Chereads / The moment you left / Chapter 4 - When we met

Chapter 4 - When we met

Hey Faith

The weekend is here and I just can't wait to jump into my bed. Fortunately I have less piled up work this week. After I finish it I can go back for a nap.

It's Friday and I had to go for a meeting today. So I woke up early and got ready for work. Mom woke up early too even after repeating it countless times that she should get enough sleep.

I was in a hurry so there was no time for breakfast. The meeting finished soon and to be honest it was not that important. My boss could have just called the permanent employees.Anyways; I had a good time chatting with the other part timers. We went straight to the canteen after that.

It was all good until I reached the road crossing. I saw him. He was on the other side of the road waiting for the lights to go green. He was smiling. Just like he smiled at me every time I met him. Well, that smile was not because of me this time. It was for the one who was standing beside him.

She was beautiful. Her eyes dazzled with happiness as soon as he smiled at her. It worked like magic on her as it worked on me. How surprising it is, isn't it? How can she feel the same way I did?

I felt uncomfortable. It didn't feel like a safe place anymore. I tried to not look at them but each time I looked somewhere else I could not stop thinking about him. He was right in front of me and I never expected his presence to be this painful.

I froze the moment his eyes met mine. The slight breeze felt more powerful than ever. It was cold and freezing. I inhaled it.

The girl beside him elbowed him but probably he had no answer. He almost paused when he saw me but was quick to ignore me as soon as the lights lit. He just walked past me like everyone around me.

I don't know ' this ' Chris.

It was so different when I first met him. I can't relate to him I knew years back with the one I saw today. Do you know how awkward it was when I first met him? Gosh, my cheeks are still flushing red as I'm writing this.

3 years back:

I never thought we would meet in such circumstances. It was never planned. We just randomly met. It was destined.

Sitting at Luna's Cafe, I was waiting for someone that my friend asked me to meet. It was a kind of blind date that was planned by her. She said I needed to experience such things. I had no idea about it and it was my very first time meeting a stranger like that.

I remember Faith, how he came up to me and asked if he made me wait much. I was a bit disappointed, 'cause I was there for the last 40 minutes.... But I said its okay.

"Oh, sorry" He said.

"It is okay," I said, taking a sip from my cup of coffee. It was the 2nd one I ordered.

We were both nervous and excited at the same time. I could feel my hands shaking as they cupped around the mug. Without wasting a second I gripped the mug as tightly as possible not to let him see that.

After a few moments he finally broke the awkwardness that was suffocating the whole atmosphere. I am so thankful that he did so.

"So, what is going on these days?"

"Just, fine" I say.

"Hmm and what about college?" He asked again as he leaned a little towards the table. 

"I will join in a few months." I answered with a nod. 

"Oh great" He exclaimed. 

"By the way, isn't it a little annoying if I am the only one talking here?"

That caught my attention. In fact I was just answering his questions and my friend reminded me a hundred times not to do that, but I still did it.

"Ask anything you want. I am guessing you have a lot to talk about." he said with a smirk as he grabbed his cup to take a sip. 

"Hmm... Actually I have never met someone like this. So …." I say shrugging.

"You are nervous" he finishes.

"Yeah. You must be very experienced?" I said with a small laugh.

"No. It is my first time as well" He chuckles.

"Oh" That surprised me a little because he did not seem to be someone who had never had a girlfriend.

"What about you?"

"Same here"

We started talking about random things without having any knowledge about time.

But after a few more talks he called my name "Clara". I looked at him in confusion. 

"Neil?" I say in low voice. I knew there was no way I am wrong. 

"Huh?" He responded as he narrowed his eyes a bit. 

"What's going on? Isn't your name Neil?"I asked to confirm.

"No. I am Chris "He answered to my surprise. I was not sure if I heard it right. 

"Wait, I think there is confusion" I said putting my cup back on the table to calculate what was going on. 

"Wasn't it decided that you will be; I mean Clara will be sitting on this corner, near the window?"

"But there are windows all over the restaurant." I corrected as I looked around the place. 

"Aah, damn. But the dress? "He says pointing towards me.

Moments later we cleared up the misunderstandings and I told him that my name is Bella... Not Clara.

Chris looked at me for a while and said again "Sorry, I was mistaken by the color of your dress... "And he gives me a smile a bit embarrassingly. Not only that but he also got into the wrong place. That wasn't even the correct address.

So basically, he was to meet some other girl at another restaurant but he ended up here. I was even more confused because of Neil. Where was he? He was the one who chose the place but didn't even show up.

I took my phone and saw around five missed calls from my friend and a message saying Neil changed his plans suddenly.

So, that's how 'we' met, accidentally!

~~~