"I haven't asked your name yet," Mia stood behind Adrian who was kneeling as he carefully reattached the wheel to his flower wagon.
Adrian startled, his head snapping up at the sound of her voice.
"Ah... yes," he quickly rose awkwardly to his feet. "It's Adrian. Adrian Bennett."
"Mia Sánchez," she replied with a warm smile while extending her hand toward him.
Adrian glanced down at his hands that still smudged with grease and dust from his work. "Ah, my hand—" he tried to gesture apologetically but Mia's hand was still outstretched.
He gave in and quickly wiped his hands on his shirt before clasping hers. "Sorry about that."
Mia chuckled softly, her eyes meeting his.
⊱ — ⊰
"AHHHHH!" Mia buried her face in the pillow, she was thinking about the time she had marched back into Adrian's workshop just to ask his name. It was two weeks ago already.
The feeling of crushing on someone so hard like a middle school girl filled her with giddy excitement. It was as if her garden was blooming every single day. It was a long lost sensation that she hadn't felt in years, not even with any of her exes.
She had found excuses to visit his shop almost daily since then. The barriers between them slowly had started to fall. First was a casual conversation in the coffee shop next to his workshop. Then she started tagging along with Adrian to the wood shop where he sourced his materials. And yesterday was finally the moment she had been hoping for, Adrian had asked her out on a cinema date.
"What should I wear? What should I wear?" Mia muttered. A growing pile of dresses lay scattered across her bed that none of them feeling good enough for tonight.
She looked down from the window to see the street below. Adrian was already there standing under a streetlamp. Her heart skipped. It was only 5 pm, why was he here so early?
She shrieked in panic but grateful that at least she had applied her makeup right after her bath. With one last glance in the mirror, she smoothed down her outfit. A black bodysuit paired with a red square mini skirt, black stockings, and high heeled boots. She let her hair cascading down her back.
"Adrian," she called as she hurried outside. "Sorry I'm late."
Adrian turned to her with that warm smile of his. "I just got here."
Mia knew he was lying. She had seen him waiting under the lamp for nearly 45 minutes. The thought of him standing there so patiently for her made her heart melt a little more.
"Shall we?" Mia asked with a playful smile.
She was resisting the urge to link her arm through his as she saw Adrian's slightly awkward stance with his hands stuffed into his jacket pockets.
They stopped in front of an iconic red brick building at the corner of Brudenell Road. Its neon sign glowed warmly in the evening light, spelling out Hyde Park Picture House. The ticket booth tucked near the entrance and displayed a large poster for tonight's feature, Four Weddings and a Funeral. The artwork showed the cast dressed in wedding attire and gathered around a towering cake.
"This is going to be a great movie!" Mia said excitedly.
"It definitely is. Everyone's been talking about it," Adrian held up two tickets with a small smile. "Let's head inside."
The single screen auditorium was full with rows of plush red seats. Adrian and Mia found seats together in the middle row as the lights dimmed and the room fell silent. Adrian leaned close to Mia's ear and whispered, "It's starting."
Mia tried to focus on the movie but her attention kept drifting to Adrian. His pale skin and black hair and the sharp lines of his pointy nose were perfectly framed by the shadows. He seemed so focused on the screen.
If this was a cinema date, didn't he expect something else? Her thoughts wandered.
Her eyes fell to his hand resting on the armrest between them. His hand was much larger than hers, she opened and closed her hand comparing both before placing her fingers over his hand like a spider. She wanted to hold his hand. No, she wanted him to hold hers.
But without even glancing at her, Adrian quietly withdrew his hand. His arm still resting on the armrest but now angled inward with his hand tucked toward himself. His eyes stayed glued to the screen.
Mia's face flushing with embarrassment. It felt like a subtle but undeniable rejection. Her fingers curled back into her lap and she turned toward the screen, trying to suppress the ache of awkwardness swelling in her chest.
The movie's comedy and romantic moments played out and laughter rippled through the audience. Mia could barely hear it. She stared ahead but she was no longer able to enjoy the moment as much as she had hoped.
After nearly two hours, the crowd began spilling out of the building while chattering about the movie as they dispersed into the night. Mia and Adrian stood just outside the building with the glow of the neon sign illuminating their faces. Mia clutched her bag tightly and her lips pressed together as she nervously licked them. Her face was still full of disappointment.
"That was… good, wasn't it?" Adrian asked. He seemed to understand her mood but chose not to address it directly.
Mia forced a small smile and glanced away.
Adrian hesitated for a moment before speaking. "Should I walk you back home?"
Mia didn't answer immediately. She looked like she was lost in thought for a moment before finally breaking her silence. "Adrian."
"Yes?"
"What are we?"
"What?" Adrian tilted his head slightly, raising an eyebrow.
"Us," Mia clarified. "What kind of relationship are we in now?"
Adrian was stunned by her directness. He opened his mouth as if to speak but faltered.
"Yes?" Mia pressed. Her heart pounding in her chest.
Adrian looked down and avoided her gaze. "I just…" His hands fidgeted nervously. "I just don't know."
Mia felt her heart drop. She felt like her pride was shattering into a thousand pieces. She had never been this vulnerable with anyone before. What embarrassed her more was that she had pushed for clarity in the relationship. It was utterly mortifying.
"Alright," She quickly planned to leave before Adrian could see the tears that about to fall. "You don't have to walk me home."
"Mia, wait—"
"I'm going to that club." She pointed toward a club not far from the building. "That's where I usually went anyway." Without waiting for his response, she strode away passing him.
Adrian stood in place, his hands clenched at his sides. He didn't chase after her. He didn't even turn to look. It wasn't that he didn't find her captivating. It wasn't that he didn't desire her. Adrian simply didn't know how to navigate this. He had never been in a situation like this before.
As he finally turned to look, Mia was already gone. He couldn't help but hurt himself by imagining the thought of her walking into that club alone. His mind raced with pictures of her laughing with another man, a stranger wrapping his arms around her, another lips brushing her neck. It was an unfamiliar ache he didn't know how to handle.