Chapter 53 Encounter
I turned toward the voice.
A good-looking guy stood there, one arm wrapped around a massive bouquet of red roses, waving at me. As I walked over, I tried matching him to the blurry memory of the boy I used to know. It was him, all right. He'd matured a lot from the confident teenager I remembered. After high school, everyone scattered to the winds. Samuel was only the second friend I'd seen since Melissa.
The whole thing felt surreal until I stood right in front of him, meeting his eyes. Samuel wore a gentle smile, and the moment he saw me, he eagerly offered the roses. "Catherine, long time no see."
That warm voice combined with his sunshine-bright smile—enough to make any naive girl fall head over heels. But not me. I'd died once before. Samuel couldn't read the weariness and pain in my eyes. A flicker of confusion crossed his face.
"Long time no see." I reached out and took the roses.
Samuel's gaze shifted past me. Hearing footsteps approaching from behind, I turned to look. Blake was hurrying toward us, stopping two steps away.
"Catherine, who's this?"
I didn't miss the wariness and scrutiny in his eyes. Talk about playing the concerned best friend—he really was losing sleep over his buddy's love life.
What we got back, Blake told me he had stepped out of another elevator just moments after me. Spotting me, he remembered how Nicholas had been dragging him out for drinks lately, drowning his sorrows. Just as he'd worked out what to say and was about to catch up, he saw me walking toward a strange man and accepting a bouquet of red roses. He'd panicked right then and there. Everyone knows red roses mean romance. And I actually took them?
He'd approached with a mix of annoyance and anger, but seeing my clear, composed expression, he'd calmed down a bit.
Samuel turned to me. "Catherine, who's he?"
I smiled and introduced them. "Blake, a director at our company. We're pretty good friends." I gestured to Samuel. "Samuel, my high school classmate. He just got back to the country."
The two men nodded at each other in brief acknowledgment.
Blake turned back to me. "Aren't you going home with Nicholas today?"
Samuel shot him a puzzled look, then looked back at me.
A stupid flutter of guilt hit me, like I'd been caught doing something I shouldn't. But my expression stayed neutral. "I already told Nicholas I had plans with a friend today. He doesn't need to pick me up."
I'd sent the message when I agreed to meet Samuel—though it had been pretty brief. [Something came up. Head home without me.]
I could clearly feel Samuel quietly breathing a sigh of relief beside me, his features lighting up with a hint of pleasure. Blake's expression wasn't nearly as pleasant. "Oh, really?"
I nodded.
Samuel made a polite offer. "Since you're Catherine's friend, why don't you join us for dinner?" His face still wore a smile, but it didn't reach his eyes.
Blake returned an equally fake smile. "No need. I've got plans with a friend too. Next time for sure."
They politely parted ways. Before leaving, I clearly saw Blake fumbling for his phone—probably to tip off Nicholas. I didn't think much of it. Given our current situation, we were practically strangers anyway. I didn't need to report my whereabouts to him, much less tell him who I was meeting.
For some reason, an inexplicable sense of loss settled over me. Was I really that bad at handling relationships? Maybe I was meant to die alone.
Samuel, who was driving, picked up on my mood. "Catherine, something wrong?"
I snapped back to reality. "No."
Samuel ventured carefully. "This Nicholas that Blake mentioned—is he your boyfriend?"
I shook my head. "No, we're just neighbors."
I just instinctively checked my phone for new messages, my emotions a tangled mess—anticipation, fear, finally settling into calm. Samuel and I chatted idly.
He'd made reservations at the restaurant ahead of time. When ordering, Samuel courteously handed me the menu. "Catherine, it's been so long, I don't even know what you like anymore. Order whatever you want. Don't hold back on my account."
A smile tugged at my lips. I joked, "Well then, don't mind if I do."
Samuel's smile widened as he gestured for me to go ahead. I politely ordered a few dishes. Samuel said I was being too formal and added several more. "Catherine, you're still treating me like a stranger."
I smiled politely. "Not at all."
But Samuel seized the opportunity. "Do you still remember what happened our graduation year?"
My smile faltered.
Seeing this, Samuel smiled openly. "Sorry about that. I was young and stupid. I hope I didn't make things awkward for you."
I shook my head and said nothing. He hadn't actually troubled me—after all, I'd never given him a second thought. Samuel smoothly changed the subject, and my expression returned to normal.
The dishes arrived. Samuel thoughtfully wiped my utensils clean and handed them to me. I was pleasantly surprised but accepted graciously.
"Catherine?"
A voice drew my attention. I put down my utensils and turned. Blake stood right next to me, with a stone-faced Nicholas behind him.
The server who'd brought them in visibly relaxed when she saw we knew each other. "Miss, are these two friends of yours?"
I nodded, confused.
"The thing is, miss, we're at peak dinner hours and the restaurant is completely full right now. Would you be willing to let your friends share your table? To apologize for the inconvenience, we can offer twenty percent off your meal plus two complimentary desserts. Would that work for you?"
I glanced at Blake, then at Nicholas behind him, who'd been staring at me the whole time. "What a coincidence."
But it didn't really matter to me either way. I didn't have any romantic feelings for Samuel anyway—this was just an old classmates' reunion dinner.
"I don't mind." I agreed and turned to Samuel.
His smile was a bit strained, but since I'd already agreed, he could only go along. "Since they're Catherine's friends, of course they can join us."
"Thanks." Blake and Nicholas didn't waste words.
I watched Blake quickly slide into the seat next to Samuel, not forgetting to signal Nicholas with his eyes. Nicholas sat down beside me with reserved dignity. Worried he didn't have enough room, I scooted over a bit. Unfortunately, I caught a flicker of hurt in Nicholas's eyes from the corner of my vision.
I glanced at him in confusion, then quickly looked away.