Part 4 - A Rush of Blood

The Starbucks they agreed to meet at was crowded that Tuesday evening. The mall was starting to fill up with patrons taking a break from the day's busy schedule. Matt ordered his drink, a Grande Iced Mocha, no whipped cream then looked around as he was standing at the pick-up counter. He saw the perfect spot just outside, in the alfresco area of the coffee shop. That's what it was really, a glorified coffee shop serving expensive coffee with an alfresco. More importantly, it was the designated smoking area. Important because he was as nervous as a schoolboy at his first recital, he needed a cigarette, and pronto! He checked his watch again and it still read what it read ten seconds ago, 7:26 pm. The seven thirty appointment was close at hand and he was now starting to sweat, from the heat of the outdoor area and also from the wait. He had waited thirteen years for this day.

She was the one who came up to him that night at the restaurant three days ago, and since then he has been asking himself why. She could have easily just left it alone but she didn't. Instead, she came up to introduce herself, watch his jaw drop when she mentioned her name then proceeded to give him her number. Now, his world had just been turned upside down and inside out. He could not stop thinking of this appointment and everything he did from that day was as clumsy as a newborn calf taking its first steps. He couldn't think straight and he often found himself smiling to himself, his chest thumping in excitement at the thought that it was one more sleep to seeing Jasmine again. Matt lit a cigarette, took a long drag then a sip of his Mocha and just calmed himself down and waited. The warm Malaysian evening was starting to cool down a little as a breeze swept through the alfresco area.

A bunch of college kids were three tables away, chatting and banter aloud, their chuckles and laughs, boys impressing the girls and the girls politely laughing at them, some with them. We use to be like that, Ritchie, Jasmine, Farah, Rene, Gowdri and I, we use to sit in a coffee shop and talk, laugh, banter and tease. Those were good times, and it's amazing I still remember all their names, Matt thought to himself. He smiled to himself, going back to those carefree college days when your studies meant a lot but your friends meant the world.

"Hey Matt", there she was standing in front of him.

"Hey there", was all Matt could say, startled out of his day dream.

This was the second time she had caught him with his mouth open. Mental note, don't fucking do that again !, Matt thought to himself. He quickly got up to greet her, stumbled on the foot of the table and tripped forward. You could see the rush of blood to the head and the blushes starting to appear. She let out a soft laugh, covering her mouth with one hand then her smile. There it was, he just saw a glimpse of what he had waited thirteen years to see again. The tingle shot down his spine, the butterflies churned his stomach and the hairs at the back of his neck stood up. That smile never failed to amaze him.

"Oh my god, you haven't changed", he said to her as he was giving her a friendly hug.

"Well, I have lost weight", Jasmine replied, her smile still intact.

"How are you?", he asked.

"Good, better now that we're here", she winked, then chuckled jokingly.

"Yeah, err, let me get you a drink", was all Matt could reply, his nerves stuttering him.

They sat down that evening just catching up on thirteen years of lost conversation. Reminiscing the old times, all the old haunts and reliving most of their college days really. It was a good night, they were both laughing and it was as if they never lost touch. It was like the old days again. They moved closer to each other, the stories got better and the laughs more deliberate. Their hands were both trying to keep still but they were always ending up fiddling a straw or a sugar sachet. All this while there was only one thought that kept popping up in his mind. He tried so hard to suppress it but to no avail. He just had to know and after waiting this long he was not going to miss the opportunity again. So he found the strength and courage to ask her, or rather, to tell her. Then there was an awkward silence. They both looked at each other, smiling. Words were at the tips of their tongue but it just would not come out.

"Hey Jasmine, there's something I've been meaning to tell you. I told myself that if I ever saw you again I would. I don't know why and it probably doesn't matter anymore but I have to", he said to her.

"I wanted to as well, Matt", she said, smiling and catching him off guard.

"Sorry, what was that?" he asked.

"You heard me", she said, her smile now bigger and a slight blush on her cheeks.

"I was going to say that I always wanted to go out with you all those years ago but never had the guts to say it", he blurted out.

"Me too. I wanted to as well", she said, her eyes fixed on his.

She reached her hand out to grab his and she squeezed with just enough strength to let him know that she meant what she had just said. No more words were needed after that. They never let go of each others hands that night. They both knew this was what was supposed to happen thirteen years ago.

"I think that night, love was in the air", I said and Nina just smiled.