Lia leaned against a bare patch of wall, levelling unamused glare at her friends. "You know," she said, "when you said I should 'get out of the house for once' and 'stop drowning my sorrows in ice cream', I thought that meant, you know, doing something fun. Not this."
She gestured at the room with he her wine glass, really the only highlight of this whole event.
Derek gave her a sheepish grin, while Esme looped their free arms together. "And is this not fun?" she asked.
Lia gave her another deadpan stare. "The alcohol the only thing making this tolerable."
"And it's better than drinking alone, eh?" Derek teased.
"Drinking alone on my couch in my pjs, or getting all dressed up to drink wine and listen to pretentious art boys ramble on and on?" Lia raised her eyebrow. "Take a guess which one I'd prefer."
"Ophelia, darling."
"Don't call me that," Lia grumbled.
Esme continued on undeterred. "You know I love you, but there comes a point where staying in with ice cream and wine, it's just, well..."
"Sad?"
Esme gave her a sheepish grin. "I love you darling, but yes."
Lia sighed unhappily. "Okay, you know what, I wont argue that point, yet," she added pointedly as Derek and Esme shared a triumphant grin, "but I will question your sanity once again. Dragging me out here to listen to pretentious art boys, really?"
"Pretentious art boys?" Lia spun around at the unfamiliar voice.
A couple had wandered within earshot of Lia and her friends. The man's expression was somewhere between bemused and amused as the woman smacked his arm, though she looked to be barely containing giggles of her own.
"Yes." Lia crossed her arms and decided in a split second that this was the hill she was going to die on today. "And you have something to say about that?"
The man opened his mouth, and the woman elbowed him. "Don't even start," she warned.
"You're one to talk about not starting arguments, Jasmine," the man retorted. "Anyway-"
He suddenly cut off. "Fuck. Hold that thought," he said to Lia. "I'll be back."
And he and the woman disappeared into the crowd again.
Lia rolled her eyes, taking another sip of her wine. "Pretentious art boys, all of them," she muttered.
Lia quietly muttered curses under her breath, wishing her favorite coffee shop wasnt quite so damn crowded. For a second she debated just leaving, but she needed the caffeine and sweetness, and all the other places within five miles were subpar at best, so she would just have to endure.
Somebody bumped into Lia, causing her to stumble and fall into a stranger. Cursing her luck, Lia quickly straightened herself out, an apology already on her lips as she looked up. It d partway through.
"You!"
The man blinked before a smile graced his features. "You're the 'pretentious art boys' girl from that art show the other day! You ran off before I could return to continue Our discussion."
Lia had left as soon as she finished her wine, Derek and Esme dragging her home with them to watch terrible movies until the early morning.
"I can't see why you're surprised," Lia said defensively "Because obviously I was having the time of my life at the art show."
"You make a fair point," the man conceded. "But you wouldn't hang around to try and put me in my place?"
"You have a lot of nerve, starting arguments you're so sure you won't win," Lia said. "Plus, arguing with pretentious art boys in their natural habitat is probably a bad idea anyway."
"Am I a pretentious art boy?" The man smirked.
Lia's response was cut off by a woman cutting through the crowd to join them. Lia recognized her as the man's date from the last time they'd met.
"Jeez, this place is busy today," she muttered to the man before noticing Lia. "Oh hey, I've met you before, right?"
"Briefly" Lia said.
The woman smiled. "I hate to cut this meeting short too, but we need to go." She handed off a drink to the man before taking his arm. "I refuse to let Hayden worm out of letting me meet his boyfriend yet again."
Lia heard her name called. “And there's my drink anyway." she said.
"Till next time then," the man said.
"You sound sure about that one," Lia raised her eyebrow.
The man laughed. "Maybe I just believe in coincidences?"
The woman tugged his arm.
"Yeah, okay Jazz, I'm coming."
They disappeared into the crowd, and Lia made her way to the front counter, contemplating the coincidence that had let their paths interest once again.
The halls were dark and quiet, except for the sounds of Lia's footsteps. If she didn't trust Derek and his judge of character, Lia would honestly wonder if he wasn't setting her up for some weird murder-or-selling-her-organs-on-the-black-market scheme. As it were though, this place was creepy.
But as Lia rounded a corner, the windows let in more sunlight, and she heard muffled music coming from one of the studios, instantly alleviating the creepy factor.
Lia curiously peered in the window as she passed, only to stop dead in recognition.
Well, fuck.
She knocked on the door, and a voice called, "Come in."
As she opened the door, the man turned down his music. "Can you gimme a couple more minutes Jase?" he asked. "Im almost done, I promise."
"Not Jase."
The man glanced around. "Ah! Pretentious art boys! Told you I believed in coincidence"
"Is that going to be my name for the rest of time?" Lia asked.
"Only for as long as I don't know it." The man winked, his dark indigo eyes sparkling.
"Lia."
The man smiled. "Nice to officially meet you Lia. I'm Alex."
Lia glanced around the small studio room. "This stuff yours?"
"For the most part, yeah" Alex said.
"So I was right." Lia smirked. "You are a pretentious art boy."
Alex laughed. "You are at least half right, I'll give you that much." He turned back to his easel. "So what brings you here, to the heart of pretentious art boy territory?" he teased.
"Ha ha, very funny." Lia leaned against the doorframe, "I'm supposed to be meeting my friend and a couple of his buds, actually."
"Heh, same thing, funny enough," Alex chuckled. "My cousin's boyfriend was talking about introducing us to some of his friends."
"What a coincidence," Lia murmured.
"And I believe in it," Alex repeated. "It worked well enough to have us meet three times now, didn't it?"
Lia hesitated, then huffed. She didn't have a good argument against that.
"Exactly." Alex replied, interpreting her silence.
From the hallway, Lia heard a voice calling. "Think that's for you or me?" she asked.
"You, probably," Alex answered. "Jason knows I'll be here. In fact, he'd be concerned if I moved."
"Really?"
"Usually if I tell him I'm going to paint while I wait for him to get his shit together, I lose track of time real easy." Alex laughed.
Lia thought of how time slipped away from her when she was watching a show or reading a good book. "Yeah, that's fair."
The door behind Lia opened, and Alex's date from the past few times they'd met popped her head in. "Hey Alex, you ready--oh!" She blinked in surprise.
"Like, two more minutes Jazz?" Alex asked.
"Yeah, sure. Didn't expect to run into you here."
"This is my studio, Jazz-"
"Not you, you spork."
"Ah. Jazz, Lia. Lia, my cousin Jasmine."
Lia blinked. She had definitely misread that relationship.
"Cut it out Alex," Jasmine rolled her eyes. "Just Jazz is fine. Alex likes to think he's witty."
"Because I am," Alex shot back with a grin.
"In your dreams, Jaybird," Jazz retorted. "Anyway, you wouldn't happen to be one of Derek's friends, would you?"
"I am," Lia said, ignoring Alex's cough that sounded suspiciously like he was saying coincidence.
"Cool. Derek's been looking for you, so let's go find them and Alex can join us when he's ready?"
"Sounds good," Lia said.
Alex gave them a salute.
As Lia followed Jazz out, she had to admit that Alex may have a point, believing in the coincidence of all their meetings.
"Fourth time's the charm, eh?" Lia asked, leaning against the doorframe.
Alex chuckled, looking in her direction. "Starting to believe in coincidence?"
"I would, if this weren't Derek's apartment and I didn't know that he invited you all to join us," Lia responded.
"Aw, shucks." Alex didn't look too upset, though.
"So why are you hiding out in here?" Lia asked.
"Not really my thing, to be honest," Alex said. "Movies, and all that. Well, sometimes it is but not in this context."
"Oh?" Lia crossed the kitchen and hopped up onto the counter next to Alex. "And may I ask why not?"
Alex blinked. "Oh" he said, his voice suddenly quiet. "Oh, shit. I kinda can't believe it hasn't come up yet."
"What?"
Alex hesitated, turning his cup in his hands. "I'm actually blind."
Lia blinked. "What?"
"Yeah." Alex shrugged, then took a drink. Not like completely, but I can't watch movies unless somebodv's narrating what's happening most of the time."
"I think that's an option on Netflix," Lia said, "if you want."
"Nah" Alex ruffled her hair and wrapped his arm around her waist. "Thanks for the offer, but I really don't think I'm missing out on much."
Lia flushed slightly. "Depends. Is your taste in media cheesy horror?"
Alex shuddered. "No, thank you."
"Then you're not missing out" Lia affirmed.
"Ophelia Davidson, youd better not be dissing this!" Esme called from the living room.
"None of your business Esme Larkson, and don't call me that!"
"Ophelia, huh?" Alex was smirking.
"Don't you dare, Alexander" Lia threatened.
"Joke's on you, Alex isn't a nickname"
"Don't you dare, Alexander Jay Lunacen."
"Hm, you've been talking to Jazz. Or Jason," Alex added. "But the point of my first name still stands."
"And how will you stop me?" Lia sassed. Alex was still smirking at her, his arm still around her waist, and shed had just enough wine to fake some confidence.
Alex hummed. "Don't call me Alexander, and I wont call you Ophelia," he bargained. "Sounds much too ormal anyways. And if that won't convince you..."
Alex brought his free hand up to Lia's cheek, his thumb tracing the corner of her mouth before he leaned in to kiss her.
"Maybe I'll just have to find some other way to silence you," he murmured when he pulled away.
"But Alexander fits the pretentious art boy vibe you have going," Lia teased.
"Do you really think I'm a pretentious art boy, Ophelia?"
"You are definitely an art boy," Lia said. "And I have seen no evidence yet sayng you're not pretentious about it Alexander."
"Alex huffed, leaning in to kiss her again. "One might think your trying to get me to shut you up," he murmured.
"What do you think, Alexander?" Lia teased back.
Alex hummed, thinking about it for a moment. "That I'm right."
And Alex kissed her again.