"Is that really him?"

Walking home, after work, on the hectic road just several miles from the sun, I decided to grab a quick drink to quench my thirst. I spotted a café at the end of the street and as I was nearing the café…. “Is that really him?” I couldn’t believe my eyes. “No, just walk pass, don’t look”, I told myself. I nervously ducked across the café, and just when I was almost reaching the end of the street, I heard a yell. “Teesha, is that you?!” “Oh shit. He caught me, what do I do now?”, my inner voice spoke. I turned around and there I saw John’s eyes open wide in surprise and recognition.

“Oh, my god, Teesha, is that really you?

 That voice. The last time I’d heard it was a lifetime ago. That face. The last time I'd seen him was the worst day of my life.

“Oh, hi John, it’s you.”

“Yes! Of course, it’s me, your John!”, said John brightly.  Yeah right, ‘Your John’, I thought to myself.

He walked towards me, arms spread wide. We collided and his arms wrapped around me. Unsure of myself, I hugged him weakly as I gently patted his back. As he was losing his grip on me, almost immediately I took a step back and we awkwardly smiled.

Then he says…

 “C’mon, that’s my café! Let’s have a drink!”

“Hmm, a drink?”

“Oh. You’ve got to go somewhere? You’re not in a rush, are you?”

“Uhm...”

“No, don’t worry, a quick one!”

He walked me in and we sat at the table close to the cash counter.

“Roast milk tea?”

“Yes, can thank you.”

Hmm, he never changed a bit, the same old baby-faced John with golden brown curly hair and not forgetting his signature mole on his right cheek. John stood at the counter and turned back to look at me. Our eyes met and his lips broke into a teasing smile, with one corner hinting upwards. But I quickly broke it off, busying myself with my iPhone while John come with the drinks.

John and I go back in years. Looking back, there was so much about him that drove me mad. Well, just like every other boyfriend, he was sweet and loving until Emily came in the picture and stole him away. I was stupid to believe all his lies about his friendship with Emily until I caught them cuddling right before my eyes. There. I ended it and I never wanted to see them again. Ever.

“Here, you go”.

“Thank you”.

John turned the chair round and straddled it with both his elbows resting on the table, he asked, "So.... what have you been up to?”

“Nothing much, just work and home. You?”

“Oh me, just been running this café for 6 years now. You know, how I’ve always wanted to have my very own cafe… so here I am!”

“Yea... I remember our coffee shop dates and how you’d constantly talk to me about starting a business together...”

“Yea…”, he pulled as his face turned pale with an alertness in his eyes. He slouched against his chair and there was awkward silence for at least 5 seconds.

“So, are you free tomorrow?”, he asked. What a bland question I thought, unsure of what to say, I blabbered.

“Hmm, tomorrow...? I’ve got to go to work...I’ve got this meeting that I can’t skip…I need to get home quick for dinner with a client…oh this client, I have to meet her for, uhm it’s important…and and...”

"Uh...okay okay, that's cool... so...uh...another time then?

“Yeah okay”.

I quickly gulped the last bit of the drink and stood up.

“Uh John, got to go. I've got to meet my boss for lunch in half an hour.”

“Ah, okay no problem. See you around soon, drop by when you can”.

“Sure, thanks”, with my half-smiled face.