"Why would you want to see me...?" I felt that he has something to important to say but held back.
"Just to say thank you..." he smiled.
"For the record, I am never cold. Some people sometimes are going through something you cannot even understand, so if I came out as cold and aloof at the plane, that's just momentary." I don't know why I have to explain myself. But it felt like I needed to.
This party is unlike other parties where it's noisy and too out there, it's more of a networking event where people came to talk and discuss stuff. So, it's not surprising how we can talk for hours, while the professor also found acquaintance to talk with.
"Do you believe in fate?" he suddenly blurted out.
"Like predestination?" I asked.
"You can call it that, but I'm thinking more about serendipity." He expressed.
"If I believe it's true, not really. So, if I will let it have a control over me, highly unlikely. But why'd you ask?" I continued.
"It might have been an insignificant moment for someone when they meet the other person, but for the other, it had made an impact that make his life changed forever." He's puzzling me now.
"It's just amazing how random events can lead us into something that might play a major part of our lives…", he's looking intently at me. I'm trying to figure out what are that stare for.
"You said serendipity, are you hoping for a happy ending with that person? I didn't expect you to be the romantic type?" I teased. He smiled widely and looked at me amusingly.
"I hope… Would it be silly to ask you, if you can be my stranger tonight?" he blurted. I gave him a stunned reaction, my bad.
"Don't you think it's too late for that?"
"I met someone once. I don't know if she can remember, but that night we met for the first time, she asked me to be her stranger. I had the same reaction as you have now, except, at that time we were really strangers. But as the night goes on, I understood perfectly what she meant." He continued.
"I could use someone like that right about now. Talking with strangers enable us to pour our hearts out without reservations because the other party doesn't have a prejudice towards us." I'm nodding my head, making him know that I understood what he meant. He is smiling.
"That's exactly her point," he looked like he is very satisfied.
Just like that, we have been each other's stranger that night. We probably hit it off with our conversation when we finally found a common ground to talk about: our divorce, and how we should be moving on after a rough time. I don't remember how many glasses of wine; I drank but I can feel I am letting loose. I remembered blabbering about my divorce and how I just got out from a custody arrangement and all the nonsense about moving on and trying to live the best me that I should have been. I probably sound bitter, that's when he casually says that his wife cheated on him with his best friend.
"How good looking must your best friend be?" I was shocked and felt like I sobered up instantly.
"That got you interested instantly, huh," he chuckled.
"Don't people naturally asked that when they hear about it? I mean you're way above attractive, it's either you're boring or the other guy is more handsome and if he is, I would really like to meet him", I am blabbermouth really and I cannot seem to stop. But he seemed to be more amuse then irritated.
"Oh, wow, you think I'm attractive, huh?" He teased. I smile to agree.
It got a little quite for awhile. A very awkward silence pass, none of us really knew who would break the ice.
"Not many people know though." He finally continued. I looked at him puzzled.
"There are only 4 people, now 5 including you who knows about the affair." I stopped talking and eyed him warily. "Most just assumed that I don't love her enough to stay by her side, that I'm too workaholic to cause our separation." There's a bitterness in his voice.
"Are you out of your mind? You cannot tell things like that to a complete stranger…"
"But isn't that the purpose though? The person who told me about the advantages of confessing to a stranger said, strangers can keep secrets because they don't care about the person confessing to them, they are sympathetic of the situation not of the person. They say things as they are without bullshits." Did this guy tap into my thoughts and spoke the words inside my brain? For some reason, I felt that he is pulling those words out of my tongue.
I will be here for three days and I'm beginning to like how things are going. I might as well consider it as another worthy experience. It's almost midnight when most people leave, Professor Kim also said his goodbye since he will be preparing for his talk tomorrow. I also prepared to leave, I felt a bit tipsy and I don't want to be drunk in the company of unfamiliar and dignified faces.