Grey Suit
Downtown Manhattan — Later That Night
Elle spotted Leah immediately through the restaurant window.
And forgot what she was saying mid-sentence.
A waiter was asking something about wine, but suddenly none of it registered because Leah Williamson had just stepped out of a black SUV in that grey suit.
The exact one from the Earthshot event.
Tailored trousers. Sleeveless blazer. Hair softly undone from the long day. The blue event lanyard still hanging slightly from one hand like she'd rushed straight from the UN just to get here.
Jesus Christ.
Elle stared openly through the glass.
Leah looked up at exactly the wrong moment and caught her.
A slow grin spread across Leah's face instantly.
Caught.
Elle pressed a hand dramatically against her chest as Leah entered the restaurant.
"That look was deeply disrespectful."
Leah laughed quietly, sliding into the seat opposite her. "You were literally staring."
"You wore that on purpose."
Leah glanced down at herself innocently. "This old thing?"
Elle groaned and dropped her head briefly into her hands while Leah laughed harder.
God.
Seeing her in real life still felt surreal somehow.
Online, Leah always looked polished. Controlled.
But now Elle noticed things cameras missed.
The tiredness beneath her eyes after long days. The tiny scar near her chin. The way she loosened up physically around people she trusted.
And right now?
Leah looked at ease.
Warm from the cold outside, cheeks pink from winter air, smiling like she genuinely wanted to be here more than anywhere else.
"You survived royalty then," Elle teased.
"Barely."
Leah leaned back in the booth and loosened the blue tie around her neck fully now. "One more speech and I think I would've dissolved into dust."
Elle watched her fingers tug the tie loose and nearly lost her train of thought entirely.
Dangerous.
Very dangerous.
"You know," Leah said casually, "you've looked at me like that twice now."
Elle blinked. "Like what?"
"Like you want to climb me."
Elle nearly inhaled wine.
Leah burst out laughing immediately.
"Oh my God," Elle groaned.
"That's the first time I've made you speechless. Big moment for me."
"You're insufferable."
"You still invited me to dinner."
Fair point.
The waiter arrived thankfully before Elle could recover properly, but honestly it didn't help because Leah kept smiling at her over the candlelight like she knew exactly what she was doing now.
Which maybe she did.
That was the thing.
Leah flirted differently in person.
More confident now.
Like finally kissing Elle had unlocked something.
And apparently that something's main purpose was ruining her ability to think clearly.
"You looked good speaking today," Elle admitted eventually.
Leah's expression softened slightly. "You watched it?"
"Obviously."
A tiny smile pulled at Leah's mouth.
"Bit embarrassing," Elle continued lightly. "Watching you talk about resilience while knowing you text like a teenage boy."
Leah laughed loudly enough that people glanced over.
"You are horrible to me."
"You love it."
"I really do."
The answer came too easily.
Too honest.
And suddenly the mood shifted again.
Softer now.
The city glowed gold beyond the windows while candlelight flickered between them. Around them, the restaurant buzzed quietly with conversations and clinking glasses, but somehow it still felt like they were alone inside their own little world.
Leah looked at her for a long moment.
"You know what I kept thinking about all day?"
"What?"
"You."
Elle's stomach flipped immediately.
Leah looked down briefly at the table before continuing quieter this time.
"Every time something happened, I wanted to text you first."
God.
There it was again.
That terrifying sincerity.
Elle reached across the table without thinking, fingers brushing lightly against Leah's hand.
"You can," she said softly.
Leah's eyes lifted back to hers slowly.
And just like that, the rest of the restaurant disappeared again.