4: A glimpse of the past

From Albert: Goodnight baby girl.

I read with a smile on my face.

I typed back my reply.

TO ALBERT: Goodnight gorgeous man.

I closed my eyes and fell asleep. When I woke up the next day, I woke up to the sound of my phone ringing.

I groaned as I hated my sleep being disturbed, which is why I never turned on my alarm after graduating high school.

I stretched my hands to get my phone on the nightstand. The moment I saw the caller ID, I snapped out of it and sat down on my bed.

I cleared my throat before answering the call.

"Good morning baby girl," I heard Albert say from the other side and I blushed.

"Good morning," I replied.

"Are you just waking up?" He asked.

"No," I lied.

"Why do I not believe you?" He said and I giggled.

Albert could tell when I was lying because I always have replies faster when I lie.

"Well that's because you don't want to," I replied.

"Okay, fine. I just wanted to let you know that you are beautiful and that I love you. Do not forget our plans for today okay?" He said and I blushed.

"I love you too and I will not forget," I replied

"Okay baby girl. Take care of yourself," he said before ending the call.

****

I hugged Albert from behind with a smile on my face. I heaved a sigh of relief with my head pressed on his back and my arms around him.

"If it isn't my favorite human being, I wonder who," Albert said, holding my fingers.

He turned around to face me while holding my hands. He stares at me from head to toe before looking back at my face with a grin on his face.

"If I wasn't your boyfriend, I would be jealous of that man," he said and I blushed.

Little words from Albert were enough to make my heart race faster than normal and to make my cheek red like a tomato. He did have to do much to get my attention.

"You should be proud I am yours you know," I said with a smile on my face.

"I am very proud, trust me."

He leaned down and kissed my lips before intertwining our fingers together. We began to move in the direction of his car.

"How are you preparing for your finals?" I asked him.

"Quite well. My CGPA is still firm. It's still 4.5 but I plan on graduating with a CGPA of 4.8," he said.

"My man is brilliant. I'm proud of you," I told him sincerely.

He opened the door of his car for me and I got in. He closed the door before going to the other side to enter.

He helped me with my seatbelt and placed a kiss on my lips.

"Where are we going?" I asked as he began to drive.

"I didn't tell you this beforehand because I didn't want you to do anything. We are going for a picnic. Just you, me, the wind, and the trees. We hardly spend time together and I miss you," he expatiates.

"I missed you too. What is the situation with your dad? Is he still angry with you?" I asked him.

He sighed deeply while pinching the bridge of his nose.

"We are good. He can't be angry for too long. That's my dad for you," he said and I nodded my head.

"Are you sure?" I asked.

I couldn't help but ask. His father wasn't a fan of mine and he had not hidden his dislike for me the day he saw me at Albert's place when he visited Albert unawares.

"I am sure. It's nothing new. My dad and I hardly get along. I mean he is always demanding that I do what he wants, so it's nothing new," he said.

I decided not to ask any more questions.

We arrived at our destination. After setting the place up, he asked me to sit.

I exhaled deeply as I sat down next to him.

"So what's in the basket?" I asked him.

"Some sandwiches for us and more chocolates for you," he said and I giggled in excitement.

"I want some chocolate first, give them to me," I stretched out my hands for them.

"This was why I didn't want to tell you about chocolate first. Can we at least first eat the sandwiches?" He suggested.

"Okay," I said.

Albert fed me with his hand and sometimes he would put half of it in his mouth and make me bite the other half with mine.

"Finally, my babies," I said when we finished all the sandwiches and drinks he bought.

All of a sudden, a heavy wind blew and the bright blue sky was replaced with a sky of gray.

"Did they say it was going to rain today?" I asked Albert as I got up from where I was seated with the chocolate in my hand.

"Yes," he replied and I gasped.

"Did you come with an umbrella?" I asked him.

No," he replied, pulling me closer to him with his hands on my waist.

"We are going to play in the rain. It was one of the things you wanted to do, remember?" He said and I opened my mouth in surprise that he remembered them.

I told him about this the first night I met him in the bar. I was just rambling that night to him who was a stranger to me at that time and I couldn't believe he remembered.

"You are..." I trailed off speechless, not knowing the right words to use and describe him.

"... The best boyfriend any woman can ask for right?" He winked at me.

I stood on my tippy toes and kissed him on the lips. "Thanks so much, Albert, but if I catch a cold, that's on you," I warned.

"I promise you I have other means to keep you warm," he said, biting his lips lightly.

**

The thunder cried loudly and aggressively, signaling that a heavy downpour was about to grace the earth and I cursed mentally when I realized that I had forgotten my umbrella at the restaurant.

I felt a hand on me and I knew it was Albert and he had caught up to me.

"Just what do you want!" I exclaimed in anger.

I was now standing face to face with Albert in the middle of the night with tears in my eyes, threatening to come out anytime soon.

5: Pleading for a chance.

DIANA

It began to rain.

The rain didn't start from drizzling.

As the rain fell heavily, the tears I held back streamed down my cheek, mixing with the rain.

It felt as if the rain was crying on my behalf too.

Why did he have to show up and why now? I thought to myself as I stared at him.

"Just what do you want?" I asked in tears, pain in my heart.

"I just want to talk," he said and I scoffed.

"Talk? Talk about Albert?" I asked him, sniffing a little.

"I don't want to talk to you, so please stay away," I pleaded even when I wasn't supposed to.

"But I can't," he said.

I asked in disbelief. "You can't? Just why? Weren't you able to before? And if I remember correctly, you wanted to stay away from me, so what's your problem?" I asked him.

I didn't know if I was angry or sad or confused, but one thing was for sure and that was I didn't want to see him ever again.

He moved closer to me and I walked back. "Don't come any closer," I warned, pointing at him with my index finger. To my surprise, he held my finger with his hand and I glared at him.

"Let go," I said through gritted teeth.

"Can we talk?" He said and I scoffed.

"Talk?" I shook my head in disbelief.

"It's your audacity for me. Why would you think that I would want to talk to you and if you spoke calmly I would consider it?" I chided.

"Me and you?" I pointed at myself and then at him with my index finger. "Can never talk," I added.

"You have gotten to be the most delusional human on earth if you think I'd speak to you. What's there to talk with you?" I asked him to remove my finger from his hold.

He ran his fingers through his hair. "We have a lot to talk about," he said and I laughed hysterically.

"A lot to talk about? So what are we talking about? Tell me please because now I am very interested."

"Are we going to talk about how you said I wasn't your type and you were just using me to pass time?" I used my index and middle finger to make gestures in the air, referring to that night when all my misery started.

"Or when you said I should never call you, I shouldn't look for you and I should simply do nothing?" I clenched my fist to control my tears.

I refused to cry in front of him anymore. I was done crying in his presence because he wasn't worth it. He isn't worth seeing my tears because he played a huge role in making me cry.

I was glad it was raining as I felt the sky was crying on my behalf too.

I stared at Albert and was taken aback by the expression I saw on his face. I refuse to believe that he regrets his actions because of the way he looked at me.

'No Diana, don't even look at him' I cautioned myself.

"Speechless are you?" I said after a few seconds when I realized that he wasn't saying anything.

"Of course. You do not remember those words, right? Or should I remind you of how you told me I wasn't at your standard and I was just a kid? Should I keep on going, Albert?" I asked, folding my arms across my chest.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, but I heard him.

I laughed out sardonically.

"Why are you sorry?" I asked him in disbelief.

"Did I fall? Did you hit me? So why are you apologizing?" I asked, not understanding why.

"Please, spare me that. Why don't you go find someone else and tell them that, because I do not need your sympathy," I spat out, disdain laced in my tone?

I pointed my index finger at him. "Do not show yourself in front of me anymore. I am warning you, Albert. I never want to see your face because you disgust me," I said, putting emphasis on my every word.

I turned around to leave. Just as I took my first step, I felt a hand snake around my waist. My eyes widened in shock and anger at the same time.

"I'm so sorry Diana. Please forgive me. I know I have wronged you in the past, but please give me another chance to make it right. Let's talk, please," he said, holding me tightly on my waist.

I have never felt so infuriated before in my life. The audacity for him to touch me with his hands. I struggled to get his hands from around my waist but he tightened his hold on me.

"Let me go, Albert!" I exclaimed in anger.

"I cannot. Not until you give me a chance to talk to you," he said and I mentally face palmed myself.

"I do not want to speak to you, so how many times do you want me to tell you before you understand?" I said through gritted teeth.

"No matter how many times you tell me to stay away, I won't. So please let's talk. Give me a chance to explain," he said.

I couldn't believe him. I couldn't believe he had the guts to ask me for a chance to speak to him.

I aggressively took his hands off me, turned around, and slapped him hard, right across his face.

"I deserve that," I hear him say.

"Of course you do. You deserve more than a slap!" I exclaimed.

" And if you try this stunt again on me, I won't just be slapping you," I warned him firmly and sternly.

"If you think I am that naive Diana of the past, then you are wrong. You do not know me and the old Diana is gone. I won't be falling for the same trick as yours anymore, so I'd advise you not touch me or even come closer to me, you hear me!" I said through my teeth before walking away from him.

ALBERT

"Are you listening to me at all Albert?" I snapped out of my thoughts when I heard the voice of my friend Jamie.

"Oh. Sorry. Come again," I said, looking in his direction.

He shook his head. "You have been lost since you arrived, is there a problem?" He asked me and I shook my head.

"None at all," I lied, but he didn't seem to believe me and I expected that from him because he knew me very well and he knew when I was bothered.

Jamie came and sat down beside me. "You and I know that's a lie. Come on, talk to me. You know that I am a good listener, right?" He said and I sighed.

"Are you thinking of her?" He asked.

Jamie knew very well the only person that invaded my thoughts and made me drink myself to sleep most times. He knew about Diana.

"I saw her," I revealed to him.

"Wow. When? Where? What did you say to her?" He asked and I sighed.

I ran my fingers through my hair. "I saw her two days ago and also last night. She works at the restaurant where I had a business meeting with investors from Spain. I saw her, Jamie and you should have seen how happy I was to see her and how angry I was at myself too."

"She hates my gut, Jamie. She hates me and doesn't want to see me. She is still affected by my words and could I blame her? If she had said those words to me, it would leave a scar on me for life." My eyes blurred with tears and I sniffled a little.

"Honestly Albert, I do not know what to say, but if there is one thing I know is that you love her so much. I only met her once, but I saw the one you looked at. You looked at her as if she was the only human that existed and I know what you did five years ago was to save her from your father and, because I know that, I'd advise that you not give up on your feelings for her and win her heart. Tell her what happened and make her yours again." Jamie placed his arms around my shoulder.

I tilted my head to look at him. "You think she will forgive me?" I asked him.

"Of course. I mean, your feelings and sincerity and all you did was to protect her so she would warm up to you although it might take time, but she will forgive you," he squeezed my arms, an act of encouragement from him and I felt that.

"Thanks so much, Jamie. I will go and talk to her now." I got up from where I was seated.

"What about what we had to discuss?" Jamie questioned.

"We will talk about that later, but for now, I have to win the heart of my woman once again," I told him and hurried out.

I drove to the restaurant I saw Diana yesterday expecting to see her, but to my surprise I didn't see her.

I sat down, waiting for her to come, but another waitress came to me instead. While I made my order, I searched for Diana with my eyes but couldn't find her.

I didn't fail to notice how the waitress stared at me, but I could care less. I was used to being stared at and I knew when a woman eyed me like that and this waitress wasn't an exemption.

I only cared about one woman staring at me and that's Diana and any other woman apart from her wouldn't get my attention no matter how beautiful they were or how much they tried to get me.

When the waitress came back with my order, I decided to ask about her.

"Excuse me," I called for the attention of the waitress just as she was about to leave.

"Yes sir. How can I help you?" She asked me with a smile on her face and I mentally shook my head because I knew she was thinking I wanted to ask for her number.

"The other waitress named Diana, is she no longer working here?" I asked.

The smile on her face was replaced with a frown immediately. "Diana?" She asked and I nodded my head.

"Yes. Diana," I clarified.

"She's a part-timer so she only comes in the evening and that's from six to eleven," she answered me and I did not fail to notice how unhappy she sounded when she answered me.

"Oh, I see," I muttered.

I didn't think she was a part-timer and it made me wonder what she was going through while she wasn't here. I was curious to know a lot about her and how she was coping with life.

I raised my head to see that the waitress had not gone.

"Is there a problem?" I asked her.

She smiled at me and I did not miss out on the way she batted her eyelashes. I mentally rolled my eyes at her behavior as I was only irritated by them.

"I can treat you better than Diana. I am very good in bed," she tried too hard to sound seductive and I only cringe at her tone.

Diana needn't do much to give me a hard-on. She was that effortless in everything and here I was disgusted by the sight of someone who thought I was looking for Diana so she could warm my bed.

I glared at her. "Do they pay you to warm people's beds or to serve them? Which is it?" I snarled.

"I'm sorry sir," she said before walking away.

I took in a deep breath and exhaled.

It wasn't until an hour and thirty minutes before Diana came and my face lit up from the sight of her.

She looked so beautiful and small and I felt the urge to pull her closer to me and hug her.

Diana walked away and by the time she came back, she was dressed in the outfit given to them for work.

I called for the attention of the waitress and Diana's eyes met mine I did not miss how the smile on her face fell and a frown replaced them when she saw me.

She was angry with me and I could feel it from where I sat and I knew I deserved him. I hurt her and even when she begged me to stay, I only insulted her pride.

Diana walked towards my table with a frown on her face and I restrained myself from smiling as I didn't want her thinking that I was enjoying making her angry, whereas I was happy seeing her after waiting for almost two hours.

"Good evening sir," she greeted me.

"You do not have to sound so formal. You can call me by my name," I said to her.

"Do you want to pay your bills or do you want a side dish packed for you so you could take it with you, which is it?" She asked in a professional tone.

She wasn't sparing me a glance and I knew because I was looking at her face and she wasn't looking back at me but above my head.

"I need your best side dishes packed for me so I can take them with me," I said to her.

"Which of the side dishes is because I can assure you that we offer the best of our side dishes," she replied.

"Just get me the one you would get for yourself," I told her.

"I am afraid I can't do that sir. I can not tell your preference and I can not get for you what is preferable for me," she retorted.

"I said, just get me, anyone," I told her firmly, leaving no room for discussion.

She sighed. "I will do just that," she replied before walking away.

I felt my heartache and my stomach sink. I knew it was going to take more than a lot to get her to look at me and I was willing to do so because she deserved the best in the world.

Diana returned a little later with my packed dishes. "Here you go sir," she said.

"Thank you," I replied.

I got up and went to the counter to pay before I left.

I didn't leave, but I waited in my car for her, waiting for her to come so that I would speak to her.

I was determined to get her to speak to me today and I do not mind being slapped a thousand times for it.