We Figured It Out

The loud tone of my alarm filled the room and orange tinted sunlight penetrated through the sheer white curtains. I squinted my eyes before sliding my finger across my phone screen to make the annoying noise stop. I suddenly had a yearning for the days where I didn't need an alarm clock and could sleep in. Those days seemed so far away now. Luckily, today was Friday.

It had been a year and a half since I began working for BBC News. Being a field reporter wasn't the best paying job, but I had fallen in love with it. I got to be on the scene, reporting latest news, just me and my camera man, Joe, hopping from spot to spot. Even though I was not a morning person, my daily big cup of Starbucks would get me moving soon enough.

After my morning routine, I began getting dressed in my many layers to head to work. Even though the London summer was an unusually hot one, it was now November and the temperature had nowhere to go but down. I quickly put my coat and scarf on ready to go on my way. Before stepping out, I took a moment and looked back at my flat. It was such a perfect place. This was the first time I've truly felt like I was home. My first apartment in the states was nice and the dorm room I shared when I first moved to London was cute. But there was something about this place that made it special.

I closed and locked the door behind me and headed downstairs. Luckily for me, I was able to immediately hail an Addison Lee which I instructed to take me to my usual Starbucks. I still didn't have a car and I wasn't planning on getting one either. I didn't feel comfortable driving on the opposite side and having to deal with London traffic all at the same time.

With my large hot coffee in my hand, I walked into the BBC studios. The daily workplace that I had grown so fond of. I spent most of my time focusing on work in and out of the studios. I managed to finish my Master's program at UCL in less time than expected and graduated the past spring semester. Now my attention was fully on work.

I must have not been paying attention as I bumped into someone stepping off of the elevator. The cup in my hands spilling a bit onto the person I bumped into making him jump back.

"I'm so sorry." I apologized as I bent down to grab the package the stranger had dropped because of me.
"It happens. It's just a shirt." the blue eyed stranger assured me offering a warm smile. I couldn't help but notice his accent was American and not British.

I had never seen this man here before so I wondered if he was new or just passing by. His captivating eyes suited his dark brown hair and his suit was very well fitted. I wondered if I was in the presence of a model as there was no way modeling was not this man's profession.

"Thank you." he said, accepting the package I just picked up for him. He extended a hand my way and introduced himself as Jackson.
"Zoe." I said back and placed my hand in his.
"Pretty name. It suits you." he complimented still smiling.
"Thank you. I'm so sorry about your shirt. Please let me pay for another or at least dry cleaning." I offered completely embarrassed by my moment of distraction.
Jackson thought for a moment before speaking, "How about you pay for dry cleaning if you let me treat you to another coffee later?" he proposed, his bright blues never leaving mine.

I was surprised by his proposal as it had been far too long since any man has been as charming towards me as he was being right now. I couldn't just not pay for his dry cleaning so I accepted. We agreed we'd walk to a local cafe close to the studios after I got off from work at 6.

The work day was pretty similar to any other work day. Soon after arriving, me and Joe, the camera man, headed to West London to cover the disappearance of a teenager. It was a big deal so we stayed on the scene of the teenager's home waiting for any news and talking to family members.

"Zoe, we're going to be on the lookout for any news. Be on call, please. If there's any discoveries, we'll be calling you to go on the scene ASAP, ok?" Rick instructed me before I headed out of the studios. He was our boss and if he said I had to be on call then I had to be on call.

I headed outside the studios wondering if Jackson was waiting. Sure enough, as soon as I stepped foot outside the building, he was sitting on a small bench to the right. When he saw me, he stood and approached me.

"There you are, was beginning to think you left." he said as we began walking towards the large gates that enclosed the BBC studios.
"I'm sorry, we had a lot of work with the disappearance of the teenage girl in the west. It was a crazy day." I explained before waving goodbye to the security guard at the gate.
"I heard about that. I hope everything turns out okay for that family." he said shaking his head.
"Me, too, but we've seen way too many of these cases turn out very bad. But enough of the sad, which cafe are we going to?" I asked looking up at Jackson. His height was greater than mine, about a foot. All the more to think he was likely a model.
"It's called Print Room Cafe. Heard of it?" he asked adjusting the top button of his coat. The wind was picking up and the temperature was dropping even more as the sun slowly disappeared into the night.
"Of course! Just a couple of blocks away." I responded as we continued walking.

I was relieved when we stepped foot into the cafe. The place was housing a good size crowd consisting of couples, groups, and even the occasional loner. The mood was set by the low lights overhead and the slow music playing from the speaker. We approached a two chair table where I removed my coat and placed it on the back of my seat. Jackson did the same and asked what I wanted.

"I think I'll skip the coffee this time. Just chamomile tea with honey, please." I answered then watched as he approached the counter.

It was obvious the barista behind the counter was just as smitten by his charm as I was. Jackson seemed to be the type of man that could charm his way through any situation. I small smile spread on my lips at the sight.

"Here you go. Chamomile tea with honey." He said, placing the large red cup before me.
"Thank you." I said before taking the warm cup in my hands and lightly sipping it. I puckered my lips at the small burn the liquid created on my tongue. I decided to let it cool a bit and focus my attention on Jackson.
"How long have you been working for BBC News?" Jackson questioned with intent eyes on me.
"About a year and a half. I'm honestly in love with my job. Even though at first I wondered if taking it was the right decision." I confessed then remembering back to the time I began working there.

With this memory came the most painful of them all. Niall. I sighed at the thought of him. I still remembered vividly when we broke up, the things we said, the things we did. Eventually I came to the conclusion that it wouldn't have worked out in the long run. Time had only proven my assumptions right. From what I had seen on TV and magazines, LA was the place he called home now. Trying to rid myself of these thoughts, I asked Jackson what he did.

"I work for BBC Radio 1. Been with for 6 months." he answered sipping his drink before continuing, "They're having their Teen Awards soon and I've been invited despite only being with them for such a short time." he added.
"I bet that will be fun! When are the awards?" I asked truly interested.
"They're this Sunday." he responded quickly, making my eyebrows shoot up.
"Oh, wow, that's coming up. You must be excited." I smiled but noticed he didn't seem as excited as I thought he would.
"I guess. I'm bummed I don't have a date." he mumbled and looked down.
"I'm sorry. You can still have fun." I tried to think positively but he seemed to think otherwise.
"Zoe, this may be too straightforward but would you go to the awards with me?" his question took me by surprise but what more surprised me was my answer.
"Ok... " I agreed without second thought. A thankful smile adorned his face in turn making me smile. I can't believe I just agreed to go to an awards show with someone I just met.

Notes

Hello lovelies! So, because y'all subscribed and exceeded the 5 subscribers I asked for me to post the first 2 chapters, I will be updating with chapter 2 moments after submitting this! Yayyyy!

So, here we are a year and a half later and we have a brief peek at Zoe's life. What does everyone think about Jackson? What role do you think he will play in this installment? Do you think Zoe still loves Niall? What could Niall be doing now??