Lucas

Nicole Meyers. 

The girl who up until roughly a month ago was a complete stranger to me, was now laying her head on my shoulder and sleeping peacefully as we flew across the Atlantic ocean. 

Thank God this flight has no lay overs. I'm not the biggest fan of flights, and especially not long ones. 

"Would you want anything to drink, sir?"

"No, thank you." I politely declined the flight attendant's offer and she smiled and moved on to the next row of seats. 

I did try to be as quiet as possible with my response, but apparently it wasn't enough to keep Nicole asleep. She stirred against me, and I sighed, turning my head to look at her, her brown eyes slowly opening. 

"Sorry I woke you up." 

"That's alright." She gently held my neck with her hand and kissed my lips. "I had to pee anyway." 

"Good thing I didn't get you a drink, then." She winked at me while she bit her bottom lip, looking more adorable than ever, and she made her way through the hallway to get to the bathroom.

I decided to lean into her seat and take a look through the window. Planes and I are not the best of friends, so I gave her the window seat while I sat in the middle. 

Nothing fancy to see outside - just the ocean. I reached my hand into my pocket to fish out my phone and snapped a couple of pictures to show Lexi, remembering how badly she'd asked me to, eager to know what the view from up here is like. 

"Hey you. You want to change seats?" 

Either she got back really quickly or I spend way too much time collecting photographs of the blue horizon and the small clouds that truly looked like cotton candy. 

"Nope. I'm fine where I am." 

I slipped back into my designated seat and tucked my feet deep under my seat, allowing her to got back to where she was. 

"So, I've got something to tell you." The sheepish look in her eyes and the cheeky smile indicated it was something I was in the dark about. I couldn't help but frown in confusion and she continued. "I wanted to tell you last night but I thought I should tell you once we were in LA but I just... can't wait any longer." 

"You're starting to scare me... What is it?"

"We're going to the Pixar Animation Studios on Friday."

Okay that's not so bad.

"Really? Oh, that's great! Like on a tour?"

She scrunched her nose, and tilted her head to the side. God, she looked like the cutest person in the world when she did that. I swear she has no idea how cute she is.

"Not exactly. I mean, yes, they're giving us a tour too but... it's a little more than just that."

"What is it then? Should I be worried?"

"Not at all. I... You're gonna have a meeting with them."

"A meeting?" If it was possible, I was feeling even more confused. 

"I'll be there with you too." I lifted one eyebrow. "Diane worked on a case for them a while back, and I told her about how talented you are and she managed to get me their e-mail and I sent them your work. Your drawings. I sent them your drawings, it was only a few!" 

My mind went blank for a minute, not knowing exactly what to think of what she had just said to me. 

"Wait, you what?"

"Lucas, please don't be mad at me, I did that with the best intention. And you know, you don't even have to prepare for the meeting so you've got nothing to worry about. I spoke to them on the phone and they just want to get to know you, your inspiration, stuff like that. I brought a few of your sketches to show them, so they can see it in person." 

She was talking faster and faster as she spoke word by word, a good indicator that she was getting nervous and I knew my expression was the reason why. 

"I'm sorry, Nicole. I'm just... a little shocked, that's all." 

"That's okay, babe." She said, her hand gently stroking my cheek. 

"So, um... We're going to the studios? And we're gonna meet with...?"

"Robert Smith and his team. He's the head of the Art Department, they are responsible for everything we see on the screen - from the very first sketches the illustrator makes, to the graphic design and animation."

"And you brought my sketches?" I found myself replaying everything she had said before in my mind. 

"Yes, four of them."

It could be me and it could be just because I am in pure shock at the words that flew right out of Nicole's mouth right now, but how the fuck is the captain letting us know we're about to land?

"Nic, put your seat belt on." I ordered as I put mine on as well. She did as told and grabbed my hand, her fingers intertwined with mine. 

"That was no answer to what I just said to you." 

"It's... a lot to process." Was all I managed to say right after letting out a deep breath I hadn't realized I was holding. 

"I know." She said right away. "But, you're not mad at me, are you? I mean, I know it was probably wrong to use your work without your permission but I just... I wanted to surprise you." Her smile was doubtful, hopeful, as if she wasn't totally sure of what my thoughts were.  

"Well, consider myself surprised." I joked, smirking at her. 

"I'm serious, Lucas. I really am sorry if I overstepped, that's not what I wanted to do, at all."

Much to her surprise, I leaned in and kissed her lips. "I know."

Our eyes opened at the same time when our lips separated and her chocolate colored orbits saw right through me.

"You're not mad?" She whispered, her breath tickling my neck. 

Was I mad? No. God knows I could never get mad at this woman for anything, much less when what she did was all for me and with my best interest at heart.

But, truth was, I was too shocked, clearly not expecting this type of news and especially not when we were just flying over a country, and now almost landing at LAX.

"I'm mainly shocked and... well, surprised. I would never, in a million years, dream that you'd do that. But I really appreciate the gesture. You're the best person I know."

Everyone in that plane felt the machine slowly starting to descend, a feeling I was not very fond of, and with a tight, firm grip on Nicole's hand with mine, we braced ourselves for the touch down, landing in the city that held the deepest secrets and the most promising future for me. I just didn't know it yet. 

  * * *

"Nicole! Aw, my baby, I missed you so much!" A woman who appeared to be not any less than in her forties engulfed Nicole in a tight hug, and the bright smile in her not too wrinkled face was contagious enough to make me smile. 

I know now where Nicole gets it from, and I don't mean just the smile - she is undoubtedly the spitting image of her mother.

"How's London?"

"London is amazing! You've got to go there, you'll love it!"

I was too focused on my girl in her element, in her home, hugging the people she's missed dearly to notice the man starring me up and down. I only realized I was being watched by him when Nicole hugged him tight. 

"Aren't you going to introduce us to this young man?" The older man said, looking at his daughter and averting his gaze from me for a second. 

"Of course I am!" She said, moving away from their little circle and standing next to me. 

Before I knew it, my hand was on hers, our fingers touching. "This is Lucas, I met him in London and he and I, we're... dating." The word caught me off guard, this being the topic we hadn't actually discussed between us. I looked down at her and brown met blue. "He's my boyfriend."

"Nice to meet you, Lucas. We've heard a little about you, I look forward to getting to know you better." Nicole's mom, whose name I discovered was Eloise, pulled me in a hug. 

Much to my surprise, the man who just a few seconds ago was analyzing me as if he could watch me through an X ray, hugged me as well, patting me lightly on the back. 

"Nice to meet you, Lucas. I'm Sam." 

"Pleasure's all mine, sir. Thank you for having me." I gave him my smile, the one that could hide my intimidation the best, and let my eyes fall back on Nicole again. 

"Alright Lucas and I are going to unpack and maybe lie down for a bit, we literally spent over ten hours on a plane, not to mention the jet lag we're both under."

We arrived in Los Angeles at one o'clock in the afternoon local time, those two being the key words - with the time change we both felt like we could hit the bed and sleep for hours. 

"Do you want me to make you something to eat?" Eloise asked with a wide smile on her face.

"No, mom. Thank you, but we ate on the plane."

With a few more smiles exchanged between us and a lot of thanks yous and see you laters, Nicole and I walked up the stairs to her childhood bedroom, where we'd both stay during this long weekend. 

"Wow. I never would have guessed that you were a NSYNC fan." I chuckled as I looked around her light pink colored walls, filled with posters of every boy band that were a hit back in the nineties. "Or the Backstreet Boys."

"Are you kidding? They're the best!" She smirked with a laugh. I put down my bag and my coat and followed her lead, joining her on the mattress, both of us still fully dressed. 

"God, I'm tired. You must be even more tired than me, you didn't sleep a wink on the plane."

I nodded in agreement and kissed her lips,  sharing a soft, sweet kiss with her. 

"Sorry about that whole thing back then, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable." 

"You didn't. I consider you my girlfriend, so it only makes sense that I'm your boyfriend." She bit her bottom lip shyly as she beamed and wasted no time in wrapping her hand around my neck and kissing me again. 

With that, we put this conversation and ourselves to sleep, only waking up around seven o'clock in the afternoon. We took a quick shower and got dressed and ready for dinner out with Diane, Nicole's best friend who was in town for Thanksgiving as well and insisted she wanted to meet me while I was in town. 

The place wasn't too fancy, but it was clearly the type of restaurant I could never afford to go to in London. Malibu Farm had a perfect view to the ocean and was nicely decorated with fairy lights and bright, soft lights such as white and camel, with small flowers decorating the tables and little candles spread on some. 

The girls had everyone stare at them as they hugged each other and squealed loudly, the distance between them being something that proved itself to be hard to bear. After they got the I miss you and the you look amazing out of the way, Nicole introduced me as her boyfriend again, this time without a hint of hesitation, and I hugged Diane who was exactly what my girlfriend had always described her best friend to be.

 "This place is nice." I commented with them after our drinks arrived at the table. 

"We love it, we come here all the time whenever we're in Malibu." Diane carried herself like she was a queen. She seemed like a confident, cool-headed, laid back and composed woman, like she knew exactly what she wanted and how to get it. "So have you been enjoying America so far?"

"Well, this is my first time in Los Angeles when I'm not inside a plane or a house." I chuckled. "But I am, yes. A lot of palm trees, blue sea, bright sun, warm weather... It's a lot different from London, let me tell you that." 

"Yeah, I'm not even used to have dinner in the daylight anymore." Nicole chipped in. "It usually gets really dark in the middle of the afternoon in the UK." 

Diane seemed interested in knowing more about Nicole's days in Hampstead, how her book had been going, what major landmarks had she visited in the lands of the Queen, although they spoke on the phone and texted almost every day. 

Ten minutes into this dinner, I could already tell that Diane was very different from Nicole but that they were, nonetheless, like sisters separated at birth. 

Which is why, while Nicole went to the restroom, I used the time I had alone with the blonde to get her number so she could help me with something I had planned in my mind for the past week or so. Nicole wasn't the only one who could plan a surprise. 

Our food arrived and we ate while we talked about all different subjects, while the sun was setting right in front of our eyes. Other than Nicole Meyers herself, this has to be the most beautiful view I had ever had the pleasure of witnessing. 

It blew my mind that it's the end of November, and the sky above us still looks pink-ish, even at almost nine o'clock at night time. 

"So, Lucas... Are you excited about going to the Pixar studios on Friday?" 

"Yes." I responded, flashing Diane another smile. "I know I'm gonna love it, it's always been a dream of mine to visit the place where they make it all happen. And I have to take this opportunity to thank you. Nic told me how you helped her reach out to them and-"

"Don't even think about thanking me." She cut me off, not giving me a chance to talk. "Nicole was the one who wanted to do it and quite frankly, you were the reason they accepted to meet you both. You're only going there because they liked your work." 

"My thoughts exactly." Nicole said. I turned to her side and while looping my arm around her shoulders, I kissed her forehead and found myself closing my eyes as I took in her scent. 

"Aw, look at you two. You are beyond cute." Diane's perfect colored, red lipstick stained lips curled into a smile as she starred at me and Nicole, watching our short yet sweet public display of affection. 

"Well, she is." I said right before the waitress got us the bill.

After we said our goodbyes and after I promised Diane we would call her on Friday to let her know how the meeting had gone, she made her way to her car and we made our way to Nicole's and, taking opposite sides of the road, we went back to what was her home at heart.

Nicole's bed was way smaller than the one I had in my house, and even smaller than the one she had in her box sized apartment in London, but I didn't mind having to sleep with her body almost on top of mine one bit. We always slept like that anyway, weather the bed was big or small. 

Of course, having sex with her on a small mattress, surrounded by photographs of young boys with a very questionable sense of fashion, while her parents were downstairs was a challenge, but it didn't make it any less amazing. 

The need we both had coming over us, of just wanting to have each other right then and there, almost carnal and primal, was bigger than us and we didn't manage to get some sleep before we made each other come undone.

* * *

Author's Note:

Hey everyone! New chapter and this one is the first one of the set of chapters that take place in America - thought you'd like to see this side of their story as well. 💙

My story just won third place at  🌻 The Sunflower Awards 🌻 !! I feel so so happy this happened, and I feel so glad that "The Missing Gem" has been becoming more and more known among all readers 💓

Also, my interview @Creativity_Community for just came out, so head onto their profile and check it out! 

I hate repeating myself but as always, thank you for all the love I've been getting for this story! And please vote and comment and either add this book to your reading list or follow me, so you won't miss out on any updates! 🌟

Xoxo, Mars