Fated Plans

Chapter 2

Seeing him made her felt like she'd been doused with iced cold water, waking her from the stupor that seemed to hold her life.

“Andy!”

He was a premonition.

And Andrea decided then and there that she would gladly take a bucket of ice any day than saw him sauntered towards her with an expression that made her wish she was invisible at the moment.

Her hands trembled as she picked up her planner that fell haphazardly on the floor. She bit her quivering lower lip trying to prevent a loud curse spewing out her mouth. She winced but hoped that the action would eventually bring colours to her face that she was sure as hell as white as a sheet of paper.

Matthew Lombardi waved at her.

And Andrea wishfully thought for a second if she could pretend to not hearing or seeing him but her eyes widening to a saucer’s size upon catching his presence already betrayed her.

She sat ramrod-like awaiting for her unfortunate fate.

A look of pure surprise like he couldn't believe what he was seeing, crossed over Matthew's features as he sauntered towards her with confident strides.

And Andrea felt the same way except that she wanted to flee the second she saw him instead of the eagerness he shown.

She fought the grimace coming out the surface.

Please this better be good or else...

Of all the places she needed to be and here came the reminder of the past she was trying hard to move on from. Who knows what chaos he was bringing or better yet, who else was with him?

Andrea didn't want to think about it but trying hard as she might, she couldn't help the nagging feeling at the back of her mind, with a gripping fear for the unknown she couldn't shake off.

Andrea was anxious and felt like her carefully yet solitarily established new existence was now untethering to the dangerous side.

She needed to be cautious.

Andrea's pair of wide and bright chocolate-brown eyes roamed as inconspicuous as she could around the place, looking for someone else alright, and the nearest exit door if she needed one asap. She caught the heavy clouds on the horizon outside the tinted glass-paneled walls and Andrea sighed in despair as the weather didn’t seem promising as well.

“You look like a deer caught in the headlights that wanted to bolt out of here the instant,” Matthew’s on-point greeting startled Andrea as she almost slipped out of her seat. She didn’t realize he was already standing in front of her, guess she zoned out a bit. “...it’s nice meeting you again Andy. Can I join you for a while?”

She didn’t have much of a choice it seemed as he grinned at her with sparks in his eyes that challenged to dare him otherwise. She knew he was a persistent nuisance even if she decline.

“Uh...okay.”

Matthew pulled the chair across the table even before she nodded at him. Without a second thought, he made himself as much comfortable by adjusting his constricting black necktie that complemented his dark suits. His curious green eyes searched her face and Andrea was half-conscious while dreading the conversation that would surely take place.

“It’s been a long time Andy. How have you been?” His words full of meaning, drowned the endless chatter surrounding them.

Andrea knew what he meant. She didn't need any second-guessing.

She inhaled sharply. Yup, it seemed like eons away when she last saw him as fuzzy images of him had cut through her concentration, during what she considered as the dark times of her life.