For the first time today, Scarlet sat down and relaxed for a moment. She was still very young but there wasn’t a day that passed that she hadn’t thought that she was becoming too old to be a party planner.

“Scarlet!” her friend and business partner Ethan shouted over the music, “I’ve been looking for you everywhere.”

She looked up at him and flashed him a warning look. He came to sit beside her as she observed the dancing crowd of people on the dancefloor.

“This may be the best party you’ve ever thrown,” he said flashing her a wide grin with his usual sneaky glint in his eyes. “we’re sure to pick up some new customers here tonight.”

“Yes, and it might just be the death of me.” She replied, “I’m far too old for this.”

“The best way to die.” He replied

Scarlet laughed and nudged him when he wrapped his hand around her shoulder.

“You should cheer up,” Ethan said, “if you wanna get out of here I’d be happy to finish off for you.”

“Would you?” she asked suddenly happy for a way out of this party.

“Sure,” he replied, “the night is practically done, and everything is in order.”

“Thank you so much,” she said jumping to her feet and leaning down to plant a kiss on Ethan’s cheek, “if you didn’t have Derek I could swear you were trying to sweet me up to get into my pants.”

Ethan laughed a deep throaty laugh that always cheered her up. He had been her friend since she moved into the city for university. Being the small-town girl that she was, she had been totally at sea when she first arrived. Ethan had graciously taken her under his wings. At first, she had thought he was into her and she hadn’t minded because Ethan was a dashingly handsome man. Later, she had found out that he preferred the other team, and while most people didn’t know, it wasn’t something he tried to conceal, he carried without shame. He was simply not the stereotype she had gotten used to while growing up.

“I have other plans for you.” He said flashing her a sneaky smile.

Scarlet didn’t wait for him to say anything else, she laughed and walked towards the door. She had checked her coat and bag and so she approached the desk where they had stored her things. As she walked over, she noticed a man she hadn’t seen at the party. He was standing with a woman clinging to his arm and his back was turned to hers but there was something about him that drew her to him. It was as if she knew him somehow; maybe from her time studying in the city. How strange, she thought as she approached the desk, but then he turned, and she stopped as if she had been frozen in that spot.

“Lucas?” she whispered feeling a lump the size of her heart lodging in her throat.

He looked at her and suddenly the same rush of feelings that settled in the pit of her stomach flashed across his face and then it was suddenly gone as quickly as it came. He looked at her as if she was a brand-new person as if she meant nothing to him. It was then that she remembered the woman who had been clinging to his arm. She eyed the woman who was looking at her with an intrigued expression. They stood there for what felt like an eternity before she heard someone call her name from behind.

“Scarlet,”

She turned to see Ethan standing behind her holding her purse. He looked form her to Lucas and then back before raising a questioning brow.

“You rushed out so quickly you forgot your phone.” He said handing it to her. “see you tomorrow”

He leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on her cheek before walking away. When she turned to Lucas he was watching her still, but his expression had changed. He now looked at her as if he wanted to be as far away from her as possible.

“Ah, Scarlet” he said as if he hadn’t remembered her name, “it’s nice to see you again, I wish we could talk but I have to go.”

He said nothing else, he only turned and walked away with the woman beside him eyeing her with suspicion. Scarlet stood there for another five minutes barely recognizing the room around her. Everything had blurred, and she was nineteen all over again. She had left all the pain in her past but seeing Lucas here today was like witnessing a great tragedy.

“Miss,” the receptionist said dragging her out of her stupor, “are you alright?”

Although she felt like vomiting and crying all at once, she let the feelings pass and decided to keep moving. She had been doing this all her life, she had been moving and she wouldn’t let his chance meeting with Lucas stop her. She moved toward the desk and collected her things. As she walked out of the building, she let the cool air wash over her and soothe her.

She was happy for the chance to get home early on a Friday night. There was one side of her life that she had kept hidden from everyone in her professional life except Ethan. It was the one thing that had kept her going, and the one thing that held her up now as she tried to hail a cab. She was going home to see her son.