FOUR YEARS AGOAs I walked along the hallway the following day, our eyes meet outside the first lecture hall. Cassiel looked like the perfect college guy with pretty blue eyes and a smile which looked a lot like the morning sun. He looked like someone whom I could fall for, and then he waved at me, which made his blue eyes seem even more bright and dreamy. We were both perfect strangers in the making.As our previous run-in started to take form in my faded memory, I felt rigid and I immediately stiffened when he came closer. Before he could catch up to me, I turned around and started to pace with long strides in a different direction than where my class was, initially dreading a very awkward situation.“Angelique, wait up!” His voice stopped me. "Angel!"“Yes?” I turned around, trying to appear nonchalant. My nerves were everywhere. "Did you call my name?"“Do you want to come to our party this weekend? My roommate is throwing one of his famous ragers at our apartment.” His warm smile
PRESENT“Two matcha coffees, please.” I close my eyes momentarily, reminiscing yesterday’s flow of events. "And can you put some extra cream on top?"“Ten dollars.” The girl at the coffee counter rolls her eyes at the 'extra cream comment,' which brings me back to the day I met Daniel. As I hand her the money on the counter, I can’t stop going back down the memory lane. My past flashes right in front of my eyes. The girl shuffles on her feet to prepare the coffee on the counter. "There you go."It’s the same coffee house where we met a couple of months ago. At that time he looked genuinely interested in knowing me. He still does want to figure me out. But, the way he acted earlier is a giant slap of reality on my face. We can never be anything more than acquaintances and, at the most, friends.Only if I knew it back then.***THREE MONTHS AGOMy mind raced with thoughts as I hastily took long strides towards the old Paul’s cafè down six blocks from the Main Street. Boy, I shouldn't ha
THREE MONTHS AGO“But I haven’t seen you around before—"My sentence was cut in the middle, as his phone started to ring noisily. He looked at it for a long minute and concentrated on the caller ID displayed on the phone’s screen. He picked it up after several rings."Hey, Cassiel. What’s wrong?” The guy who was not a serial killer immediately stilled. “What are you saying? What the fuck happened?”The guy was up from the seat in a few seconds, and he was pacing back and forth. “What do you mean they erased my whole album? What-what? What glitch? It erased it from the database too … it what? The computers? How is that even possible?”He took a long breath and took the seat opposite from me again, looking awfully beat. “So you’re saying it’s some kind of a malware attack? Can we retrieve it in time? That was some of the best music I’ve made in a while."He finally blew the long breath he had been holding for a while. “I can’t thank you enough, Cassiel. You’re a savior. Please keep me p
FOUR YEARS AGO“How does this black one look on me?” I showed off my hips to Carrie, then moved again to face the mirror, smoothing the wrinkles out from the body-hugging silk dress. “I forgot how my hips looked."Carrie was going through our shared dorm closet, and from her side of the closet threw a blue halter neck dress at my face. “I know. Try this on, miss prude. You have such a great body, but you’re always hiding them behind your boyfriend’s jeans and shirts. Get a grip girl.” She gave me an enthusiastic look while thumping her fist upwards in the air. “Get a grip."I put the flimsy rayon material against my chest and sized myself up and down. “Do you think I’ll look good in that?” I fluttered my eyes when I looked at her and thinned my lips. "Can I really pull this off?"“Well, someone is going to get that Cassiel guy. It better be you, Lee.” She smiled at me as she came closer. She took the dress out of my hands and put it over my head. “Go on, get ready. This dress is whack
PRESENT“Here’s your goddamned coffee.” I almost knock the tray of styrofoam cups on the table as I place it roughly on the wooden surface. I can hear the rigorous splashing of the hot coffee against the cups’ plastic caps. "This is what you wanted, didn't you?"The mouths of the cups are all covered up, but that thud on the table run implications of it spilling on Danny’s precious documents. “Call me when you don’t want to treat me like I’m your secretary. Or have the balls to act like a professional or an adult.”“You can’t leave just yet, we have to sit down and write songs for the single I’ve to drop in three months. I need to get it done ASAP.” He folds his arms over his chest like he has any say in all of this. "We have a lot of work to accomplish this month."“You must have thought about that before the little outburst you had earlier in the office this morning.” I snap at him, collecting my purse and shoving it under my armpit as I turn around to walk away. "I'm in no mood to
PRESENTTHREE MONTHS AGOI watched myself stumble as I felt dizzy, vodka and too many cosmopolitans finally acting on my toes, and I just couldn’t think straight. Jeff was cheering me on, and he and Carrie were close to pushing me on the stage to sing my favorite song, Moonlight.I was way too drunk to hesitate or revolt against it. Carrie was walking me by the waist to the little concrete stairs and Jeff gave me a playful shove as I took the last step upstage. I walked confidently on stage as I stumbled towards the front of the deserted microphone stand sitting in the middle of the platform. My slingback wedges thankfully gave me more balance than the pencil ones I usually wear for night outs with friends. How I did not fall face front into the concrete and break my nose so far was a mystery and a miracle.I coughed as I placed my lips closer to the mouthpiece of the microphone, stabilizing myself by putting two hands around it. “Hi everyone! I-I’m here-e-e to rock your world tonight
FOUR YEARS AGOCassiel was parked in front of the pavement of our dormitory building, waiting silently for me to go ahead and get inside safely. But I didn’t want him to go back yet. I can’t recall the last time a guy waited for me to get inside home safely.He gazed at me in silence with an intense look in his eyes. “Why are you waiting here? Don’t you want to go in?”I was standing on the pavement captivated by his blue eyes. I know that I wanted something, something more from him to remember this moment as pure, unembellished and whole. I wanted the moment to last forever and become infinite in my imagination.I leaned against the driver's side car’s window. “I really don’t know what I’m waiting for, Cassiel."“Have you forgotten your keys?” He scrunched his nose, showcasing faint freckles splattered on the skin and as my eyes traced them, I realised a small section of these orange-brown freckles were hugely evident on his cheekbones. "Can you do something about it?"I chuckled. “Y
PRESENT“Did you get those raspberries on your way home, honey?” Cass's voice reverberates throughout the entire house. He’s working in the kitchen. I can hear him rolling the dough with all the noises he’s making. "Or the pasta sauce I had put on our grocery list?"“No. I'm sorry, love. I forgot!" I yell as I draw the front door to a close. "You should have texted me that to remind me!" Then I exhale a sigh. "You know how forgetful I am, right?"I walk into the living room area to put my handbag, which also has my laptop down on the table. My phone vibrates as I get another mail from the magazine I work for, telling me that the work’s deadline is set in the incoming three weeks. I get another message from my boss to reassure me if I got the email.Yes, you snotty little piece of work. I got the mail. Just don't try to make my life hell!My head in the magazine company is doing this on purpose, in other words, adding to my workload because she wants to hire another part-time writer
TWO MONTHS AGOAfter smoking my drag, I stepped on it with the edge of my heels to kill it. I walked back to the store where Daniel was and joined him inside. He was doing some sexy leaning around one of the shelves of fancy dress shirts, and he stared at me as I walked towards him.“It took you a while, didn't it?” He raised his eyebrows as he gave me another brilliant smile. "Aren't you playing hard to get?""Playing hard to get with you?" I licked my lips as I blinked my eyes quickly. "What would I do that for? I have no feelings for you, so playing hard to get would be an absolute waste of my time."He ignored my comment as he opened his mouth to talk again."Do you smoke?" He eyed my lips cautiously. "Are you a smoker?""Yeah. I was taking a drag." Then I zeroed in on the store and took everything around me in. Little middle-class me would never have stepped into a store like this a few years ago. "Why are you always asking me questions?"The grandeur of the store blew me away as
PRESENT TWO MONTHS AGO “All right, all right.” The country singer put his hands up defensively. Then he pivoted to go back to where he came from. "I'm leaving. Are you happy, Angelique?" I nodded. "I can't be any happier." Halfway through his walk on the pavement, he pivoted to look at me, resting his right hand on his slim waist as he looked at me expectantly. “Well, I do have something to say." Then he licked his lips. "I need your help.” “What help?” I stood there awkwardly, gazing bewildered at him. "Weren't you just walking away from me?" He nodded back towards one of the men’s clothing stores on the right side of the street. “Help me find a tux?" “Why would I help you?” I narrowed my eyes at him. "I barely know you." “You owe me. Have you forgotten that?" He smirked at me as he ogled at my face. "Don't you remember that night from the karaoke bar?” He bit his lip, looking at my face for signs of recognition. He thought I’d forgotten all about what happened that night aga
PRESENTTWO MONTHS AGOI was coming out of one of the many expensive stores on Upper Fifth Avenue. I needed to help Jeff find a ring for Carrie. We were both walking around when Jeff tugged at my hand and pulled me to one of the window displays of this luxurious wedding dresser designer brand, Weddingly Beat, and there sat a glimmering white mermaid ball gown. I looked at it while holding my breath because it was so beautiful.“Hey!" Jeff groaned. Just look at that. Isn't it beautiful?"“Isn’t it beautiful?” I repeated his words. "It's more than beautiful. It's probably what all girls dream about when they are little."“It’s gorgeous,” he murmured in awe. “Carrie would look so unearthly in this."“Yes, you’re right.” I coughed as I added more to the conversation. “And not just that ... I guess she’ll even like it.” I threw in a humorous laugh. "It's difficult to match her unreachable standards."“You think so?” He gazed at the dress and then at me with a childlike innocence I had rare
PRESENTThe roads are dark and the concrete shines in the night from the faint light that falls on them from the tall street lights at the end of every long block. I don’t know how I’ll make it back to our apartment without having an honest excuse ready when Cassiel questions me about my disappearance. What would I tell him if he asks me where I had been gone for the past three hours? Or who I was spending my time with for the hours I had disappeared? In a hurry, I left my cellphone on the kitchen table. What if he goes through my phone?But, knowing Cass, I know that he will not. But what if luck is not on my side today? Will he find out about my cheating and my despicable behavior? He won’t go through your phone. My brain answers for me. He’s not like you.From what it looks like given my present circumstances, I know that I have been unlucky for a while. That’s why I almost cheated on Cassiel, that’s why I have developed feelings for Daniel. And also probably why I can’t make u
FOUR YEARS AGOCassiel walked me straight into the mall, holding onto my right hand tightly as he walked ahead of me leading me through the crowd. I couldn’t even stop to breathe because he was hurrying me to a MacYum’s right around the corner. The mall was crowded and people were shopping to beat the holiday rush of Halloween. I saw four kids dressed as cute monsters and mad scientists running out of a costume store, probably as a marketing gimmick for increasing the store's holiday sales, rushing in our direction. One of them crashed right into my stomach as he was passing by us. I took two squeaky steps back in my boots but somehow managed not to sway.Cassiel immediately turned around at the loss of my fingers. “Are you okay, babe?"“Yeah-yeah, I am.” I put both of my hands on the kid’s shoulder as I stopped him in place as he just ran into me a second ago. “Are you okay, buddy?”The six-year-old kid chuckled and nodded his head. Cassiel came in and patted his head. Then the kid s
PRESENT“And what do you need me for?” I try not to snap at him. I keep it curt. Where the hell did this wife come from? Has he been married before? He never said anything about this person in all the days we have been acquainted with each other. "If you have a wife, why don't you hang out with her?"“I need you here with me so we can act like we are dating.” He’s so obvious and persistent in his answers like it means nothing to him. “You know I need you to get her out of my house.”“I can’t do that. I don't think that I'll be available. I'm sorry for saying this, but you need to call one of your model fuck-buddies who can help you out in this situation.” I mimic him in a sarcastic tone. Then I can't control my anger any longer. “And from where on earth did your wife materialise in thin air?” I take a deep inhale. “And why are you calling me? How dare you?”“Please, Lee. I absolutely need your help this time.” He’s taking a pause before he continues. “Melissa isn’t that important. She
PRESENTA few hours later, we are both lying on the floor with our backs against on the couch, eating the salad he made three hours ago, almost half-naked. The television is on at a low volume and it slowly hums in the background. Cassiel palms my breast accidentally while taking away a string of pasta sticking to the curve of my collar bone. The action shoots a pang of electricity in my entire upper body, travelling to the nerve endings and I inadvertently shudder. Then he moves his mouth to lick the bread crumbs still sticking on my chin.“Do you know I always had a thing for bread?"“Maybe you should travel to Germany. Do you know what they have in there?” I try to make myself sound more enthusiastic. "Germans love their breads more than French do, apparently.""Huh?" He shakes his head innocently at my statement. “What is there for me to see in Germany?"“A bread that resembles a vagina."“You’re shitting me, aren't you?” He shuffles his feet slowly on the carpet and leans right n
PRESENT“Did you get those raspberries on your way home, honey?” Cass's voice reverberates throughout the entire house. He’s working in the kitchen. I can hear him rolling the dough with all the noises he’s making. "Or the pasta sauce I had put on our grocery list?"“No. I'm sorry, love. I forgot!" I yell as I draw the front door to a close. "You should have texted me that to remind me!" Then I exhale a sigh. "You know how forgetful I am, right?"I walk into the living room area to put my handbag, which also has my laptop down on the table. My phone vibrates as I get another mail from the magazine I work for, telling me that the work’s deadline is set in the incoming three weeks. I get another message from my boss to reassure me if I got the email.Yes, you snotty little piece of work. I got the mail. Just don't try to make my life hell!My head in the magazine company is doing this on purpose, in other words, adding to my workload because she wants to hire another part-time writer
FOUR YEARS AGOCassiel was parked in front of the pavement of our dormitory building, waiting silently for me to go ahead and get inside safely. But I didn’t want him to go back yet. I can’t recall the last time a guy waited for me to get inside home safely.He gazed at me in silence with an intense look in his eyes. “Why are you waiting here? Don’t you want to go in?”I was standing on the pavement captivated by his blue eyes. I know that I wanted something, something more from him to remember this moment as pure, unembellished and whole. I wanted the moment to last forever and become infinite in my imagination.I leaned against the driver's side car’s window. “I really don’t know what I’m waiting for, Cassiel."“Have you forgotten your keys?” He scrunched his nose, showcasing faint freckles splattered on the skin and as my eyes traced them, I realised a small section of these orange-brown freckles were hugely evident on his cheekbones. "Can you do something about it?"I chuckled. “Y