I Remember

CHAPTER 21

As much as I'd been waiting for this dinner, which gave me the feeling of being in a reality show, I couldn't have enjoyed it after seeing those letters with Andrew. The more I tried to distract myself, the more I found myself landing back to that thought and an even disastrous conclusion. Overthinking has become a part of my personality by this point.

"Hippos have pink sweat." Charlie said out of the blue.

"WHAT are you talking about?" I complained.

"Well, I have been speaking to you for about ten minutes now about whom we're meeting and you haven't responded to a single question of mine but the hippo thing you heard right. It always works." He murmured in the end.

"I'm sorry Charles, I guess I'm just nervous about meeting me ex. Yet again. Also, maybe I'm sad that we won't be living together anymore." I said altogether, closely avoiding the real reason why I was so shaken up.

"Aw, you love me don't you. But you're right. We did have some good times." He chuckled.

The cab took a right turn onto the main road and screeched to a stop in front of the restaurant.

"Let's do this." I confidently said to Charlie as we got off the taxi and high-fived each other, quite enthusiastically. It was actually really embarrassing when the other people wouldn't stop giving us weird looks.

Upon going inside, we were informed that our company had already arrived and I could make out James by his shining dark hair, seated in a cozy corner of the place. Their backs were facing us and as we went closer, I could make out few prominent features of his fiance, whose name I didn't even know. She was definitely slim, had curly brown hair and astonishingly pale skin.

"So, did your ex get into a relationship with a vampire for some reason?" Charles whispered as we stood over the 'happy couple'. I giggled in response.

Just then they turned around and a round of greetings were exchanged and introductions were made.

"So, Dahlia, James tells me you work at Marks now. Exciting." Beth, his fiance asked me. She looked alarmingly attractive with her startling blue eyes and wide perfect smile. Oh, how I envied those flawless set of teeth.

"Yes." I declared, awkwardly.

"So, how'd you guys meet? Tell us everything." Charlie started excitedly.

"Who are you?" She posed the question as if he were some insect.

I glared mildly at James to control his woman, because my really good ones were saved for serious situations, like what's going to happen at home when I' going to be direct with Andrew and ask him about those letters.

"Hey babe don't be rude." He said in a hushed manner.

"Right, I'm sorry. We actually met in a really romantic way." She started telling her amazing story of how she met James at the tennis club and how they instantly fell in love on their first encounter itself. 

Me? I felt like sticking the fork through my throat. She obviously belonged to that category of competitive and snobbish, rich kids who had to win at everything in life. Which meant no fun. And also, too serious. It was almost too easy to break them up. I could find so many ways to do that. And I had, I just needed to tell Charles somehow.

I pinched him under the table cloth and announced that I was going to use the ladies room.

As I got up and left, I made my way towards the two washrooms. Minutes later Charles was thee too. Thankfully, he did understand my message.