Fate Rendezvous

Three minutes.

I dash through streets, zigzag through passersby, almost smash into automatic doors, and rush through hallways, to finally be stopped by a closed elevator. While time is still running.

My gaze slides to the staircase sign, but my destination being on the tenth floor, it's useless.

If I'm late, might as well not be completely sweaty for the most important meeting of my life.

A 'ding' of approval echoes as the doors open on a narrow space with a side mirror. Perfect!

I let two elderly women in before entering, followed too closely by a man. Though I don't mind him.

It won't be some creepy, old man that will spoil the most awaited day of my career.

Nor his wandering hands as the elevator halts to welcome another person, and I jump away from his touch, dropping my phone.

Nor the hands ticking two minutes as I bend down, and a curl gets stuck in my pendant, attracting my attention to the clock hanging above my heart.

But my own hands might screw everything up when I straighten, and my gaze lands on a too-familiar face I haven't seen in three years. A glimpse of his green eyes in the mirror, and the warnings are ringing to get out, sending pricking impulses in my fingers to push the first button of the elevator – of course, a red one that freezes all movements around.

"No, please..."

The grandma beside me hears my whisper – or sees my look of terror – and kindly pushes the button again.

"Don't worry, it will restart in two minutes."

"Two?! No! No! I don't have them!"

I have less than one minute from what my pendant is showing. But how to explain that?

No one will believe the timer at my neck is a magical jewel counting the time until I meet my soulmate, that it has been passed between generations, and that it's always effective.

I don't believe it myself, at least until it shows 50 seconds, and I hear my name.

"What a coincidence!"

No, it isn't, and I can't let my manipulative, cheating ex be my soulmate. I'd rather the pervert– ugh, no.

I have to get out of here. That's the only solution, and I'm praying my ancestors to slow this timer as each second is ticking faster.

Ten, nine... six, five– The ding of the elevator appears like a lifeline, and I bolt out, not caring about the floor, nor about being late for work, only the seconds ticking away from my ex. Three... two...

I'm stopped in my race by a hard chest, the impact making me crash on my butt, while the tick-tock in my head is replaced by a smooth accent.

"You okay? Oh no, did I break your pendant?"

It doesn't matter because the jump of my heart echoes in sync with the last tick as I meet the warmest brown eyes.

Words count: 495

And that's my entry for the Aim to Engage 2022! Like this timer, it wasn't planned, but when I read the Romance prompt, the story came to me, so I rushed to write it between my other stories, and it's been fun!

I hope you liked it! If so, don't forget to vote ⭐ and comment 💕!