“So, what’s happening? What are you doing in our neighborhood?” Liam asked as he found Charlotte by his doorstep.

She looked radiant in her pink shirt and jeans, and she was wearing her hair in a ponytail. She smiled as she sighted him.

“Well, I was just passing by and I thought of dropping by and saying hello.”

“Okay, why don’t you come in?”

They went in together while he walked over to the bar to get both of them a drink.

“I had actually expected that I would at least meet your girlfriend today,” she said as she sipped her drink.

“Well, I guess you should be used to not meeting her on a daily basis.”

“Work?”

“Yea.”

“Wow! That sucks huh?”

“Tell me about it.”

They both chuckled and drank in silence.

Just then Liam thought of something. “Hey, do you mind if I take you out for a dinner?”

Charlotte hesitated. “Wait, I hope this is not what I’m thinking.”

“Oh no, it’s not a date, it’s just, I’m hungry and since you are here we can eat together can’t we?”

She relaxed and nodded with a smile. “No problem then, shall we?”

Some minutes later, they were both sitting at a table, busy eating and laughing. The restaurant they sat in had few people dining. Liam had taken them to the only restaurant he had always taken only Emily to. Even though it was strange bringing another woman, he was enjoying himself.

While they ate, he caught sight of someone that looked like Joe coming in. At first, he thought probably he had made a mistake, but he soon realized that it was Joe and behind him was his girlfriend, Emily. They didn’t spot him and they were seated at another angle where he could easily see them.

“Are you okay?” Charlotte asked.

“Yea, I’m okay,” he mumbled.

Charlotte scoffed. “You should see your face. You look like you have seen a ghost.”

He sighed. “Well, you can say that again.”

Charlotte looked around. “What is it?

“Emily and her boss are in the restaurant.”

“Wow! Are you for real?”

He nodded and pointed to the angle where they were seated.

Charlotte gasped as she caught sight of them. “Wow! What are you going to do?”

“Well, I’m going to make sure she doesn’t see me and when she notices us… I want to know what her reaction will be.”

Emily looked through the menu reluctantly. She badly wanted to go home and was super exhausted.

“So why don’t you chose what you would like to eat. I’m sure you are starving.”

She sighed and faked a smile. She beckoned to a waiter and chose her meal before the waiter left.

“Thanks a lot, Joe,” she said. She didn’t want to seem ungrateful. He had offered to buy her dinner just to ease the stress off of her.

“Oh no! Don’t thank me. You are working your ass off here; this is just to compensate for your hard work. I finally decided on who will be representing the client between you and Kate,” Joe announced as a waiter served them.

“Who?” Emily asked, excitedly.

“Who else? You of course.”

Emily clapped her hands excitedly. “Wow! I would never have expected that. She has greater experience than I do.”

“Well, she also has lots of baggage that she can’t say ‘no’ to.”

This calmed her down. “What baggage?”

“Well, for starters, she takes her relationship too seriously. She is always talking about what her fiancé would like her to do. She put him at the forefront, to the detriment of her career, and since you say that your boyfriend always understands, you are really so lucky.”

Emily swallowed. That was another problem. She checked her food and then the time. She had barely eaten her food and the time she should have been home was long gone. What if she decided to stand up and tell Joe that she’d had enough, but was he going to think that maybe she was not serious?

“Well, I guess I am lucky to have Liam.”

“I guess you are. So, when last did you and Tom speak?”

“Oh! I missed his call today actually,” she replied. She actually had.

“Well, I guess that must have been when he was coming to tell you that he would be coming to join us.”

She raised a brow. “Really? He’s going to be here?’

“Yep,” John nodded. “He really likes you.”

Emily was beginning to feel uncomfortable. “Well, he is pretty interesting and he has given me chances to meet so many people.”

“Well, you should tell him. Here he comes.”

“Oh my God,” Charlotte said.

“What is it?”Liam asked, trying not to look at whatever she must have seen, three seats behind them.

“Tommy is here. That son of a bitch looks as dashing as ever and if he sees me here, he will recognize me.”

“So, do you think we should leave?”

“Yea, unless you want both of them to see you.”

Liam pushed back his seat. “Oh no, it will ruin my plan,” he said quickly, helping her with her jacket as they walked out of the restaurant hurriedly, but for one second, he looked back just as the blonde man in a suit bent to give his girlfriend a kiss. His stomach tightened but with all his willpower, he looked away.