ENAJ AND LINCON

"So we all agree on LA?" Enaj's dad asked looking at his three kids, Enaj, Dane and Monet. "Yes dad, let's go to LA for Christmas." The trace of sarcasm in Monet's voice was very evident. " LA it is." The 47 year old confirmed at the dinner table to his family. Blake Daniels worked with Bloomberg New York as the MD, cashing in a handsome check, his wife Chloe Daniels worked as a marine biologist, based in New York. Monet Daniels was their oldest at 24, Dane Daniels was second at 22 then Enaj Daniels at 19. A week later, they got on their jet, destination; LA California. Enaj had met Lincon at an amusement park. She was at a que in front of a food truck, she had already made the coffee order and was deliberating on what snack to go with it. "You're holding up the line miss!" Some guy shouted from the back. "She'll have a croissant." A soft yet firm male voice said from the line next to theirs. She had to turn, so she did and met his eyes. They were warm and kind, she wanted to say something but she'd held the line for quite some time. She paid and found the young man a few steps from her. She prepared her smile, but only as a formality, she didn't really care is he'd helped her or not, she led herself to believe she would have probably ordered the croissant, it's just that he beat her to it. Before she got to him, she had studied him whole, from his hair, the color, the shape of his face, his eyes, his jawline, his height, his build, his dressing. She had to admit he was good looking, he really was, more than most but she didn't let her mind go there. How could she after what had happened with Kendrick, besides, she had come to LA to enjoy all that she couldn't get in New York. She had made a pact with herself she would keep the conversation to a maximum of four sentences. "Thank you for that." She told him. His answer caught her off guard and totally disoriented her. "You're not from around here, are you?" The astute young man wanted to know. Her throat dried up, was it that obvious? "What?" She struggled to say. He didn't answer immediately, he kept up his smile and studied her, he was so meticulous that he noticed his question had messed up her plan. His silence was killing her. Why was he silent? Hadn't she just asked him a question? Answer it damn you! She couldn't take it, "What makes you say that?" "A number of things," he told her. She found herself asking him to explain, and he did. He was right. "I'm impressed." She admitted, and she was. "So where're you from?" He paused and read the name on her coffee cup. "Enaji." He drawled shifting his gaze from the cup to her face. She looked at the cup and laughed. Her name had been misspelt. "They got that all wrong." She told him. He shared the laugh, "That's the whole point." He informed her and showed her his cup. She read it out loud, "Linking?" "It's supposed to be Lincon but I get Linking.They say it adds joy to the coffee, whatever that means." Again, they laughed, softly this time. She stared at him for what she thought was a second. He was an intriguing person. Totally different from what she had thought of him. She tried so hard to hide a smile from him and almost succeed. His question snapped her out of whatever trans she was in. "Sorry, it's Enaj, umm...from New York." "Enaj." He repeated. "That's a beautiful name." Something else she found amusing about this Lincon guy is that he just made her smile, it was close to a blush but still a smile. "Thank you." A conversation she thought would last ten seconds had lasted close to four minutes, and in those four minutes, a liking for him had developed inside her. "Can I have the pleasure of being your tour guide to this amazing amusement park?" It was longshot, but worth a try. Under normal circumstances she would agree to that, she would, the guy seemed nice enough so why wouldn't she agree to that. "Much as I would love that, I have to turn down your offer. My family awaits." She told him looking at two people standing a few metres away. "That's my brother Dane and my sister Monet. Besides, we have a tour guide of our own." She wasn't exactly sure why she had told a complete stranger the names of her siblings but she had a gut feeling she could trust him. "This was nice, but I have to go. Thanks for saving me back there." She said with a smile. "Oh, it's nothing. You stay safe." He finished, she didn't reply, just gave another smile and started walking. Then he remembered something and held her back by her hand. She turned slow to him and for the very first time, thier eyes fully met. She had done all she could to avoid them, she was too well aware that they were those eyes that one could stare into for an eternity. But nonetheless, she lived the moment, she couldn't just look away, that would be outright rude. He let the tension build just a little before he delivered his question. "Will I be seeing you again?" "I don't know," she answered with a distant smile. "But I heard a rumour that I may be at the Crescent Beach tomorrow evening." She told him and walked away, a wide grin covering her face. **** Lincon exhaled deeply standing in front of their house, he was just about tired of all the drama between his parents. His mom wanted a divorce, his dad was against it and Lincon was left in the middle of it all. More often than not, he was made to pick a side. He got into the lounge where he found his mom. He was about to speak but his father beat him to it. "Lincon come into the office I need to discuss something with you." He called from the office door. "Honey I need you to sign some documents." His mom objected. That brought about a meaningless argument between the two,and once again he was made to choose between the two. "Enough you two!" He snapped. "I'm sick of this!" His sister Jayne watched silently from upstairs. "It's bloody unfair that you make us choose between the two of you. You are both out parents for heavens sake!" With that , he stormed upstairs. "Shit Linc, didn't know you had the balls." Jayne told him and they both chuckled. "It was about time." "I honestly don't get why they're still together." She continued stepping into her room. **** Enaj had said she would be at the Crescent Beach, he was there but she wasn't. Thirty, forty minutes later she wasn't there. He was now worried, had something happened to her? Had she changed her mind? Had he done something to scare her away? If there was, he didn't know. An hour and a half later, she wasn't there, his patience had run out, but just when he was about to leave, "You are a patient man." He would recognize that voice in his sleep. It had come from behind him. He turned, it was her. He wanted to be mad, but her smile, God that beautiful smile, her smile made him smile. "I didn't think you were going to show." "I don't break my promises." She told him . They spent the rest of the evening walking the beach, they talked to lengths "It's on my way home, I can drop you off." He offered when she told him it was getting late and she wanted to go home. She said yes, how could she refuse the offer after such an amazing evening with him? So he drove her to the Ritz, and stopped at the entrance. They said thier good byes, both admitting what a great evening that had been. "Every year on Christmas Eve there's always a party at Beverly Park, it would mean a lot to me if you came." He said as she was about to alight. She thought about for a second before giving her answer. She knew she'd really have to do some convincing to her parents to get them to let her attend the party. "I'll think about it," she promised with a smile. "That's good enough for me." He replied. "Have a goodnight Enaj." "Goodnight Lincon."

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