Cliché Love

#22 Rebound love?

"Sorry!" She called out as she walked into people on a Friday afternoon, her smartphone continuing to slip from her hand while she fumbled to grab hold of a file from her hand bag.

"No, Chole. I'm too busy for a date. Besides, blind dates are a custom I've never quite accepted or understood." Cahira said in a hurried voice.
She was nothing short of a workaholic, balancing a management position at the age of twenty four.

"You need to get out of your shell! I'm telling you. This guy is amazing, I know his brother who is an absolute gentleman." Her friend and colleague retorted. Chole was a complete contrast to Cahira, mayhap that's why they fit so well together. Always helping each other out of their comfort zones.

"Give me his name at least."

"Sorry, your voice is distorted!" Cahira knew what her best friend was pulling off.

"I know what you're trying! Tell me his name or I won't go!" She refuted, her last attempt.

"Half past eight at the Royals! Wear something fancy maybe the blue dress I gifted you last year, bye!" Cahira growled in frustration as she heard the call beep. She made up her mind, without knowing even a bit of the guys profile there was no way she'd go.

She went.

Chole knew of her friends adamant behaviour and predicted that she would talk herself out of the date which is why she herself came to push her out if her apartment.

"You have to go, get yourself tidied up. Right now, or I swear I'll do it myself." She threatened.

So, after quite a bit of prodding, Cahira Denver stood at the entrance of The Royals.

"Chole, this is so stupid. Why can't you tell me his name? A white rose seriously?" She muttered in distress. Apparently they wanted to follow the whole blind date to the T because Cahira was clueless about who the guy was or where he would be.

She was instructed to walk up to the reception and tell them about a date with a man who held a rose. Though nameless, Cahira managed to find out something else about her mystery date, he hadn't been on a date since his long relationship with a girl in highschool. Cahira knew that feeling all too well, she was the same of course. The five year long bond she had created with a guy in highschool had ended on a short and abrupt note, perhaps that's what kept her away from relationships, the uncertainty.

"Hi, I'm Cahira. I'm supposed to be meeting a man who has a white rose?" She ended with a question, so unsure of the words that left her mouth.

"Right this way, ma'am." She couldn't distinguish the look the manager was giving her.

He guided her to a table in a secluded corner, the tall figure that she was to meet sat with his back to her but his white rose was more than visible at the center of the round table.

A smile, that she hoped looked enchanting, was plastered across her face. Her mystery man turned around and she held her breath.
She knew those eyes, she knew that face. She knew all of him.

Ace. Her Ace.

They both stood in shock, staring at each other. The manager must have excused himself as they didn't speak for a long while.

"Cahira." She felt her knees weakening, his voice had changed, so much, yet it left her feeling breathless the same way it did seven years ago.

"Ace." She didn't know what else to say, her mind was reeling. She was stunned beyond belief and her memories were restricted only to the day they parted as highschool lovers.

"I-"He cleared his throat, looking away from her glaze that no doubt still spoke of the pain he caused her. Cahira didn't think much about him in the past years, having moved on. But the moment she laid eyes on him, she felt angered all over again.