"Bad date?" A familiar voice asked jokingly and when I turned towards them, I was glad to see it was Haydn, smoking something that definitely didn't smell like a cigarette.

"That's a bit of an understatement." I sighed with a sad smile as she smilingly took another pull.

"He seemed like a dick." She breathed out as she held the joint out to me and I took it gratefully, I figured it would help calm my nerves.

"He was, well he still is." I agreed before I took a long pull and tried not to make a fool out of myself while I breathed out as we looked at each other. Hypnotized for a few seconds by her beautiful eyes we stayed looking at each other a little longer than necessary until a cool breeze cut through my skin and I shivered, bringing me back to reality.

"So um, how are you gonna get home?" Haydn asked first as I took another two pulls and I shrugged as I passed it back to her before blowing the smoke out.

"I'll probably Uber I guess, I don't want to take a train this late wearing just this," I sighed gesturing to my dress as she nodded. I wrapped my arms around myself as I watched her finish the joint and put it out before throwing it in the bin, a gentle buzz kicking in as she shrugged off her black denim jacket before holding it out to me.

"My shift ends in about forty-five minutes so I can take you home if you don't mind waiting until then?" She offered with a smile, but I immediately started to decline.

"No, it's o-" I started but she shook her head.

"It's late Cristina, an Uber is going to be really expensive, and you'd probably die of hypothermia before it even arrived." She reasoned and I blushed, because to some extent she was right, it was late, and an Uber would be unnecessarily expensive.

"Are you sure you're okay with it?" I asked as I nervously bit my lip and she nodded with a smile.

"I wouldn't have offered if it wasn't." She promised gently and I took the jacket from her hands and slipped it on, it was still warm and smelt like her, like cocoa butter and cannabis.

"Thanks, Haydn." I smiled gratefully as I wrapped the jacket around me, my goosebumps instantly disappearing.

"Anytime Cristina." She winked playfully, my insides melting. "You don't mind waiting at a table until I'm done with my shift?" She asked and I shook my head.

"Of course not." I insisted before she led me back into the restaurant, placing me at a small table for two, closer to the pay station.

I didn't mind sitting there and waiting for Haydn because it gave me time to observe her from afar as she floated from table to table, graceful and smooth as she went. I don't know how but she even managed to bring me a hot chocolate and a plate of fries while I waited, which tasted delicious but that could've just been my high. Safe to say Wesley wasn't even an afterthought as I watched the Haydn, wondering how I'd never noticed her before.

"You ready to go?" Haydn asked appearing at my side as I nodded up at her. Haydn had changed out of her uniform and was instead dressed in black pants, a white shirt and doc martens, simple but tasteful, it suited her.

"You changed out of your uniform?" I frowned as I stood up, following her through the back as we left, and I was grateful I didn't have to face the rest of the diners after my altercation with Wesley.

"I don't actually work here; I was just covering for a friend." She explained with a slight smile as she held the back door open for me and I blushed a little as I stepped outside.

"So do you have a job?" I asked, mostly because I wanted to keep talking to her.

"Kinda, I work part-time at an auto shop." She shrugged as she led me to her car in the parking lot.

"So, you're a mechanic?" I questioned, wracking my brain for anything my dad said so I could impress her.

"Something like that." She admitted with a small smile. "Sometimes I feel like it's the only thing I'm good at." She shrugged as we approached her car and after our little conversation, I wasn't surprised to see a light blue 1990 Jeep, a CJ5 model that had obviously been refurbished.

"I highly doubt that's the only thing you're good at." I smiled as she unlocked her car and we climbed in. "Nice car by the way, did you refurbish it yourself?" I asked and she nodded as she started the car.

"Yeah, I did, it was actually my grandfather's back in the day and Luis, um my dad, said if I could get it up and running then I could have it. This car is actually how I discovered I'm pretty good with my hands." She explained as we started the drive back home.

Being practically strangers suddenly on a long car ride together I was expecting an air of awkwardness and unease, but it never came. Conversation between us flowed like water and surprisingly we had a lot in common, from music to movies we aligned perfectly, so well in fact I wished the trip was longer.

Another bonus was that Haydn looked insanely hot as she drove and every time, she glanced my way I felt a blush creep onto my cheeks, but I managed to keep it under control. I didn't want to admit it but it kinda scared me, feeling nothing with Wesley for months and then suddenly feeling something for a complete stranger.

Calm down Cristina, your bisexual ass is just attracted to her.

"You can make a right up here and it's the third house on the left." I directed her as we drove through my neighborhood, and I opened the gate with my remote as she drove up and into my driveway skillfully.

"Nice house." She commented as she switched her car off but left the radio playing and I shrugged.

"It's not mine, it's my parents but thanks," I smiled and as I turned to look at her I realized that I really didn't want to leave just yet- thankfully someone up there was looking out for me because at that moment the song on the radio changed and my eyes lit up. "I love this song," I whispered as Work by Charlotte Day Wilson softly filled the car.

"Me too." She agreed quietly as she looked at me and I had to stop myself from getting lost in her beautiful gold eyes.

Woah Cris what is wrong with you.

"Is that your mom?" She asked, a hint of disappointment laced in her question, breaking the spell we seemed to be under, and my eyes went to my front door to see my mom standing in her slippers and fluffy robe, her headscarf already on.

"Yeah, it is." I blushed as I finally came back down to earth. "I guess this means I should go." I sighed and she nodded slowly.

"So, I guess I'll see you around?" She sighed as I opened the door and I nodded enthusiastically.

"Thanks again for the ride, Haydn," I said as I took off her jacket and handed it back to her.

"No problem, Cristina." She smiled secretively as she took it from me, and I got out of her car before leaning back in.

"I'll see you at school," I promised as I closed her door and walked towards my house, only turning back to open the gate with my remote so.

"That wasn't Wesley's car." Mama frowned, eying me as I smiled, my cheeks turning red.

"Um, that's because it wasn't Wesley." I shrugged and my mom's eyebrows lifted in curiosity.

"So, who was it then?" She asked as we watched Haydn drive off before I closed and locked the front door.

"That was Haydn, a girl from school. She was working as a waitress at the restaurant when I broke up with Wesley." I explained and I wasn't surprised to see the look of relief cross my mom's face.

"I know it's late, but do you want to talk about it over some tea?" She asked gently and I smiled with a nod.

"Is there chamomile?" I sighed in relief as we made our way to the kitchen and my mom laughed as she kissed me on my forehead.

"Of course, there's chamomile baby." She said wrapping an arm around me lovingly and I knew I would never not be okay as long as I had my parents' support.

"Thanks, mama." I smiled and as I went upstairs my mom put on the kettle.

I slowly walked up the stairs and down the passage to my room, feeling emotionally drained from the whole ordeal, and stripped out of my dress and heels before washing off my makeup. I took the time to think about Haydn, she was vaguely familiar when I thought about it, I was pretty sure I had seen her around school before, but she and her friends seemed like the type to keep to themselves. I'd see some of them at parties and occasionally in the hall but never Haydn, I didn't know much about her. I decided to push my thoughts of Haydn to the side as I slipped on an oversized shirt and pajama shorts before putting on my bonnet and heading back downstairs to chamomile tea and my mom.

"Hey princess, you back from your date already?" My dad called out from his study as I walked past, and I backtracked to talk to him.

"Hey, Papa." I greeted as I walked in and hugged him, careful not to touch his work on the desk. "Yeah, I got back a few minutes ago." I smiled before sat on his vintage leather couch.

"And how did it go? I don't have to beat up anyone do I?" He questioned seriously and I laughed.

"No, don't worry." I smiled as I fidgeted with my hands. "I actually broke up with Wesley tonight, I was about to tell mom all about it over tea if you want to join us. Or are you too busy here?" I asked and he immediately pushed his work to the side.

"I would love to spend some time with my two favorite ladies." He promised as he took a seat next to me on the leather couch.

"It's strange that you don't have to do work for a change, or have you done it already?" I asked gesturing to his work on his desk, and he smiled as he shook his head.

"Nah, it's not work, it's a surprise for your mama." He said as he smiled like a teenager in love. "I'm want to surprise her with a weekend away soon, we've both been working really hard, and I miss spending time with her and just want to surprise her like we used to when we were younger."

"So, what are you thinking of?" I asked and he grinned.

I thought it was cute how much my parents still loved each other, they still looked at each other like teenagers in love, especially my dad. He may have looked like a mafia boss, but he was a sweetheart when it came to my mom. I'd always hoped that I'd also get to experience a love like theirs but after my experience with Wesley I was beginning to rethink my chances of finding it.

"A cruise to Hawaii?" He mused and I laughed out loud.

"Mama gets seasick remember." I grinned as I watched the realization dawn on his face. He may have forgotten about the terrible boat cruise of '08 but I certainly had not.

"What would I ever do without you?" He hummed and I shrugged.

"You probably would've been a sad and single man." I smiled before my mom called up that the tea was ready, she always made her own tea with other loose ones- that's why it normally took so long.

"You're probably right." He chuckled as he stood up. "Now let's go drink some tea with our favorite person and listen to you explain why I shouldn't intimidate this Wesley guy a little." He said as he pulled me up from the sofa and together, we walked downstairs.