It’s the first thing that crosses my mind the second I see her. She’s changed into a pair of black leggings and a dark gray T-shirt with a distressed dragon on the front. Likely a nod to some of the books she says she reads.
“Hi,” I say, taking a few steps closer to her.
“Oh, wow.” She looks around at the setup behind me.
Take-out containers set up on the blanket next to a couple of waters and pillows.
“Just a few things.”
She stammers a little as she sits on one of the pillows. “A few?” She laughs. “Looks like you ordered one of everything.” I smile, taking a seat opposite her. “Also, feels worth noting that a yes or even a thumbs-up emoji would suffice. You didn’t need to send a selfie.”
“Yeah, but now you have a picture of me on your phone whenever you want to see my face. I gave you my best smile.”
“Your face is on the building I work at.” She opens the take-out container and grabs something to add to her plate of food. “I could do without the selfie, no matter how nice the scenery was.”
“Thank you.”
She sighs as she holds back a smile with her teeth. “I meant the skyline, the—the viewbehindyou.”
My head tilts back slightly. “Oh, you hurt me, Dem,” I say, staring directly at her as I smirk. “I love it.”
“Unbelievable,” she mutters, but I see her fighting the smile.
I’m still shocked she agreed to meet me up here, but I’ve decided the best way for Demi to get to know me is by spending time with me, and what better way to do that than over food?
“I’ve never had this before.” I lift up the toston in my hand and take another bite. And I’ve been missing out, because this shit is good.
“They’re good, right? This place makes them perfectly. They’re one of my favorite foods.”
I nod as I take another one from the container. “Really fucking good. That’s good too,” I say, gesturing to the box to her right.
“Mm-hmm,” she says between bites. “I love how flavorful the chicken is.”
We pass around a few containers, each taking more than enough food to feed us, and just watch the clouds move in the sky.
It’s warm, but this part of the rooftop is well shaded, and since our floor is private access from other tenants, the roof is too. For someone who isn’t too big on heights, the roof has never really bothered me.
“Thanks for getting all of this.” Demi wipes the corner of her mouth with a napkin after taking a sip of water. “What do I owe you? I can send it now or do cash.”
“Nothing.”
“I don’t expect you to buy me dinner.”
“I know you don’t.”
“So, can I please pay you? I’m able to pay my half.”
I brush my hands off and lean back into one of the pillows against the wall.
“Dem, I know you’re able to. I offered to grab dinner, let me do one nice thing for you.”
“You’ve done a lot of nice things for me lately, Liam.” Her voice is low.
“That a bad thing?”
I watch the wind rustle the wisps of her hair that frame her face and she tucks them behind her ear, but it’s no use with the breeze.
“Undecided,” she says firmly.
