Awhile later, he came back, a slight grin on his face. Once he found Poppy again he stood next to her, his hands behind his back politely.
Poppy had been leaning against the wall, speaking to a grinning man quietly. Her gaze was thoughtful, but if Francis looked, he would know her facial expressions well enough to be able to see that she was disinterested. The man reached to pat her arm, and she shifted out of the way with ease, her eyebrow raised slightly. The action seemed easier to her than it might have been 6 months ago, and her gaze didn't falter when the man flushed and excused himself hastily. When Francis joined her, she turned to look at him, tiliting her head curiously. "Welcome back."
She paused and then looked up at him. "I have to be honest with you, I totally forgot," she confessed. "He told me, but I don't remember."
She shook her head, leaning over to talk to Francis. "He was sleazy," she said, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. "He said five sentences to me. Two of them were pick up lines."
She smiled slightly, her eyes warm. "No, not really. His opener was 'hey, baby. On a scale of one to ten, you're a nine and I'm the one you need.'" She rolled her eyes. "Swoon."
"Well," he began, turning away slightly. "My name is Francis, but you can call me.." he looked her, his eyebrows raised, "anytime."
She frowned at him and opened her mouth to speak before Amy came up, holding her arm. "Pops! There you are. We gotta go. Our car is outside." "Oh, alright," she said quietly. "I'll be there in a minute." The girl smiled at the two of them before hurrying off, her dress trailing behind her.
She paused and thought for a moment. "I should be available tomorrow," she said thoughtfully. "At noon. I have training until 11, but I can meet you at a cafe or something. Does that work?"
"Yeah, of course. I'll find somewhere and message you the location." He cocked his head. "I'm excited."
She gave him a small smile. They seemed to be rarer now than they were before, but they still held the same warmth. "Me too. I'll see you then." She stepped forward and kissed his cheek lightly before turning and walking away, holding her hands behind her back. The crowd flowed around her, and she disappeared among them quietly, her strides precise and smooth.
He watched her go, crossing his arms. His head tilted ever so slightly as he thought. What a night. He excitedly returned to his earlier seat, immediately pulling up his device to look for cafes.
When Poppy returned to her apartment, she nudged open the door. Her dog, Tom, stretched and came to greet her. "Hello sweet boy," she said quietly, going over to pour some food into his bowl. As he was eating, she went over to the couch and sat down. After a moment, she buried her head in her hands, grinning widely. It was him. It was him. (Time skip?)
