✔️ Midnight Sparks『 T.H. 』✧･ﾟ:*

Chapter 36: I was just leaving

Out of the doubt that fills my mind

I somehow find

You and I collide

- Howie Day

- - -

Despite everything, it still came as a shock when I stepped into the rooftop viewing deck and saw that I wasn't alone.

"Oh, sorry!" A woman who was gazing at the view swiveled around as she heard my footsteps.

There was no mistaking her English accent. Or the expressive brown eyes that I'd seen only in online pictures.

It was honestly the very last person I was expecting to see.

"No, I'm sorry if I scared you," I mustered a reply with a tentative smile at her.

"You didn't," she assured me. "I was just lost in my own world, me and my –" She glanced at the cigarette stick she was holding and continued with a grin, "My little friend here."

"I could just leave," I offered.

"Oh please, stay. There's enough of this gorgeous view for the both of us."

Well this won't be awkward at all, me chilling out with Tom's current girlfriend.

"The lights are so pretty," she remarked.

"Yeah. The town decorations' game is particularly strong this year," I said, inching closer to the edge to take in the lit-up scenery.

She turned to me, beaming. "It's my first time here in this town. It's vibrant but in a quiet way, if that makes sense. Such a welcome departure from the holiday madness in London that I – oh, hang on."

She paused to check her beeping phone that she held in the other hand. A moment later, she pocketed it into the back of her black leather pants and resumed her attention on me.

"My boyfriend is constantly running late. I've been waiting for him for over an hour," she explained to me. "I think I'll go down and grab a bottle of red while I continue to wait. Do you want to come with?"

I froze, unable to formulate a response after hearing her say "boyfriend".

Tom was going to show up – here, and soon.

If there was a scenario more mortifying than hanging out with Tom's girlfriend, it would be to linger long enough to see her and him together.

"Actually," I uttered, finding my voice again, "I was just leaving."

Those doe eyes gave me a surprised glance but maintained their cheerful quality. "Oh sure. We can walk down together then. Come on."

I couldn't exactly say no, so I merely nodded.

After depositing the remnants of her cigarette into an ashtray on a nearby high bar table, she took the lead in walking to the door and then down the two flights of stairs.

Okay Tom, you picked a good one. She's really warm and confident. I would've been happy being friends with her – in an alternate universe.

I snapped out of my momentary thoughts when we reached the main lounge.

"It was lovely meeting you," she told me smilingly.

"You too," I answered with surprising sincerity.

We exchanged goodbye waves and then off I went, beyond relieved that I was able to make my escape.

As I neared the front door, I pulled out my phone to call Jayna.

Jayna is going to go nuts when she hears about all of this. I mean, what are the odds that I'd be at the same place at the same time as Tom's girlfriend. Although this place does fall under Tom's management, so maybe I did very cleverly walk into this one.