Unexpected Encounter: Past and Present Collide

When i entered Miss Pierce's office i saw the two pairs of eyes boring inside me. My sight shifted to guy in the brioni who looked at me with intensity as if he is going to undress me just by glaring at me.

"Kare ga hadakadattara ī nā. Watashi wa tēburu no ue ni kare o koko ni oku koto ga dekita." the guy in the brioni said to Yoshi. And they smiled at each other.(Trans: I wish he was naked. I could have him here on the table)

"Dareka ni tsuite warui hanashi o suru no wa warui manā janai?" I asked him with an annoying expression in my tone.(Trans: isn't it bad manners to talk about someone that way).

Yoshi laughed out loud at my reply and I saw the guy sitting next to him look down at his feet with embrassment.

" I am sorry for my friend here. He didn't meant to offend you" Yoshi said to me still laughing.

"No its ok" I replied with a smile.

" So you are" he asked with a smile.

" Ā watashi no manā o mite. I am sorry. I am Haru Salvador. I am Miss Pierce's assistant and a designer" I smiled and shake my hands with both of them.

"Oh. Hi Haru nice to meet you" Yoshi said to me "You know me. But still Iam Yoshiyuki Hatori and this my friend here is Zen Kirishima" he added. I looked towards him and forwarded my hand for a shake. The moment he took my hand to shake I could feel a tingling feeling rushing through my arms. The moment he touched me my heart skipped a beat. Unable to move, yet drawn forward by some invisible force, I didn’t know what to do. I don’t usually lose confidence in myself, having dealt with models, celebrities, and designers alike without batting an eyelash. Yet in this instance, no matter how much my brain screamed at me to say something, his gaze remained locked on the stranger's haunting eyes. The Japanese called them mugen no ao or infinite blue.

I somehow managed and broke me out of his mesmerising eyes and gestured them to sit down.

" How do you speak nihongo so well and what's with the Japanese name" Yoshi asked me smiling.

"My mom is japanese" I replied to them.

"That explains everything" he said smiling.

We talked about fashion and new trends and thanks to my knowledge and time I spent in fashion industry and with Miss Pierce.

I prided myself in knowing how much I know about fashions. It took me years to get the nuances, but when I did, it was like opening a door into a magical world not many were able to enter. With his father always away on business, his supermodel mother had no choice but to bring me along on photo shoots and fashion shows. I grew up among models and fashion all around me.

After sometime Miss Pierce came in and I took my leave and went to wards my desk.

" Sumimasen Mr. Salvador" someone called me from behind. I turned around to find the guy with Yoshiyuki.

"Yes" I replied him with a smile.

"Gomen'nasai. I am sorry for before. I didn't mean to offend you" he said to me with a smile.

"Its ok Mr Kirishima" I replied.

"Please call me Zen. But really I meant every word I said before. You really are beautiful" he said to me with a grin.

"Are you flirting with me by any chance" I replied to him.

"Yes maybe" he replied with a smirk.

I blushed the hell out of myself. I was about to leave when he holded my hand and stopped me.

I looked back at him to find him smiling at me.

"Can I ask you something" he asked me while looking at me.

I nodded yes at him.

He smiled at me and asked me "Are you free tonight?"

"Yes maybe" I replied.

" Then I would like to take you out for a dinner tonight. Would you?" He asked me.

I looked at him confused.

"No don't get me wrong. Its my way of apologising" he clarified.

"But" I said in unsure voice.

" I insist. Please" he said to me.

"Ok" I blushed as he gestured at me by forwarding his hands towards me to shake. I took his hands and shook it.

" Then see you tonight" he said to me and I turned to go but he holded my hands and pulled me towards himself. And smiled at me.

"What?" I asked him blushing and hiding my face. He smiled at me and I lifted my face to look towards him.

"I would like to have your number. So that I could contact you and pick you up for our dinner tonight" he said to me.

He smiled and gave me his phone so that I can put my number in his phone. I took his phone and added my number to his phone and gave him back. Then we said our goodbyes and went our way.

It was already evening when I was finished with my work. I got ready to go home and get ready for my dinner tonight. I took my car and went home. I reached my home. I was unlocking my door to my room when my phone started ringing. I got out my phone and checked who was calling me. It was Zen. I recieved the call.

" Are you ready for our dinner" he asked from the other side of the phone.

"Just give me few minutes. I just got back home" I replied to him.

"Ok send me your address. I will pick you up" he said to me.

" No it's ok. Just send me the place. I'll be there" I replied.

"Please let me do the honour. I'll pick you up" he insisted.

"Ok" I replied and disconnected my phone in defeat. I typed my address and messaged him.

I just settled for the regular me. I picked a normal black tee with a ripped black jean and a long waterfall cardigan to go with my sneakers

Suddenly my phone rang up. I looked at who it was and picked it up.

" Hello" I said.

" I am outside your house. Are you ready?" He asked me.

I was ready so I disconnected the call and unlocked my door and went out.

I got frozen as soon as I saw him. He was looking handsome as always. He was looking at me without his eyes leaving mine. It was like he was being hypnotised totally. He looked at me from top to bottom and came to me

" You look beautiful" he said in nihongo.

It sounded so sexy when he said that in nihongo "Anata wa utsukushī".

I blushed at his compliment and somehow responded to him.

"You yourself look handsome"

He smiled at me.

"Shall we move?"

"Yup"

He opened the door for me and gestured me to get in. He closed the door behind me and round off to seat in the drivers seat. He started driving and touched my hand while lookikng for the brake.

The moment he touched my hand a swift charge again run through my whole body. He smirked at me and looked forward to the road. I started blushing and to avoid looking at him I looked out the window.

I was nervous as well as very excited. I was unable to talk anything and continuously gazing him.I gathered all my courage and spoke up to him "Where are we going?"

He smiled at me.

" You will know when we reach there".

He drove for sometime and stopped near a fansy but quite beautiful japanese restaurant. He came over to me and opened the door for me and gestured me to get down.

He walked me into the restaurant and we were recieved by a women in her late forties I guessed dressed in kimono.

"Kangei suru hito" she vowed at us and smiled.

We too vowed at her and entered the restaurant. She led us to our table. Zen pulled out the chair gesturing me to sit and then took the chair opposite to me.

The waiter came to us and handed us the menu card and waited for us to order. He gestured me to do so.

"Please do the honor" I replied him and kept the menu card on the table.

He ordered a bottle of wine for starters and the waiter left us alone. He smiled at me and asked me to tell him about myself.

" There's nothing much to know... " I was interrupted by the arrival of a tall and handsome guy in an elegant loking tuxedo in the color of the wine Zen enjoyed. I didn’t have time to hope that he hadn’t seen me because he was already making her way to our table with purposeful strides.

“Haru?” she asked with a stunning smile.

“Ian.” His name tasted foul in my mouth as I pushed back from the table and stood up. I reached out a hand but he shimmied closer and gave each of my cheeks quick air kisses. My heart dropped to the pit of his stomach the second his signature woody scent entered my lungs. God, I missed him. The thought hit me like a sledgehammer. Even a year later his effect on him remained the same.

“It’s so good to see you!” His sexy demeanor hadn’t changed either.

Searching for something to say other than “You look good,” my gaze found Zen, who silently watched the exchange. “Ian, this is Mr. Zen Kirishima. He’s Yoshiyuki Hatori’s business partner.”

“You’re Japanese?” he asked with genuine curiosity. Then he began greeting him in Nihongo.

Kaz stood up and took his hand. He murmured something about speaking the language beautifully and he giggled. Before I could feel jealousy at having another man touch him, I noticed the large diamond on his finger. Immediate hurt smacked me upside the head.

“You’re getting married?” I could barely get the words out.

Ian treated him to a wide grin as he bounced in place, showing me the ring. “Isn’t it crazy? You should meet him.”

A wave of nausea hit me and i staggered slightly.

“I think the wine has gotten to your head,” Zen said, immediately moving to my side and lending me support by closing a steady hand around my arm.

“I should really take him home.”

Good thing Zen held me up because I could no longer feel his legs.

"Haru could never hold his liqour. Anyway it was good seeing you again,” he said to me.

He could only nod as Zen led me away from the table.

“But the bill,” I was finally able to say when we reached the restaurant entrance where a long line of people waited to be seated.

“Don’t worry about it. Can you stand without falling over?”

The ground refused to feel solid beneath him. “he’s getting married.”