- 6.
Josh had sharp, angular features that made him look aloof until he smiled, and then his whole face softened. He was the embodiment of that old saying, “a gentleman, refined and polished.” He grinned. “Long time no see, Lily.” He turned and disappeared into the back, returning a moment later with Buddy, who yipped excitedly and wagged his tail furiously at the sight of me. Dogs were definitely better than men, I thought. At least they were always happy to see you. “It has been a while. Coffee?” Josh asked, his voice a low rumble. I nodded, and we walked to a nearby cafe with Buddy trotting happily at my heels. “Seriously, ages! Last time I saw you was graduation day. Couldn’t believe you just disappeared overseas without a trace.” He raised an eyebrow. “Actually, I did leave you my contact info. Inside
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the front cover of your biology textbook.” He paused, a teasing glint in his eyes. “Don’t tell me you never opened it again.” My face burned. I remembered that day. I’d been so excited to be done with finals that I’d completely forgotten about the textbook, which I’d sold along with all my others as soon as I got home. “I… uh… sold my textbooks after graduation. Sorry! Completely slipped my mind.” Josh chuckled, stirring his coffee. “So, what am I supposed to do? I’ve been waiting years for you to add me.” He sounded amused. I squirmed in my seat. “Tell you what,” he continued, a playful lilt in his voice. “You can add me now, and then I won’t have to wait anymore.” He winked, and I hastily pulled out my phone and sent him a friend request.,
Over coffee, we caught up. Josh had gone to vet school abroad and become a veterinarian specializing in wildlife. He’d recently returned to the States due to a family matter and opened the clinic with a friend. He’d been busy settling in, which was why I hadn’t seen him around. I told him about my job, about Matt, about everything. Stirring my coffee, I asked, “Why veterinary medicine? I don’t remember you ever being interested in that in high school.” He took a sip of his coffee. “Someone told me it was cool, so I thought I’d give it a shot,” he said casually. My heart skipped a beat. I’d been the one who’d told him that, years ago. He’d actually listened. The irony was that I, the one who’d suggested it, had gone into a completely different field, crushed by the realities of adult life. I gave a wry smile. A small crowd had gathered across the cafe. I looked over and saw several couples playing a game. It was a new promotion the cafe was running. Couples had to carry a piece of paper between their noses or mouths from one end of the room to the other. The winners got a free strawberry pudding. A cheer erupted from the crowd. Nina was taking pictures, beaming, a plate of strawberry pudding in her hand. Matt stood beside her, smiling indulgently. He seemed to sense my gaze and turned, his smile vanishing as he spotted me. His face hardened, and he strode towards our table, Nina trailing behind him, a puzzled expression on her face.
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Buddy, who had been wagging his tail at Matt, suddenly whined and hid behind me. “So, this is what you do? Go on dates with other guys behind my back?” Matt hissed, his voice tight with anger. People around us started to stare. My expression remained neutral. “Let go of my arm, Matt. We’re broken up.” He gave a humorless laugh. “Broken up? When did I agree to that? You dumped me, and now you’re on a date. What’s the difference between that and cheating?” He glanced pointedly at Josh. Nina visibly wilted at his words. “And you? What about you and Nina?” I retorted, my voice dripping with sarcasm. Matt stiffened. “It’s not what it looks like,” he mumbled. “Oh, really? Mr. ‘Good Guy‘ playing tonsil hockey with another woman is ‘not what it looks like‘? You lose your mind seeing your ex having coffee with someone, but you get to make out with your new girlfriend in public?” Josh interjected, his voice laced with amusement. “Dude, are you for real? Worry about yourself.” Matt’s face turned an interesting shade of puce. “You…” he sputtered. We didn’t wait for him to finish. Josh paid the bill, and we left, Buddy nestled securely in my arms.
