Nina before she saw me. She looked just as beautiful as the last time I saw her, but there wasn’t something different about her that I couldn’t quite place.
It was dark in the restaurant we were in so I got up to meet her.
“Nina.” I smiled.
“There you are. It’s so dark in here.”
“I know, sorry about that, but the food here is amazing.”
“Great.” Her smile seemed forced and it didn’t meet her eyes.
We had finished eating, but we continued to sit and talk. We laughed about nonsense like we always did, but then the mood went serious.
“Excuse me.” Nina said, standing up. “I have to use the ladies room.”
I sat and waited for Nina for a while, I grew bored so I pulled my phone out and scrolled through twitter. There were countless pictures of Nina and I already. Apparently some of our fellow diners were talking pictures on the sly. There was speculation that we were dating.
I was pulled from the tiny screen in front of me when Nina finally returned. She didn’t look quite herself.
“Are you okay?” I asked, concerned that she was sick or something.
“Yeah I’m fine. I think it’s the jet lag.”
“Do you want to go?”
“I think I should, I had a really good time. Thank you.” She said, standing up once again.
“Let me walk you, or at least get you a cab.”
“It’s fine. I’ll be fine. I’ll see you soon. ‘Kay?” She once again stifled a smile that didn’t meet her eyes.
“Okay, text me.” I tried to meet her smile, but I felt myself fail miserably.
She flashed me one more smile, this time it almost met her eyes, but not quite, before she left me sitting in the dim light of Balthazar.
I was back at my flat and I couldn’t shake the look on Nina’s face when she came back from the bathroom. She looked sad, in pain, broken. She looked like she had done something that she shouldn’t have. Before I could stop myself I texted her.
‘Just wanted to make sure you got back to your hotel okay.’
Ten minutes went by before she responded.
‘I did. Thanks for asking. Just lounging in a much needed bath.’
‘Good. I don’t know what happened tonight, but I hope you’re okay.’
‘I’m fine. No need to worry.’
‘But I do worry. If something’s wrong you can talk to me.’
‘Good night, Harry.’
She dismissed me, just like that. She didn’t want to talk about what had happened, but I could tell something was bothering her. I was going to get her to talk to me, whether she liked it or not.
It was weeks before I heard from Nina again, I guess I could have called or texted her first, but if she wanted to talk to me I knew she would.
‘Hey, I’m back in London for a few days. Are you busy?’
‘I’m free right now. You?’
‘Yeah, what should we do?’
‘Meet me at Balthazar, it’s on Russell St. Say an hour?’
‘I’ll be there.’
I caught sight of Nina before she saw me. She looked just as beautiful as the last time I saw her, but there wasn’t something different about her that I couldn’t quite place.
It was dark in the restaurant we were in so I got up to meet her.
“Nina.” I smiled.
“There you are. It’s so dark in here.”
“I know, sorry about that, but the food here is amazing.”
“Great.” Her smile seemed forced and it didn’t meet her eyes.
We had finished eating, but we continued to sit and talk. We laughed about nonsense like we always did, but then the mood went serious.
“Excuse me.” Nina said, standing up. “I have to use the ladies room.”
I sat and waited for Nina for a while, I grew bored so I pulled my phone out and scrolled through twitter. There were countless pictures of Nina and I already. Apparently some of our fellow diners were talking pictures on the sly. There was speculation that we were dating.
I was pulled from the tiny screen in front of me when Nina finally returned. She didn’t look quite herself.
“Are you okay?” I asked, concerned that she was sick or something.
“Yeah I’m fine. I think it’s the jet lag.”
“Do you want to go?”
“I think I should, I had a really good time. Thank you.” She said, standing up once again.
“Let me walk you, or at least get you a cab.”
“It’s fine. I’ll be fine. I’ll see you soon. ‘Kay?” She once again stifled a smile that didn’t meet her eyes.
“Okay, text me.” I tried to meet her smile, but I felt myself fail miserably.
She flashed me one more smile, this time it almost met her eyes, but not quite, before she left me sitting in the dim light of Balthazar.
I was back at my flat and I couldn’t shake the look on Nina’s face when she came back from the bathroom. She looked sad, in pain, broken. She looked like she had done something that she shouldn’t have. Before I could stop myself I texted her.
‘Just wanted to make sure you got back to your hotel okay.’
Ten minutes went by before she responded.
‘I did. Thanks for asking. Just lounging in a much needed bath.’
‘Good. I don’t know what happened tonight, but I hope you’re okay.’
‘I’m fine. No need to worry.’
‘But I do worry. If something’s wrong you can talk to me.’
‘Good night, Harry.’
She dismissed me, just like that. She didn’t want to talk about what had happened, but I could tell something was bothering her. I was going to get her to talk to me, whether she liked it or not.
Notes
Chapter Three! Let me know what you think!Rate and Subscribe! :)
xx
-L
You don't have any idea how much your feedback means to me. :) Thank you so much. It makes me happy to see that this story will stay with you. I could have been more descriptive, but I thought that it would take away from the rawness of the story. And I also wanted the readers imagination to flow with my own.
It's perfectly fine that you listened to Skyskraper, I', just happy that you listened to music at all, since it is a big part of the story.
11/12/13