Just the way you are

 I hurried outside my office and was immediately greeted by the cold air. I put my coat collar up to keep myself warm. He must have been waiting for me in the restaurant. Even though I told him I will get caught up in work and will be late, he insisted on having the date night. We have been very busy in the past few days and hardly had any time for one another. Paul was very sweet to cancel whatever work he had for our date night. He said he wanted to get dinner first with me then he has a surprise for me when we get home. To say I was excited would be an understatement. Even though we have been living together for almost 3 years now, I still feel happy just seeing his face. He is the most caring, warm and comfortable person I have ever met.

I pace walked towards the restaurant he told me to come to. I felt so guilty for making him wait but knowing him, he probably ordered a beer or something while watching football. That though eased me a little. I was just about to reach for the door when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I gasped and jumped to see the stranger's face. Only, it wasn't a stranger. It was a very very familiar face that I never wanted to see. Adrian. I dated him when I was in high school. He was a popular guy and many girls secretly fawned over him. He was in love with my best friend though. They dated for a couple of months but she dumped him. Nevertheless, his love for her remained the same. Everyone knew that. I knew that. But he never forced her to date him. He was not that kind of guy. When I confessed my feelings for him, I asked him if he was over my best friend and he said yes. I mind knew he was lying to himself and to me but I was too much in love with him to understand that. After a year of secret relationship, he broke it off with me. He said that he was never over my best friend. He thought that maybe he can replace me with her because we are so similar but that didn't happen and he didn't want to give any false hope to me. Problem was, it was my first real relationship and I fell hard for him. Really hard. He treated me like crap but I never noticed that. I just ignored every bad thing he did. I have no idea how I managed that. It's like I was numb to whatever bad thing he did because I was too much consumed by him. Now whenever I thought about it, I was more consumed by the idea of what a perfect relationship with him would be like and I made that as my foundation. He wasn't a bad person in general or he was; I really can't tell anymore.

I noticed his face. A lot has changed in ten years. He is more fitter now. He still has the same framed glasses he wore back then. He still has those twinkling brown eyes, chestnut hair and lean face. He used to be a lot chubbier than he is now. I remember he used to tell me that he liked his chubby body figure. For some reason, girls liked that about him and he was right. But he still looked very attractive. 

"Hey." Adrian said when he got no response from me. 
"Hey, hi. What are you doing here?" I asked him. I was genuinely surprised. We both were born and raised in the same state but I took a job in London and I had to move all the way from California to here. 
"I had a few days leave from my job so I took a solo trip to London. What are you doing here?" He asked. 
"I took a job in here five years ago." I said and he nodded in understanding.
"Are you in contact with any of your school friends?" He asked breaking the silence. There was a very faint voice in my head, my teenage voice that said he was asking this to know about my past best friend. I shushed that voice. I am twenty five and much mature than a teenage girl.
"Four to five people. The ones I remained in contact with after school." I said casually. We kept talking about old school times for a while. He remembered what happened between us but he didn't want to engage that topic and to be honest, neither was I. 

"Do you still have that slam book you asked us to fill?" He asked. I was a bit taken aback by the fact that he remembered that. 
"Yeah. In some closet, I guess but I do have it. Why?" 
"No reason. I really don't remember what rubbish I wrote in that." He said. I nodded quietly. I was extremely happy as how much I have improved myself in college. I wasn't even a little hurt when he said that even though I remember he wrote, "My Girl" in the section "What am I to you?"
"Any particular reason you suddenly asked for it?" I asked again. 
"Not really, I was just wondering what everyone wrote in that. Do you remember my favourite song I wrote in it ----"
"Just the way you are. Bruno Mars." I said cutting him off. It was a beautiful piece that made my heart feel sad with the memories and happy with the lyrics at the same time.

He stared at me for a while and I returned his gaze. There was guilt and regret in his eyes and I knew what he was thinking.

"What happened?" He asked and I knew what he was talking about.
"You never fell for me and I fell for you every time I met your eyes." I said with a peaceful face. I would never change whatever happened between us even if I could. If things wouldn't have worked out the way it did, I would never have been where I am and I am happy with the things right now.

"Hey, are you free tomorrow evening?" I knew where this was going but I was still not sure. I didn't want to make any assumptions. 
"Yeah." I said.
"Would you like to go---"
"Hey!" He got cut off when Paul called from the restaurant's door. I forgot I was standing right in front of it. He jogged towards me and I smiled at him and pulled out my hand for him to hug me. He gladly took the invitation and kissed me. He wasn't jealous or anything, he was just very much in love with me and he liked showing it off. He kept his hand on my waist like he always does. 

"Who is he?" He asked pointing towards Adrian. I completely forgot he was standing there staring at me.
"Oh he is Adrian, my school friend." I told him. He looked at me as if confirming what he thinks and I nodded in response. He gave him his usual charming smile and put out his free hand for Adrian to shake.

"Hi, I am Paul. Ava's fiancée." He said. Adrian shook his hand and I saw the amount of sadness he had in his eyes. By the look on his face and the question he was about to ask me, I knew he regretted what he did back then. He wanted a second chance but he was too late. The amount of grief I saw in his eyes was something I never saw before. Even when my best friend dumped him. 

"What were you guys talking about?" Paul asked cheekily looking between him and me. Paul was never felt insecure about me. He had two theories, if I fall for someone else, he would happily move aside because he wanted my happiness doesn't matter who I was with and or I will not fall for anyone else because he will keep improving himself for me. I had mutual feelings which is why we had such a healthy relationship. 

"Nothing important." I replied and I felt a wave of hurt in Adrian's face. I was telling the truth though.

"Have fun with your trip, Adrian. I have gotta go. I am already late." I said and linked my arm with Paul's. I smiled at him and we started walking inside the restaurant. I surrendered to my heart one last time and looked back. Adrian was standing at the same spot where we left him looking down at the ground. I felt a bit bad for him but I can't really do anything about him.

We sat in our usual spot and I snatched Paul's menu from his hand.

"Lemme guess. White sauce pasta and green apple vodka?"
"You know me so well." He replied happily.
"You have weird taste." I said to him in amusement.
"Jokes on you." He said and I narrowed my eyes at him while laughing. I absolutely love him.