Carmy had given Richie and Claudia the job to fix and organize that stupid basement. Listen, Richie liked how Claudia was during these past few weeks, he hasn't delt with her since he had Fak and Marcus. Shes too busy trying to figure out the kitchen and hiring chefs with Sydney.

But now with this task, he knew she will be her bossy self. Richie didn't like how loud and obnoxious she was. She was so fucking bossy. He hated to hear that 'Richie!' tone from her. Richie this, Richie that. The way she rolled her R's, it was engraved in his head. He was starting to hate his name.

"Richie!" She yells. He groans as he hears her coming down the stairs. He gets up from the floor and heads to the table in the middle of the room.

"Yes?" He tries to keep his cool.

"Carmy said to throw away the extra hot dog inflatables." Richie closes his eyes. Not worth fighting he keeps repeating. The two stayed in silence as the music on Richies phone played. Surprisingly Claudia had said nothing about his taste in music.

They threw away many boxes, gave the crew their Berf shirts, there was a lot of shit down there. Claudia sat on the floor as she scans through the old papers as Richie broke down some more boxes.

"Fuck!" Claudia screams at the top of her lungs, pouncing on Richie as she sat a rat. "Thats fucking! Thats a rat!" Richie grabs her as she wraps herself around him. She clings onto him like a koala. Richie walks to set her down on the table and looks at it.

"Its dead." He picks it up with old rag he found.

"Still!" He waves the dead rat at her.

"Richie! Get that away from me!" She screams. He laughs as she stands on the top of the table and smacks his arm with a broom.

"Alright, alright." He heads up and throws it away. He returned with washed hands. Claudia watches him in case he returns with it again. He didn't. She hops down the table and clears her throat. "You should've seen your face!" He continued to laugh.

"Fuck you." She goes back to looking at the papers.

"Hey hey." He stands behind her. "Im sorry." She didn't turn to look at him. Just another unapologetic lie. Richie keeps standing behind her, looking down at her. "Listen, about the other night, with your ex or whatever he is, im sorry. I didn't mean to ruin whatever you guys were talking about, ruin any chance of getting together. I just thought-" Claudia turns around, looks up at him. Richie stops for a moment as she looks so innocent. Those damn eyes. "Thought that he was being disrespectful." Claudia slowly gets up, standing in front of him. Theyre close, close enough to see the stains on their clothes, Claudias frown lines, Richies freckles.

"Youre fine." She crosses her arms. "Kent, hes a dick. He thought we were seeing each other when i was with him. That night at the bar where you meet him, he left me. I should've known there." Richie almost felt bad for her.

"Sorry." she shrugs.

"Whatever." She goes back to her chore. Richie looks over the papers she found and then his head perks up as she got a phone call. "Hello?" she frowns as she answers the unknown number.

"Dia?" Her heart started to race. Thats name. She hasn't heard that name in years.

"Luc?" She tucks her hair between her ear. "Is that you?" She hears a laugh on the other end.

"Yeah its me." He smiles as he was getting ready for bed. "Marcus gave me your number, if thats okay?"

"No, i mean yes, yes its fine." Richie stares at her. He had never seen her so smiley. That laugh, where did that come from?

"You busy?"

"I am, but i can call you when i get out." She bites her lip. But closes her eyes. "The time." He laughs again. The nine hour difference.

"I can wait." Her cheeks turned red. Richie crumbles the papers in his hands as she gets all flustered. When he realizes he lets go and looks away from her. What the fuck Richard?

"Its nice to hear your voice again Luc."

"Its been awhile."

"Ill call you later then, uh bye."

"Ill be waiting, bye." She hangs up and stares at her phone. Marcus, you are something else. Hearing Luca's voice made her remember so many memories. She felt like her heart was going to explode after the call.

"Who was that?" Richie closes his eyes as he blurts that out. Idiot.

"Oh, uh just a old friend." She said, cutting the conversation short. Richie stands there, that didn't sound like anything of an old friend.

—

Claudia races home, raced up to the front door and throws her stuff as she enters her apartment. Sage and Chris in the living room watching TV, whipped their heads at the door.

"Sage! Sage!" Claudia runs to the room and jumps over the couch and sat in between them.

"Hey calm down She laughs.

"Guess who called me!"

"Kent?" Claudia rolled her eyes. "The cute guy from france?" She shakes her head. "Then who?"

"Luca!" The two screamed. Chris gets up and leaves to the kitchen as the girls have their talk.

"WAIT! Wait! How did he get your number? I thought you changed it when you got here?" They sat across from each other, holding hands.

"Marcus is there right now to be his stage. Marcus gave him my number!" They screamed again.

"What did he say?!"

"All he said if that I was busy." Sage's eyes widen.

"Thats it?"

"I had to work, and i promised to call him back-"

"Well did you?"

"I had to tell you first!" Chris comes back with drinks.

"Whos Luca?" He asks.

"Claudia's ex boyfriend who lives in Copenhagen, used to work in Evers with her and Carmy. Hes a pastry chef now." Sage catches him up. "Then what are you doing here?! You have to call him, go!" She pushes her off the couch. Claudia heads to her room calls him again. She waited, anxious as the rings kept rolling in.

"Hello?" Lucas groggy voice enters. He woken up by her call. Its was 4 am in Copenhagen.

"Hey." Claudia sits on her bed. "Did i catch you in a bad time?"

"I mean the best wake up call i ever gotten." He laughed.

"Glad to hear that." Luca sits up on his bed, leaning against his bed frame. "How have you been?"

"Im good, busy lately. How have you been?"

"Stressed, I don't know if Marcus told you but Carmy is making this new restaurant and we got like 7 weeks left and its shit." They both laughed. "Typical right?"

"Typical Carmy."

"Hows Marcus?"

"Hes good." Luca looks at his window, the night sky was still up. But to hear her voice again, after all this time, he didn't care if he was gonna be sleepy later on with Marcus. "Dia, i don't think you called to talk about Marcus."

"No.." She whispers, sending Luca goosebumps. "Im glad that he gave you my number."

"Im glad that he brought you up." He rubs his bare chest. "I made your favorite."

"Hmm." She hums.

"You know something? I call it the Claudia." Her heart starts to race again. Then she remembers the night she left.

"Luca..." She sounded sorry, hurt.

"I know baby." He says to her. She closes her eyes. "I know." She bites her tongue. Trying not to sob on the sob. Luca knew that she was trying not to break. He sits there, listening to her breathing. "Im glad you called me back."

"Im glad you did too."

"I hope everything is going well for you back home." She fakes smile.

"Yeah." She whispered. "All is well."

"Your dad?"

"Hes good, still fighting you know." She sniffed. "He asks about you." He chuckles. "Really does."

"You tell him hi."

"I will." Claudia plays with her rings. "I will let you go, its getting late and you gotta go to work so."

"Yeah that fine. Hey Dia?" She hums in response. "Im really glad you answered." She smiles.

"Bye Luca."

"Bye Dia." They hung up. Claudia slides down her bed and lays there. She stares at the ceiling thinking about him. She misses him. Well she say it? No. But god she misses him.