ALAN - An Alan Rickman fanfic

Chapter 3 - "It's a London Thing."

New chapter so soon because I have no self control over the ones I have already written just sitting there!! Plus, I've had a crappy day so why not! 

Enjoy!!

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16th March

I'd thought of texting Alan ever since he gave me his number, but I'd already thanked him for the coffee that evening. What else was there to say that didn't scream desperation that I was looking for any excuse to talk to him... Was everything I thought I saw that night entirely in my head?

I wish I could talk to Robyn about it. She sits in front of me highlighting the lecture notes after this morning's session. I've taken on so many hours at the gallery lately that I'm struggling to keep a balance of everything including our new assignment. Robyn, who is a New York resident, two years younger than me and still lives with her parents, doesn't have the trouble of living costs.

What should be on my mind, wasn't. It was Alan. I couldn't possibly come out with such stupidity, and so I make up something about my latest canvas. That reminds me, I'm running out of a few acrylic colours. Why do art materials have to be so bloody expensive? They should loan out extra cash to us art folk who need so much more than paper, post it's and books.

"Ava?"

"Hmmm?"

"What's up?"

Before I know it, it's off the tip of my tongue and into the open. Kind of. "Robyn, have you ever liked a guy who's older than you?"

"Well sure. Nate was six years older than me, but it didn't work out."

Six! A little different from forty three.

"Why, do you like someone?" She flashes her pearly whites at me with immaturity. "Tell me. Who is it? Oooh is it that cute Puerto Rican guy in the Graphics department?"

"What!" I laugh. "No. I was just wondering."

"You don't just wonder about something like that. Tell me, who is it?"

"Just a guy." I'm finding it difficult to hide my smile as raise my coffee. "Just someone back home in London. It's no big deal."

Robyn asks how much older he is.

"Four..." TY THREE.

Four gets her approval - old enough to be mature and also thinking about 'the next stage of life, but not too far ahead.'

"It's a well known fact that us females mature way before they do."

God. There's some food for thought.

Stereotypically my next stage of life will be graduation and moving onto my Masters, then finding my way in the world. Alan's was...what was Alan's? The devil on my shoulder whispers retirement, and I want to smack it off.

"Four years isn't too bad. I don't know. I could never imagine being with an older-older guy," she surmises, "not any older than Nate. I mean can you imagine - they'd be treating you like a child, and what would you even talk about?"

Anything and everything was the answer to that question. Alan and I had a seamless flow of conversation. Mine and Robyn's on this matter however, ends there.

..................

It's been four days after the car ride and the evening at the coffee shop. Alan and I connect eyes as he passes by the backstage area. This is early for him. Show time isn't until 7:30pm this evening and he usually arrives a few hours before. He's wearing a casual black blazer, dark jeans and boots with a dark navy scarf wrapped loosely around his neck looking utterly gorgeous.