Emmett and Alex

Emmett puts down his phone and stares out the large window at the street. His sister has never been hostile in any way to their little brother. If anything, she regrets doing so. Either way, he'd moved up his transfer and would be able to come home early. Running a distracted hand through his hair while stretching, he doesn't notice the waitress at his side and spills the drinks she was bringing on a tray for the table in front of him.

The line at the cash register was so long because of the restaurant's wide passageway that those crossing over almost had to stick to the tables near the windows. The girl contemplated the coffee on the floor and looked up at Emmett who also had his eyes glued to the floor. Why do the worst things always have to happen to him in life? "Fuck." He blows out a breath, shakes his head and gets up from his chair to pick up the mess he's made. He picks up the empty tray on the floor and begins to pick up the larger pieces.

The waitress, whose name tag on her shirt read "Gianna," had her mouth wide open at an Emmett, crouched in his blue medical suit, picking up the broken glass and cardboard cups spilled on the floor. Shaking her head out of her thoughts, she scrambled to the floor just as Emmett stood up. Gianna's chin hits Emmett's forehead and she loses her balance.

Either he is an undercover knight or his reflexes come from his protective instinct as a doctor. Shards of glass, still scattered on the floor, were in danger of injuring the young woman; he couldn't let that happen before his eyes. In one motion, he drops the tray, stands up quickly and grabs both of Gianna's arms and pulls her towards him.

The waitress, still reeling from the shock of Emmett's elbow hitting her tray, couldn't take it anymore. Since waking up, her day has been more mediocre than any other 10,000 she's seen in her twenty-nine years of existence: the rent on her apartment is coming due, her bank account is drier than the Sahara Desert because of college costs, her mother wants to introduce her to yet another "son of a friend" and her plants are dying no matter which of nature's saints she prays to.

So when a customer spills his tray and in trying to help him and save his place in that restaurant, hits him and finds a way to fall backwards into the glass on the floor, she thought that maybe it would have been for the best. Maybe the universe would be kinder to her if she cried or didn't fight fate anymore.

The pain was what her body and brain had prepared for. When instead, two warm hands encircled her wrists and a warm body crashed into hers, Gianna thought with all her being that her heart had given out before the impact and that she was in heaven in the arms of God.

She doesn't dare open her eyes. Not yet anyway. If this is God, he smelled very good. A mixture of eucalyptus and apple? She couldn't identify the lesser smell. In any case, eucalyptus won the gold medal for calming smell. If God smells that good, well, she's glad she died so young.

"Are you okay?" A voice asks her near her ear. God has a very sexy voice to boot. Oh shit. She wishes she had died sooner suddenly. Is this divine love? She feels free of all her worries and problems at once. A serenity comes over her and the only thing that comes to

her mind is that she is dead and she is happy.

"Oh my God, am I really dead?" It was the only thing she could say. God was going to comfort her. That's for sure.

"No, not yet. But open your eyes so I can see if you're okay." Why is he calling her names? She's finally going to see her maker. And with a smile, Gianna opens her eyes.

God looked suspiciously like the man who spilled his tray earlier. Heaven has the same decor as the restaurant where she works too. And the angels... The angels all look at her with the same expression: surprise. What? Wasn't she supposed to kiss God?

"Uh... Gianna, right? Nothing broken?" The man in front of her asks. Nothing broken? What's wrong?

"Aren't you God?" She murmurs. He smiles at her with all his teeth and shakes his head. "I'm Emmett," he replies in the same tone.

"What happened?" She asks.

"Come sit down." He takes her hand and sits her down in the nearest chair.

This man is definitely not God, she is not dead, and these people are obviously not angels. Shit. Another humiliation to add to her record. Which makes this beautiful Thursday indeed the worst day of her life. The misfortunes are piling up like the debts she has right now. Which is a lot.

The whole action only lasted less than fifteen minutes, but the moment lasted longer than his entire existence, Emmett thinks. Gianna is obviously in shock and he is the cause. Fuck.

Soon the manager arrives near them more confused than the rest of the audience. Even those at the cash register are more intrigued by the couple than by their change.

"Sir," began the bald man whose name "Jerry" was topped by the title "Manager" on his goose-poop green shirt.

Emmett raises his hand, telling him to be quiet. The man could only nod, doing everything to avoid a possible lawsuit. This morning, he could see that Gianna was not in her right mind, but he also knows that she needs the paycheck that her hours at the restaurant provide.

"I'm the one responsible for the damage that was caused sir." Said Emmett without glancing at her. He was busy taking the pulse of Gianna who didn't dare look anyone, not even her savior in the eyes. Besides, earlier, when they were close, she could see his eyes up close. Mostly brown but with something golden in them. Or was it green? She doesn't know. People are clouding her memory and tears are taking over her sight.

"I will pay all the necessary expenses. There is no need to blame your employee. She has done nothing wrong." Being currently sure that she is in no danger of collapsing and that her heart is functioning properly as best he can at the moment, he lets go of her wrist. Gianna takes his hand back and wraps the other around her wrist to erase the heat that has built up there.

Jerry nods and turns to talk to the customers. Emmett's attention remains on Gianna, whose head is bowed on the table. He doesn't know her so he can't force her to look at him. But he wanted to check something. He wasn't sure what, actually...

Emmett gives Jerry his card to contact him to settle his debts. The manager thanks him and extends an impatient but non-threatening hand to Gianna who takes it. The two people walk away from the scene as two other waiters arrive with cleaning kits to pick up the glass, liquids and cups still on the floor.

As the interest slowly faded around him, Emmett closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Holy shit." He said in a breath.

Less than five minutes later, the man he was waiting for finally arrived at his table and sat down in front of him.

"Is it true that while I was late you saved a damsel in distress from certain death?" He asks with a smile.

Alexander Perry, Alex, or Dr. Perry is Emmett's best friend since their college days. In fact, he is the only real friend he has in England. The others are work colleagues or exes as far as some women are concerned.

"How do you know?" Asks the pediatrician with a frown. His fingers controlling Gianna's pulse are still tingling him and the scene is already on social media?

"Oh, no, don't worry. I don't think you're on the canvas, Prince Charming." He smiled at her again as he rested his elbows on the table and his hands under her chin. "I have a friend who recognized you, filmed the scene and sent it to me... So, you save ladies?"

Emmett rolls his eyes and smiles back. It had been a few months since he had seen Alex. Today, they had to discuss an important subject: their departure for America.

"Shut the hell up, Alex. What took you so long, anyway? I thought you were going to be here way before me. What a surprise it was to see you were late!"

The man scratches his three-day beard and rubs his temples.

"Melissa." He says. His friend already understands what he's talking about.

"What happened?" Did you tell him?"

Alex shakes his head and scratches his head. A new waiter comes to bring them the menu and a glass of water each.

"I haven't told anyone I'm leaving." Alex finally replied after a few minutes of silence.

At this point, Emmett remembers that he didn't tell anyone that he wasn't coming alone either.