! AMERICAN ! AMERICAN !

( audrey hepburn )
( a jack schlossberg fic )

THE HALL'S HAMPTONS HOME
hampton bays, new york
august 28, 2024
wednesday
6:30sm

i seemed to have woken up before the girls as the kitchen was completely empty. in my baby tee that read 'come over i have good books' and pajama pants, i brewed myself a cup of coffee, i knew that i wouldn't be able to get any more rest.

i quietly made my way into the kitchen, my bare feet against the cold flooring. i started to pour a cup of the coffee for myself, watching with half-lidded eyes as the dark liquid began to fill my cup.

a small yawn escaped my lips as i finished filling my cup with coffee. i brought the coffee to my lips as i went over to the window near the counter. i looked out of the window, my eyes widened at the beautiful view. the sun had just risen, casting a bright light across the land.

i let out a quiet hum, enjoying the peacefulness of the morning. suddenly, i caught a movement out of the corner of my eye. i looked over and spotted a man standing out on the deck of the house next to ours. he was tall with messy yet fluffy brunette hair sticking out at all angles.

he was mirroring my exact actions, coffee cup in hand and leaning against the railing. he looked relaxed as he took a sip of his drink. i watched as he looked over towards me, as we locked eyes we both quickly looked away from one another.

i fidgeted awkwardly after the brief eye contact between us. i tried to avoid looking in his direction, but curiosity still got the best of me. i glanced back and saw that he was also taking another look at me.

our eyes met again, this time i forced myself not to look away. "hey!" the man spoke up.

my heart skipped a beat as he called out to me. i hadn't been expecting him to say anything. "hey," i called back, offering a small wave before letting my eyes scan him for a second. he'd obviously also just woken up if the messy hair and pajamas he was wearing was any indication. i couldn't help but notice how tall he was.

"you're on vacation?" his voice cut through the crisp morning breeze, causing me to direct my attention back to his face. i was surprised by his sudden question but i was able to recover quickly.

a small nod came out of me before i spoke up "yeah, with my friends. this is my parents place." i replied, gesturing back to the house behind me. "how about you?"

"same deal. i'm here with my mom," he told me before he took a sip of his drink. his eyes scanned me for a second, causing me to shuffle awkwardly under his gaze. "you look extremely familiar." he said.

my head tilted slightly at his observation, "i look familiar?" i echoed. i was certain that he and i had never met before.

he nodded, setting down his coffee on the railing. "absolutely. i can't quite put my finger on it but..." he began, his finger lightly tapping against his chin. "i'm pretty sure i've seen you somewhere before."

i stood there as he continued his observations. the comment had sparked a small bit of curiosity within me. "maybe in a dream?" i joked.

he let out a small chuckle. "not quite. you see, i don't dream about people i've never met. that would just be weird." he stated.

my eyebrows furrowed slightly as i tried to figure out what possible way i could've met him before. as i sat there in thought, i realised that i hadn't learned his name yet. "i'm sorry," i said before setting my own coffee on my own railing. "i don't think i caught your name."

he had noticed my slight confusion at figuring out where we may have met before. he let out a small chuckle again at my question before replying, "oh, i'm jack. jack schlossberg."

"lucinda hall." i replied. "or lucy, or cindy...i answer to it all."

jack's eyes widened slightly as the realization hit him. "lucinda...wait, you don't happen to have raya, do you?" he asked, his voice just above a soft gasp.

his quick reaction at my name had me confused. i stared at him for a moment, my head tilted slightly. "yeah, actually i do...." i answered slowly. why on earth would he ask me that?

"yes.." he said again, slightly more to himself this time. "knew i recognized you from somewhere!!" he said. his entire face lit up.  "yeah, that must be how i know you from. we matched last night and i messaged you, but you never responded." he told me.

realization hit me like a ton of bricks at his words. i had almost completely forgotten about raya, especially after i woke up this morning. my hands went up to cover my face, a soft groan leaving me.

"oh god," i began. "i'm so sorry!! i completely forgot..." i said while continuing to cover my face with my hands out of embarrassment.

jack chuckled in response to my reaction. "hey, don't worry about it. i'm sure you were busy having fun." he said, trying to reassure me. "you're here with your friends after all."

i slowly let my hands drop from my face, slightly embarrassed of my reaction. "yeah, you're right. fun is kind of the main focus when me and my friends go on vacation." i said with a small smile.

he returned the smile as he took another sip of his drink. "that's good. it's always nice to be able to relax and just have some fun." he said, his eyes meeting mine.

his smile made me feel slightly flustered, and the fact that he was looking at me only made my cheeks begin to slightly heat up. i took a small breath before spoke up again. "what do you do for a living?" i asked.

"did you not read my description on raya?" he said, his tone letting me know that he was just joking.

a sheepish smile formed on my lips as he spoke. a tiny chuckle escaped me before i shook my head. "i'm going to be totally honest with you...i didn't really read it in full. most of the guys blur into one on that app and i really just prefer meeting people organically."

jack pursed his lips together in response to my honesty. he let out a small hum before speaking up, "i can't fault you, i get it. i've only been on the app for about three weeks and i've already gotten a bit tired of most of the people i come across." he said. he paused for a moment, his eyes looking out into the distance as his brain tried to come up with something to say. eventually, he spoke up again, "oh! i'm a correspondent for vogue. i pretty much cover and write articles about politics for the magazine."

a look of slight surprise grew on my face at his answer. "politics and vogue? two of my favorite things rolled into one." i paused before adding, "i'm sure there's never a dull moment there."

jack seemed happy that i was taking an interest in his career. a small chuckle came out of him as he shook his head. "yeah, you could say that every day is unexpected and hectic. but honestly, i love it and wouldn't trade it for the world. now what do you do? i don't remember seeing it on the app." he said as he leaned forward on his railing.

my mind was still trying to process the fact that the man across from me was a political writer for vogue, that must have been insane. at his question, i pulled myself together and spoke up again. "how embarrassing is it to say unemployed?" i asked.

"depends on how old you are." he quipped, though i knew he meant it in a sarcastic way.

"twenty three. i just graduated from georgetown with a degree in english and a minor in international relations...my goal is to be a foreign correspondent, but who knew how hard it is to find a job after." i said.

jack's eyebrows raised at my answer. a smirk formed on his lips which only made me more flustered. "georgetown, that's a great school." he said, a small glint appearing in his eyes. "i'm not surprised that you're unemployed, it's hard. that market is super competitive, and you're only 23. you still have plenty of time, don't worry about a thing."

i felt relieved by his words. a soft sigh escaped me as i nodded, "yeah, i guess you're right. i just figured i'd have something by now. but it'll happen, even if it takes longer than i would like." i said.

the smirk on his face turned into a full smile. "that's the right attitude to have," he said. "just stay positive, work your ass off and maybe you can join me in the political journalist market."

a small laugh came out of me when he mentioned us possibly working together at some point. "i'll definitely keep you in mind." i joked before looking back at the mesmerizing sunrise.

jack chuckled along with me. the two of us sat in silence for a few minutes, watching as the sun rose higher, the sounds of various birds around us filling the quiet air. it was a peaceful moment, one that allowed me to clear my tired brain from the night before.

eventually, the silence was broken as a yawn escaped me. my eyes fluttered shut out of habit, which gave me a brief moment of tiredness. i could feel jack's gaze on me, which only made me feel more flustered.

"i'm gonna head back in." i told him as i pointed to my house.

i saw him nod in response to my words. "yeah, yeah, go ahead. i should probably do the same..." he said with a hint of reluctance in his voice. "it was nice to officially meet you. and we'll probably see each other around, right? since i'm staying next door and everything." he said

i gave him a small smile in response, "right, we will definitely bump into each other again." i said with a chuckle. i began to make my way back over to the back door, but stopped and looked back, "it was nice to meet you too...have a good morning, jack."

i had finally made my way back inside the house and the remembrance that jack had sent me a message on raya hit me like a wall of bricks. i let out a soft sigh, my slippers gently hitting the hardwood floors as i briskly walked back upstairs to my room.

once i entered my room, i went to my nightstand and picked up my phone, typing in the passcode and going to the dating app.

i scrolled through the list of profiles with a bored expression, looking out for jacks familiar face. once i reached his profile, i tapped on it and looked through his pictures. even when i've already met him, it still was mind blowing how attractive he was.

i began to scroll to the message that he sent me, my heart beginning to beat faster in anticipation.

RAYA MESSAGES

jack, 31
new york, new york
raya member since june

jack
i'm curious, did your parents
choose the name lucy from i love
lucy?

lucy
hi jack! well now that you've
officially met me, you know that
my name is lucinda and not lucille
like lucy's from i love lucy lol

jack
ah that's right. sorry, i had a feeling
that you might have been named
after i love lucy. that show is a total
classic, can never go wrong with lucy
and desi's relationship.

lucy
no need to apologize! i love that show,
so i wouldn't have minded if my
parents did choose it. but i was named
after my grandma, which is also
an a in my book!

jack
grandparents make for the best
of names! my parents named me after
my grandfather, john f. kennedy.
i go by my nickname so much
though that "john" feels a little
foreign sometimes.

lucy
and here i was, thinking i had
the coolest grandparents ever.

jack
haha, i'll share the
podium with you.

my head was leaning against the pillows on the bed, a bored expression on my face. suddenly the door to my room burst open, causing me to look up.

my best friend, molly, stumbled into the room, a tired expression on her face. her eyes had a hint of sleepiness in them, which must have meant she hadn't gotten a good night's rest.

molly let out a yawn before she made her way over to the bed, flopping down beside me. "i am never drinking that much ever again." she groaned out, her arm going across her face to cover her eyes.

a small scoff came out of me at her dramatic declaration. i shifted on the bed so that i was now sitting up straight. "that's what you say every time we drink." i reminded her.

"and i mean it every time i say it." she told me with slight annoyance edged in her voice.

a small roll of my eyes came out of me. "yeah, yeah, yeah, come on now." i said before i nudged her in her side.

molly lifted her arm off her face to look over at my phone. her curiosity was peaked when she saw the raya app open. "who are you talking to?" she asked.

"jack." i answered as i handed her my phone.

a look of surprise and shock appeared on molly's face after she took my phone from me. "holy shit!" she exclaimed in disbelief. "you're messaging jack schlossberg?"

"mhm." i said with a nod.

"the jack schlossberg! jfk's grandson...the guy who's a spitting image jfk jr!" she beamed. "i'm never drinking again if it means i'd miss this."

i couldn't help but roll my eyes yet again. "okay, okay, you can stop gushing about it now." i told her as i snatched my phone from her hand.

"how in the world did you match with him...on *raya* of all places." she questioned.

i shrugged my shoulders as i looked back down at my phone and began to type. "i may or may not have drunkenly swiped right on him last night and made a match." i told her.

molly let out another scoff, "sounds about right."

my eyes narrowed at her as i spoke, "like you can judge me! you were the one who made me get on the app again."

"thought you wanted to meet people organically." she countered.

i sighed, "technically it was an organic meeting. i saw him outside when i went on the deck earlier."

"wait, actually?!" she exclaimed, sitting up now. "and you didn't think to share that little detail about your stalker?"

"he's not a stalker! he's staying next door with his mom." i explained. "it was a very brief encounter."

molly shook her head, a smirk appearing on her lips. "oh really? how...brief exactly?" she inquired, a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

i shot her a glare as i spoke, "nothing happened, if that's what you're implying. we basically just introduced ourselves and that was it." i said.

"and?" she questioned, now leaning back on her arms.

i raised an eyebrow at her. "and what?" i asked with confusion in my voice.

a look of disbelief appeared on her face as she spoke, "well, what was he like...the conversation you had?" she asked, now leaning towards me, clearly wanting to know more.

i smiled before responding, feeling a slight flutter in my chest as i remembered the conversation we had. "he was...very charming. funny, witty, definitely handsome." i told her, a soft sigh escaping at the end.

"oh yeah?" she said, now raising an eyebrow in question. "i'm sensing some swooning here."

i gently nudged her in her side as i responded, "shut up, i'm not swooning."

A HAMPTON'S HOME
the hamptons, new york
7pm

alongside my parents, the girls and i walked into the home of one of her friends who was throwing a party. we had no other choice but to join them as we had nothing better to do.

the smell of prada infusion d'iris perfume filled my nose as we weaved our way through the crowd of older men and women.

molly, coco, catherine and i were amongst the youngest people there by a long shot. though we had a chance of fitting in with our sophisticated outfits. i learned from escorting my mom to these events that it's better to dress up than dress down with this crowd.

my mom was big on philanthropy. every year her social club held different events to raise money for various charities. tonight's was to benefit the national breast cancer foundation.

the party was filled with the richest and most influential people of the hamptons. the women were dressed in elegant dresses, hair done up perfectly with even more perfect makeup. the men looked as sophisticated as they could be in their expensive suits. several of them had a glass of bourbon or other expensive alcohol in their hands.

several hours had passed by now, and i was growing bored of the event. the girls and i had been standing together in a circle, quietly complaining to each other while we still looked the proper part.

i turned my body, scanning the crowd. my mind was now beginning to wander, wondering for the hundredth time just *how much longer* we had to be here. my eyes roamed the room before suddenly stopping as i saw a tall figure standing near the entrance.

my eyes widened at what it appeared to be jack. i could see his messy brown hair, and a glimpse of his jawline as he talked with someone. probably his mom, i thought to myself. then my eyes moved over to the woman standing beside him. the light colored blonde hair gave it away that it was, in fact, his mother.

i stared at the two of them, watching their animated conversation. they spoke to each other in hushed tones, the occasional laugh escaping them. i could tell jack was saying something sarcastic from his facial expression.

the corners of my lips slightly curved upwards at his expression before i looked back over towards the girls. "guys," i said to get their attention, "he's here." three sets of eyes now fixated on me, i had already told them all about the jack lore.

"who? who's here?" molly questioned.

my eyes discreetly shifted back in the direction of jack, trying not to attract any attention while i spoke. "jack," i muttered. "he's here with his mom."

"no way," catherine stated while both coco and molly's eyes widen. "where at? show us."

the four of us all looked in his direction at the exact same time. when my eyes landed on him, it appeared that he was looking back, as if he could feel the four pairs of eyes on him. then i noticed the slight surprise in his expression when he realized who was looking at him.

the slight surprise was replaced by a smirk when his eyes met mine. he said something to his mom before making his way to where our group was standing.

"he's coming over here..." molly muttered.

i had to bite back a scoff, "i can see that...calm down."

as he began to make his way closer to us, his eyes stayed fixated on me, even as he said a small "excuse us" to the group of people he was passing.

the other girls were starting to look a little intimidated, which made me slightly amused at the thought.

he finally came to a stop in front of me. his smirk was still on his face as he shoved one hand in the pocket of his trousers. his eyes looked me up and down for a moment before he finally spoke. "fancy seeing you here." his smirk widened into a smile as his eyes met mine again.

i returned his smile. "hello, john." i said jokingly, referring to his government name.

a chuckle escaped his lips at this, the smirk quickly returning as he answered, "very funny, lucinda."

"meet my friends. coco, catherine, and molly this is jack." i introduced.

he turned his attention to my friends, giving them all a small, courteous smile. "it's nice to meet all of you." he said, looking between the three of them before his eyes went back to me. "what are you doing here?" he asked.

"this is my mother's favorite charity event." i answered, my eyes drifting to where my parents were standing amongst the other guests. "what're you doing here?"

we spoke with each other for a few minutes, small talk really. it was mainly me speaking as the girls stood by silently, observing the interaction. i spoke about how we had just driven into town from new york, then the conversation turned over to him when he mentioned that he lived in manhattan.

just then my father walked over to me, "time to go. i was able to get your mother to stop chatting, i believe that if we don't leave now we'll never leave." he said as my mom walked over as well, everyone knew she was quite the chatter. especially at social events.

the four of us said our pleasant goodbyes to all parties before heading towards the exit. i could feel jack's eyes watching me as i left, which made it a little hard to keep myself from looking back.

~~

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lucyhall i am lucy and i love lucy

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cocoarden hey i also love lucy!

catherinebrooks so precious 💐

~~

housekeeping notes!

and we've met audrey hepburn. what do we think about this little meeting?