Her eyes peered at her once own soul. She visibly cringed at the proximity of the two. Rage and envy jolted up and down within her.

Rain coursed down the murky excuse of a sky outside, drenching each stalk of healthy pointy hay and melting them down into the grimy dirt, dousing even my soul with it.

The agony and grief, five years ago had finally started to wear off when suddenly the bruise had to be struck again.

I had to choose. Accept a betrayal, have chance at seeing my love back or remember the grief, fire back at the right time but loose the love of my life, forever.

A few minutes ago, the phone had chirped when I was sipping my favorite cappuccino, enjoying its heavenly zest.

Seeing the caller id, the coffee turned sour to the point of vomiting it outback.

" Jenice, are you there?" The voice spoke.

"..."

There was shuffling on the other side.

"Jenice?" Another voice spoke. It was throaty, a familiar one more so.

Tears rolled down my pale cheeks. I gulped down the remaining cappuccino. It tasted like hell.

"Yes...Bob?" It seemed to be a question yet my heart never needed the answer.

"You know, I did not do it purposely. It was just the way it had to be." It sounded pitiful. I scoffed.

Very little remorse. Yet, I always withheld the soft spot for him, my weakest point.

" Yet you held no regret."

" I do, Jenice. I really do. That's the reason I called." The tone was hard to contemplate. Harder for me any which ways. 

"What is it? " I asked in a flat voice.

" We have organized a beautiful dinner at The Plaza. We want to mend the broken shards between us. "

We want to.

Dinner with a cheater husband and her cheater husband-stealing bestie Bridget. My jaw clenched imagining the picture.

" I know it hurt you. But, it just happened.  You know,  the way things sometimes do. " said my ex-husband perhaps trying to act regretful.

Only I could have thought that.

" Please, Jen "

Jen, he said. Not Jenice. He hit the bird in the eye. One by one, the dreadful grief of the past five years started to fade away.

The foolish love for Bobby dominated the misery of the past. The torture endured, all forgotten.

By the flick of a single word.

" Saturday, at 8 p.m. Ok?" the honeyed voice continued.

"Ok." Before I could cut the call, it was ended.

I thought again. Was this a trap of some sort. Did he want to hurt me again? What could he do to damage me more than what he already did?

No, he wished amendments. Yes, he did. I tried to convince herself. Again and again.

***

"Rebecca, you got the chance. You know what to do."

"Everything planned, Mam."

"Good. Let's enjoy."

***
Time flew by as the day of their encounter arrived.

"What do you mean!" A shrill voice sang roughly.

"Sorry mam, but no such appointment was booked." The receptionist said.

"Look again. We had booked for four people. With Bobb and Bridget as the host." He fumed with anger.

"Sorry sir, but please don't make a scene here." A very well dressed entity had approached seeing the commotion.

Both the guests seethed with rage.

"You can wait outside the restaurant. It is currently totally booked. We will book now for you. But it will at least take an hour.  Guards, please escort them outside." He ordered. Two guards, the size of hounds did the job well.

After an hour, at 9 o'clock, a formally dressed, beautiful woman entered The Plaza.

She was gently escorted to a secluded boot which saw the smooth cold night sky through a wall-sized glass pane.

Two well-dressed entities sat there.  But, they bore sweat and irritation hard on their skin.

They acted indifferent, though.

"Welcome, Jenice!"

Her eyes peered at her once own soul. She visibly cringed at the proximity of the two. Rage and envy jolted up and down within her. Her bestie had betrayed her. Had she always been like that? A thief in my den. She perhaps was.

She masked on a brilliant smile as she responded.

" Good to see you both!"

A waiter pulled her chair back for her to sit. She smiled at him before settling.

"Don't mind me, I was a little too late."

"Oh no! It was fine." Said the woman in red.

The two on the other side of the table shared a strange look.

"So, after a long time, we see each other." He said. A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

"After a long time." Jenice nodded."Though, why do you seem so irritated and well... Did you perhaps have any difficulty here?"

She might have imagined a trace of fury fuming in his eyes.

"Oh no..." He was cut short by the waiter who presented the menu.

After a quick look, we ordered our dishes.

"There was no need of this, Bobb." She said. It had started drizzling now. It was soothing Jenice thought.

He just smiled, so did Bridget, her former bestie.

"We actually wanted to make amends, Jenice. Pls, don't think like we cheated on you." The woman in red confessed.

We, Jenice thought. Not Cheated. Hilarious.

"It just happened you know as things sometimes turn out. I dearly liked you, Jen. You know that. But, Bridget, I loved her." He said, a twinkle in his eyes.

Jen, he said. Why did he! It melted her heart, again

" You know when in love, it is just as if the world disappears. We forgot about you, Jenice. We are very sorry for that." Bridget said, a small sly smile might have slipped Jenice's vision for her bestie said something she yearned to hear since their betrayal.

The food was served by then. Steaming Chicken kabab, Shahi biryani with extra gravy, Shezwan noodles loaded with vegies and Munchow soup, Indian style.

The kind words and the luscious food might have won anyone's heart. Perhaps, it did the same to Jenice.

After the feast, they noticed the bartender right next to their boot. He looked cute.

The Indian dose of feast might have overworked their brains, for Bobb just thought Jenice did not look well singly.

He brought the bartender to their boot.

" Jenice, you might as well like some company."

Jen looked at the new arrival. She knew him.

"Well, will you serve us the best whiskey out there. And then perhaps we can enjoy it together. " She winked when both of them seemed distracted.

After a few minutes, the four sat at the booth, hooting with laughter.

Cobb and Bridget half drunk. They could not even stand properly if they wanted to.

" Actually, this newcomer here is the founder of The Plaza and I am the owner." Jenice smiled. It was her turn to fire now.

Both of them stopped drinking.

"What did you think? I was the same person? These five years changed me for the good. Your deception taught me a lot. Friends and foes were not hard to discriminate anymore."

Jenice swung her arms softly around the bartender's waist and kissed him on his cheek.

He looked at her affectionately before smirking.

" He is my fiance. Thought you should know."

The look on their faces was one to remember for a lifetime.

"This was our last meeting together. And what was your company's name? "

" The Bakers" Bobb said in a slow, cautious tone. Bobb and Bridget worked in the same company.

"Oh, is it? Sam here is good friends with the co-founder of The Bakers too. Thought I should mention."

Whatever wine they had swallowed was threatening to come outside, as all the color drained out of their faces.

"Great night it was, wasn't it Sam?"

"Of course, dear."

And they took off.

Would love some constructive comments!