Fire Meets Gasoline : After Ashes

Chapter Two : Beginnings

The interview was rather short than expected, the people in that company let me leave with a reassurance that they would eventually call me if I get the job, and I was praying they would otherwise I would have money for only two more months of rent. I was walking to the bus stop when I saw someone very familiar, it was Cian again. I once believed a city like Los Angeles would never have the occasion of meeting the same stranger in such a short span of days, but I think that was thrown out the window. I walked up to him and was able to get a better look at the tall man. This time, he was wearing this simple white shirt with a dark blue blazer and dark jeans. I could tell he was ready to go somewhere very fancy.

"Hey Cian" I obnoxiously shouted his name from a certain distance.

The guy simply jumped at my voice screaming his name, his skin under his eyes became bright red and his eyes jingled from side to side until he was able to see me and my exaggerated aura.

"Oh my god hey!" He couldn't hide his surprise "John what are you doing around here?"

"Here?" I asked.

For a second I didn't understand his confusion about me being there at the same place as him, but then I realized I was wearing a simple cardigan and jeans while being in a street full of expensive restaurants and shops.

"Oh I was at a job interview, kinda need a job in order to pay the rent you know?" I tried to laugh it off my embarrassment.

"That's great man-" He looked over his phone for a while "-listen, I was going to a restaurant, Providence and-"

"You know what I'm sorry I saw you're all formal you must be going on a date I'm sorry!" I interrupted him as I clenched my fingers together and looked down like a shy school girl.

"No that's not it man!" He smiled "I was going to invite you, to come with me"

His words struck me like a chromium ball, to the point in which I was left speechless for about a minute, a very noticeable and long minute. Cian looked at my face, he spared his eyes from looking at my wide open mouth but rather focused on how my eyes were wide open just like his when I screamed his name in the middle of the street. Then after a long minute I finally came back to earth.

"Look I-" I could feel my words being stuck at my throat again "-I'm not dressed up, like you, especially not like you so I don't know"

"That won't be a problem, I have a suit in my car, I think it will fit you!" Cian said it with a delighted tone.

"A suit? In your car? I don't know we don't even know each other its-"

"I know I know" He was suddenly more quiet "It's just that-I told you I gave you my number so we could hang out someday".

I could see his face slowly morphing to something that wasn't so good to see, and what I saw was someone who had all the good intentions yet was hit with some negative fucker that could not trust anyone or was too broken to let anyone in and see the cracks inside. His sadness was overflowing the cracks and abruptly gave me this inner judgment of myself that made me rethink things.

"You are right!" I tried smiling in order to ease things out.

"So you want to go with me?" He sounded hopeful this time.

"Of course!" I continued, "Let's just hope the suit fits!"

We laughed and he took a moment to text someone, he mentioned someone else would be joining us and had to warn them. I could feel the summer breeze of the night crawling through my legs and the sound of shivers could be heard from anyone close to me, that's when Cian realized I was cold.