Lucy Martin<br/>Tag: Dylan Murphy<br/>Location: A Little Slice<br/>Time: Late evening<br/><br/>“Done,” she replied to him as he gave his order, as if he were any other customer, but the truth was he was so much more. Letting someone else put the order together, she stepped to the back, behind closed doors, and changed. After the awkward moment at her apartment door, she didn’t want to risk bringing any bad memories back to light.<br/><br/>She emerged, her<a class="link link--external" href="https://www.yogile.com/n5z6xcpw/011545030l/share/?vsc=91f8159d" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" target="_blank">clothes</a>changed and her hair down now, flowing down her shoulders. Catching a glimpse of herself in the chrome of one of the appliances, she found herself primping. Primping. Honestly that was something she never bothered to do. Even her co-worker noticed, laughing as he handed her the order. Smiling she realized just how giddy she was.<br/><br/>Her feet didn’t touch the ground as she stepped through the door, and there he was. Her heart seemed to stop for a moment and breathing was a challenge. “Hi,” she squeaked, her voice a bit higher than she intended. Being the gentlemen she always dreamed about, he took the food, and she took his arm. The rest of the night lay before them as they strolled along without a care in the world, as if they had been together for far longer than they actually had. The bright lights of the shops, the crowds of people bustling about, were all interesting. They were sights, sounds, and even smells she had taken in a thousand times, but tonight they seemed different and yet not important.<br/><br/>It was his voice that took her away from the noise. Looking in the direction he was talking about, she listened, stunned by this history that she had no idea about. “Wow. No. I had no idea it was like that once. This place sure has changed then, and you’re right,” she laughed. “I probably would not have moved here if that place was still like that. I’ve never had anything to do with drugs. I was a good girl. I just said no,” she teased. “Honestly I don’t see how anybody that cares about their body could do that to it. Besides, if you have to use drugs to have a good time, to enjoy life, then you’re clearly doing something wrong.” As she spoke, she turned to look at him, feeling that familiar fire in her cheeks.  “I think….I know people can have a good time without that stuff. There’s so much to explore, to see, to feel that are so much better than anything it could offer.”<br/><br/>Gramercy came up faster than normal. Perhaps it was her excitement or the fact she was lost in the company she had. Either way, they entered the building. For a moment, she thought about asking him if he wanted to take the stairs. She wasn’t sure if there would be a repeat in the elevator or not. Realizing how silly it would be to do that, she shrugged the idea off and found her excitement growing as they approached the gilded doors.  Again his voice cut through right to her. “Yeah,” she told him, confident she didn’t sound too eager. “I’m ready. Are you? It’s another elevator ride. Think we can handle ourselves until we get up there?”  Pressing the button, taking the lead, she stepped inside and turned on her heels. “You coming?”