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Loitering near the café she had asked to meet at, Chris inspected his navel for a moment. He hadn't meant to be early, but he supposed it was better than being late. A crisp wind cut through the air, making his thick hoodie feel comfortable. It had been unseasonably warm lately, and he was glad it was cooling off again.
"I hope you weren't waiting too long." A woman's voice brought him out of his introspection.
"Not long, no," he answered after a pause. Everyone was short next to him, but he didn't remember her being that short.
"Thank goodness," she said with a smile. "It's good to see you again. Let's go inside and sit down, shall we? It's chilly."
Chris nodded as he followed her in. He kept some distance between them, though he still remembered the lack of it the night they met. He pushed the thought away as the host greeted and guided them to a table.
"Can I get some drinks started for the two of you?"
"I'll have a coffee," Chris answered.
"Cream and sugar?"
"Just cream."
The host nodded and turned to Ellie "And for yourself?"
"Hot cocoa, please."
Once the host had disappeared towards the kitchen, Chris looked at her again. He was still trying to remember just how tall she had been that night.
"You're shorter than I remember," he commented.
She gave a lopsided smile. "I should think so," she said, leaning forward on her elbows. "I was wearing eight-inch heels the night we met."
"Eight—well, that explains a lot."
She hummed. "How have you been? Congratulations again on defending your title."
He gave a wry smile. "Thanks. He put up a good fight. It was fun."
She smiled in kind. "Good. Are you training for something else now?"
Chris spun the napkin-wrapped cutlery on the table. "Kind of. I don't have any other big fights anytime soon, so it's just maintenance and teaching right now. There's regional titles and amateur fights that sometimes come up, but I mostly stick to bigger stuff."
"I assume there's no challenge with amateur fights?"
"They're a different level of skill. It's kind of like an adult fighting a toddler."
Ellie chuffed. "I suppose if you're at a level competing for titles and championships then it's not really worth your time to do more regional things."
"Not really, no. The money's not there until you get to the level of belts, titles, championships—shit like that. And titles are nice, I guess, but they aren't going to pay my bills," he answered with a thin smile.
"I imagine the payout must be at least half decent at that level."
He nodded. "That, and sponsorships can do a lot too, especially since the title fights only tend to come up a few times a year."
Ellie nodded. "What weight class do you compete in?"
"Heavyweight. I can get into light heavyweight if I have to, but it's a pain in the ass."
"I can imagine. Maintenance seems like it'd be easier."
Chris made a face. "Yes and no. Maintenance is easier because I know what's required, but it is a shitload of work no matter what. It can get pretty tiring having to eat that much."
Ellie laughed. "Do you know when your next fight might be?"
"Not sure at the moment. Challenges usually come up every few months, so probably late spring, if I had to guess."
The host returned with their drinks, setting them on the table. "Have you had a chance to look at the menus?"
Ellie smiled sheepishly. "Not yet."
"Not a problem. Enjoy your drinks. I'll come back in a few minutes to check in."
The two of them cracked the menus open, half-heartedly looking over the contents.
"What are you thinking?" He asked, glancing at her. She hummed as she looked over a few different items.
"I think I'll try the baked penne," she said, closing her menu a moment later. "Something dense and warm sounds lovely. You?"
Chris quickly scanned the page he was on. "The house burger sounds good," he answered, closing his menu. The host reappeared to take their orders, writing everything down on a small notepad.
Once the server had gone, Ellie leaned forward to rest her chin in her hands. "So, do you have family in town?"
"A few here, a few still in San Diego. You?"
"Regrettably yet blessedly, no. It's just me here."
"Do you like it here in the city?"
"It's lovely," she answered. "The summers here are much more temperate than in Mumbai."
"If LA is temperate, Mumbai sounds like a nightmare."
"Not a fan of the heat?"
"I run hot anyway—the summer just makes it worse."
"That's fair." A beat. "You mentioned some of your family are still back in San Diego—what brought you here over staying there?"
"Originally, it was because they were still there, and not here. But a couple of them migrated up after finishing school and whatnot. You know how it is," he said, gesturing vaguely.
Ellie folded her hands on the table. "Do you not get along with them?"
He shrugged. "It's complicated."
Ellie pursed her lips, considering him for a moment. "Do you like it here?"
"Sure. I'm comfortable." A beat passed as he scratched his jaw. "How long have you been in town?"
"About six months now. You?"
"A few years, at least. Maybe five by now? Have you been able to do much exploring?"
She hummed with a slight shrug. "A little. There's lots to do, and I like to stay active, but I like curling up at home sometimes, too. Admittedly, I haven't spent a lot of time trying."
Chris chuckled. "Well, I've been around a bit longer than you. If you wanted to check out a few spots, I could always play tour guide for you."
She rested her chin in her hands with a soft smile. "That would be nice," she agreed.
He found himself caught off-guard by her expression, and cleared his throat. "Yeah…" After a brief pause, he managed to look at her again. "You mentioned that you studied at a pretty good college out in England. What brought you out here instead of somewhere else?"
"The role at The Heather opened up around the same time as I was finishing my thesis, and I'd always been curious about living stateside, so I decided to take the plunge."
"Your thesis? You look pretty young—no offence. How old are you?"
"I turned 21 last month."
His brow furrowed. "You… did a thesis at 21?"
"When I was 20, actually. I've been in Los Angeles for about six months, remember?"
His expression shifted, and he looked a little bewildered. "That math isn't mathing. When did you start college?"
Ellie smiled thinly. "When I was about 16," she answered.
His brows shot up. "That young?"
She smiled through a grimace. "I've always been a bit of an overachiever."
"Apparently," he answered, not without a snort. "You must have worked really hard to get into college so early."
She took a slow sip of her drink. "It was an extremely special circumstance, but I shouldn't bore you with the details. I did work hard, and I was very lucky to have had the opportunity to do it."
"Seems like it probably would have been a bit weird for you, being that young?"
"Very," she answered. "I started my first term at 15, and then a few months later had a… growth spurt of sorts not long after I turned 16. I fit in physically after that, even if not emotionally." There was a long pause while her expression seemed far off, and then she smiled tightly. "Life comes at you fast."
Chris huffed a quiet chuckle. "Yeah, life has a way of forcing us to learn, whether we want to or not."
She smiled knowingly, turning her mug. "How about you? Any interesting school stories?"
Chris shrugged. "Not really. I dropped out when I was 16 and got my GED, and worked to support my family."
Her expression softened. "That must have been hard…"
She had said it with a measure of sympathy, and something twinged in his chest—it had been hard, but it wasn't something he was used to talking about. He shrugged again.
"I guess. It was just something that needed to be done, so I did it. High school classes weren't going to put food on the table, so…"
She hummed softly, delicate hands cupping her mug. "MMA it was, then?"
"Not at first," he answered, though that gave him a moment of pause. He turned the answer over in his head for a moment, taking a drink of his coffee. "I did some odd jobs for a year or two until I was legal, and then I was doing sex work until MMA started paying the bills."
She looked at him for a moment, a guileless expression that he found almost unsettling in its softness.
"It sounds like you've had to endure quite a lot," she said. It wasn't pity, but he couldn't place the emotion in her expression—either way, he wasn't used to being spoken to like that.
"Yeah," he murmured, not quite sure what else to say. They looked at each other for a moment, until he felt his throat grow a little tight and he glanced away.
"You mentioned you don't have family in town," he began, taking another draw of his coffee. "Where are the rest of them at?"
"All over. My dad and mum are in Mumbai with most of mum's family. Lots of cousins. My other grandma lives in the UK, she bounces between London and Aberdeen, and then I've got other cousins dotted all over—Dubai, Sydney, New York, et cetera."
"Sounds like a big family," he muttered, not without sympathy.
She laughed. "At a word. I'm pretty sure that most of my ‘cousins' aren't actually related to me by blood or marriage, but it doesn't matter there. Everyone is your auntie, uncle, or cousin, even if they're not."
"Sounds confusing."
"Or overwhelming," she admitted. "I do love my parents, but I like being out on my own, too. It's nice to finally have some privacy."
"I hear that," Chris replied, raising his mug before taking another drink. "You mentioned a lot of cousins—any siblings?"
"No, I'm an only child," she answered with a thin smile.
"Is that a ‘happy' or a ‘sad' only child?"
She considered the question for a moment. "Both, I suppose," she began. "I'm sure my life would have been much different with siblings in a way I wouldn't have enjoyed, but I also know I'm a bit of a disappointment for my mother—she always wanted a big family, you see, and she tried for years, but all she ended up with was me."
That seemed to have been a surprisingly candid admission by her, and despite having only his surface-level understanding of her, he found himself rebuking the idea that her mother had ‘ended up' with her.
After a moment, she went on. "I indirectly got the sibling experience with my dozens of cousins and ‘cousins,'" she added.
That broke the tension, and Chris chuckled softly. There was a brief pause while they nursed their drinks, and their server arrived with their food.
They took a moment to tuck in, and after a few bites, Chris decided to continue the conversation.
"You mentioned you had a lot of family in Mumbai, and you said before that's where you grew up. Any cool places you liked to hang out?"
"I used to go to amusement parks a lot. There's also some really beautiful national parks, and I love to hike and spend time in nature, so that was always fun. In the city, there were always malls, arcades, and gymnasiums, so there was never a shortage of things to do."
"There's some great trails near the Pallisades, if you're still into hiking," he put in.
"Are you familiar with them?"
"Some," he nodded. "And the rest we could always try out together, if you were interested in a trail buddy."
She smiled warmly. "I'd like that."
He mirrored the gesture, though more faintly. "Cool…"
"What about you? Do you have any fun spots you like to frequent?" She asked.
He considered her for a moment. "Not really any place in particular. There's lots of bars and clubs I make the rounds through on a semi-regular basis. Sometimes my friends will find Groupon deals for rock climbing gyms or trampoline parks and shit like that. I'll try pretty much anything if it sounds like fun."
"I'll let you choose the spot for our next get-together, then," she said with a pleasant smile.
He raised a brow in surprise, considering her for a moment before he chuckled softly. "Alright."
The conversation carried on, leading them through several different topics. She was easy to talk to, and never seemed to miss a beat or be taken aback. Chris found her sincerity both refreshing and disarming.
They hadn't realised just how long they'd be talking until the server came by to let them know that the café would be closing to prepare for dinner service. Ellie was quick on the draw, already having her card ready to give to the server.
Chris pulled out his phone. "Do you have Cashmo or anything like that?"
Ellie waved her hand dismissively. "Don't worry about it."
She had said it plainly, but with the same gentle candour that she always seemed to have, so he just offered a soft okay and slipped his phone back into his pocket. The server thanked her, and then left.
Ellie was the first to start shrugging on her coat. "If you're not in a hurry to leave, there's a coffee shop near here where we could top up," she suggested.
Chris slipped on his jacket. "Sure. I'll get it this time, since you bought lunch."
She pursed her lips for a moment, but didn't argue as she followed him out of the café. He stuffed his hands into his pockets, and they continued their conversation as they travelled the few blocks to the coffee shop.
After taking their orders in to-go cups, they headed back out to the boardwalk and onto the beach. It had warmed up a little since their lunch, much to his chagrin, but she seemed happier as they continued to chat.
She reached for his arm, holding it to keep pace as they walked, and he felt a brief flush of warmth in his cheeks. He adjusted his stride, taking smaller steps so it was easier for her to keep up.
They continued for some time like that, walking the length of the beach as they talked. They had gone back and forth several times before the sun started to dip low in the sky. As they neared the main thoroughfare again, Ellie gave his arm a gentle squeeze.
"Would you like to get some dinner?"
Chris considered the question for a moment—it wasn't that hard. "Sure. Any idea where you'd like to go?"
"There's a little Mexican place not too far from here. I've been before and I really enjoyed it, if you'd like to try?"
"I'll follow you," he answered, letting her lead. They continued their conversation as they weaved through the crowds of people beginning to fill the streets, Ellie holding on to his sleeve—rush hour was starting.
They had both noticed the streetlights coming on, and the illuminated signs of the district becoming more apparent. They had also noticed the sun setting, and the darkness beginning to encroach. And still, neither of them made any move to break things off.
He didn't remember the last time he'd enjoyed someone's company like that. Neither did she. He felt his phone buzz in his pocket, and something made him glance up at the eclectic cat clock on the wall.
Oh.
Ellie followed his gaze, and then looked at her wristwatch. "Oh, I didn't realise the time."
That had definitely been his phone letting him know it was going into ‘do not disturb' mode.
"I'm so sorry," she continued, "I don't mean to cut this short. I'm having a lovely time, but—"
"No, it's okay. I have work tomorrow, so I should get going, too. But I had a good time."
She seemed relieved, giving him a smile before shrugging on her coat.
He stood. "I'll walk you to your car."
She seemed surprised, but smiled warmly as she hooked her arm in his. "Thank you, I appreciate that."
They picked up their conversation where it had been interrupted as she led him out of the restaurant after paying, then down the main boulevard towards the car park.
Ellie turned to him after they finally reached her car. "Could I have a hug?"
Chris chuckled as he opened his arms, leaning down to let her in. With a soft giggle, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders.
It was a tender thing, and made his chest feel warm. She smelled faintly of jasmine, like that first time, and something fluttered in his guts. Her cool fingers drifted across the back of his neck, sending a pleasant sensation up over his scalp. Chris let out a soft sigh, releasing her as he felt her arms loosen up.
He felt strangely exposed as he stood back, her expression gentle.
"Thank you for spending so much time with me today. It was really lovely."
"Yeah, I had a good time with you, too," he agreed, cheeks suddenly warm. There was a pause as Ellie seemed to turn something over in her head.
"Are you parked far?"
"Just a few blocks that way." He thumbed over his shoulder.
"I could give you lift over, if you like. Save you a few minutes."
He smiled faintly. "Sure."
Ellie nodded, and he heard the soft clicking sound of her doors unlocking. She was already leaning over to ease the seat back and down for him as he came around. He slid carefully in the passenger door, minding the sedan's low roof.
Once settled, it was a little cramped, but definitely not the worst experience he'd had. As he did up his seatbelt, he noted that it smelled faintly fruity and a little floral.
The engine turned over, and Ellie tapped the screen to bring up the navigation. "Do you want to put the address in here, or do you want to just give me directions?"
"I can guide you," he said. She nodded as she pulled out of the spot, and began heading down the drive. The silence was comfortable, broken up by the faint sound of her chillstep playlist, and Chris occasionally giving directions.
She parked the car near the rear of his vehicle, and put on her hazards. "There we are," she said. "Quick and painless."
"Yeah," he nodded. "Thanks for the assist."
"Of course," she smiled. "I know I've already said it but I had a really lovely time with you today. I'd like to see you again soon, if I could."
"Yeah. I'm free this weekend, if you are, too," he offered.
She nodded.
"Cool. We could go for a hike, since you mentioned you haven't tried out too many trails."
"What time should I be ready?"
"How's 11 on Saturday? I'll drive us out."
She nodded. "Alright. I'll text you my address later."
"Sounds good. I'll see you soon."
The lean in was reflexive, a quick peck against the other's mouth before Chris pulled himself out of the car. He didn't pause as he rounded her vehicle towards his own, but his expression shifted as it dawned on him what had happened—and he was glad she couldn't see his face as his cheeks flushed warm.
He managed to collect himself by the time he reached his driver side door, turning back to see her wave briefly with a sweet smile. He returned the gesture, then let himself into his vehicle, watching in his rear-view mirror as she pulled away.
Well, shit.