MEETING UP WITH NOAH

        Charlie made a face.  "What are you two fighting about again?" 

        "Happy birthday, Charlie," Faith said with a fake smile. 

        "There's no way you are changing the topic," Charlie said, grabbed her hand and dragged her inside. 

      She stammered.  "Err... Charlie...I...can you wait... Oh, my God." 

       Nora was at the pharmacy getting some drugs. She watched Faith and Charlie from there and saw when he dragged her in.  She sighed.   "I'm glad she is getting along with him, she won't miss me too much," she muttered. 

       Charlie dragged Faith to his desk, dropped his cake and made her seat down. There were a couple of other gifts on his table. Faith glanced at her wristwatch, it was six o'clock on the dot, she looked up at Charlie and smiled a fake smile again. 

       "I'm sorry, but I just have less than thirty minutes here." 

       "What? I thought you are dressed up for the party? My partner would soon come to pick us up." 

        "Us?" Faith asked with wide eyes. 

         "Yes, us. When you called and said you were coming over to the hospital, I called him and told him that a friend of mine would be joining us from here back home." 

        "No, no, no, I didn't say I was going to your birthday..." 

       "What?" 

       Faith made a puppy eye.  "Actually, that's why I'm here." 

         Charlie eyed her.  "You know that no matter how cute you try to look, I'm not moved because I'm not into girls." 

      Faith scowled and sighed.  "Then you should just pretend that you were moved." 

       "Seriously, why won't you attend my birthday? I sang it to you and you promised to be there." 

        "My dear friend." Faith grabbed his hand.  "My best friend, Charlie. I was going to come to your birthday until something came up, something that might not come up again if I miss this one." 

      "What is so important than my birthday right now?" 

   Faith left his hand and went into a dilemma. She didn't know how Charlie would feel if she told him that she was going to meet with Noah. She would tell him that she feel sick, but she was not looking sick and it would make him worry about her.

        "I love you, Charlie," she said abruptly. 

     Charlie stared at her for a moment.  "I'm not touched by that because it's just a weak attempt to segue. Did something wrong happen?" 

      Faith shook her head. This was harder than she thought. She didn't want him to think that she was prioritizing Noah over him.  "Uhm...do you know...do you know Noah?" she asked slowly. 

       "Oh, is that it? You are ditching me for Noah." 

      "No, no, no, Charlie, it's not like that." 

        "What is it like? I'm so mad right now." 

       Faith quickly held his hand again.  "Please, don't be... He is in town and asked to see me and I just want to know what he has to say." 

          "Why did you choose to meet today of all days?" 

        "I think it is my fault. I didn't look at my schedule and I accepted to go out with Noah, for that, I'm sorry."

      Charlie looked at her for a while.  "What time are you meeting up?" 

      "Six-thirty." 

      "And you want to go by now?" 

       "It's almost sixty-thirty!" Faith said and made to stand but Charlie held her back. 

       "This is why he would always treat you so lowly. You should make him wait for you, not the other way round." 

    She sighed. "You don't know Noah. If he comes and doesn't see me, he might leave." 

        "Since he is coming back, don't make it easy for him, be sassy and confident in yourself." 

        "Yes, grandpa!" Faith said and rolled her eyes, relaxing back on the chair.

        "Grandpa? Really?" 

       "I want to visit a beautician to touch my face." 

        "That's a good idea. I know of one, I'll put you in a cab and call her. Her touch is magical and it would get Noah drooling all through the night." 

      "Thank you so much." 

        "Don't thank me," Charlie said and grabbed her hand, leading her out of the hospital.  "I'm still mad at you."

      "I'm sorry then." 

     Charlie dragged her to the compound and as they crossed the pharmacy, Faith looked in but didn't see Nora. 

      "You still owe me a detailed explanation of why you and Nora are not talking, that's when I will forgive you." 

        "Yes, grandpa!" 

   Charlie cursed. "Who is your grandpa? Why not try, Yes, big bro!" 

     She eyed Charlie.  "Never!" 

    He dragged her to the sidewalk and they waited for a cab to pull up. A cab finally pulled up and Charlie shoved her into the back seat. He looked at the driver and told him the location of the beauty place. 

         "Please, do not divert even if she asks you to." 

   Faith glared at him.  "Who are you? My father?" 

        "No, your grandpa," he said with a lopsided smile. 

   Despite that she was frustrated, she chuckled.  "Don't be so cute, it doesn't move me." 

       "Use your own lines, Miss Prescott." 

       "I like learning from my grandfather." 

       "Have fun then." 

       "Happy birthday, Charlie! Have more fun!"  she called as Charlie closed the door and the car started moving slowly. 

       Charlie stood by the sidewalk, waving at her. She watched him and saw when a black convertible pulled up in front of him and a tall guy came out of the car. She only saw his profile and Charlie hugged him. 

      "That must be Douglas," she muttered to herself and turned to face front.  She would have really liked to stay for the party, it would have been more fun and she could have met Charlie's man and seen just how hot he looks. Nora didn't stop talking about him after seeing him that day and she was going to meet him again.

      She exhaled and looked out of the window. She has to secure her future right? They are all with their partners. Charlie is with Douglas, Nora is with Danny—or maybe not anymore. She frowned. What has she done? Maybe, that's why Nora pretended not to see her. But she wasn't looking depressed. Ethan is with Charlotte, although the both of them are confused souls and didn't know what they wanted. They were still together. No matter how she looked at it, she was the single one among them. 

      So she was going to patch up things with Noah so that she would be a couple too. She smiled at that thought. But then, she won't be as close to Charlie or Ethan anymore. Noah might even request that she leaves the house. 

        It was seven-thirty when she finally got to the restaurant where she had picked out to meet up with Noah. She looked around and saw him seated at a table in the centre of the room, a glass of water and a bucket of wine were on the table. He should have gotten a seat by the corner, she didn't like staying at the centre where every eye would be on her. 

      She started hurrying over to the table and almost tripped while she hurried over to him. She got to the table and started apologizing. 

        "I'm so sorry I'm late. It was..."

  He smiled at her.  "It's not a problem, Faith, I just got here myself." 

        "Oh." 

       "Please have a seat," he said and gestured to a seat in his front. 

       She pulled out the seat and sat down. He was still smiling at her and she smiled back. He still looked like himself, with curly brown hair, deep-set eyes and pronounced lips. He wore a black tuxedo which suited his colour. She was still attracted to him. 

        "You look...you look..." he started to say.

       "I'm sorry if the makeup is too much, I was coming from a friend's birthday party." She was going to kill Charlie for deceiving her and sending her to that beautician's place. 

          "No, no, no, you look gorgeous, stunning, amazing, are there any other words better than those? That is what you look like." 

       She blushed and looked down.  "Thank you. You look good too." 

      "I know, I am a good looking man." 

     What is wrong with men? Why are they so boastful? What happened to a simple 'thank you when they are complimented? Do they always have to make that smug statement? She sighed inwardly. But he was handsome anyway. 

        "I ordered jambalaya, your favourite," he said with a smile still on his face. 

         "Oh," she muttered. She didn't want to eat jambalaya, she was craving noodle soup. He should have waited for her to come. She smiled at him. He reached for the wine and popped it, poured it into her glass and poured it into his. She took hers and he took his and raised his glass. 

        "Cheers to meeting up," he said. 

     Cheers to meeting up? What happened to cheers to us? What happened to cheers to coming back together? She stopped thinking about that. Noah was trying his best to make her happy and comfortable that was why he had ordered her best meal. 

       She smiled and raised her glass.  "Cheers to us. She needed to ask him the questions that brought her there.  "So..." she started to talk but Noah cut her off. 

      "Do you remember Kimberly?" 

     Her eyebrows knitted together in a confused frown.   "Who is Kimberly?" 

       "You don't remember sexy Kimberly that lived two blocks away?" 

      She searched her brain, trying to remember who Kimberly was or if she has ever heard that name, but nothing came to mind. She looked at him, he was staring eagerly at her. 

      "Oh, Kimberly! Kimberly, sexy Kimberly I remember her well, she lived two blocks away." 

        "Right." He took the glass from the table and drank from it.  He kept it back on the table.  "I can't believe it. Guess what?" 

       Oh, Jesus, I don't believe in you but I have heard that you are a saviour, if you are please save me from KIMBERLY! She smiled at him.  "She is dead." 

       Noah's eyes widened in terror.  "Jesus! No, Faith. How could you even guess that kind of a thing?" 

       Oh, well, she isn't? Because I'm killing her with my mind. Why would she be popping up in our conversation?  "Don't mind me, people die a lot these days." 

        "Kimberly that was chased by the guys around the block and she turned everyone down. Guess who she is settling with." 

        Where you one of the guys she turned down?   "The president of America?" 

      Noah snickered in fits of laughter and Faith watched him smiling. 

        "Faith, you still possess your sense of humour!" he said still laughing. 

     Her eyes ran around in her sockets. Does she have a sense of humour? 

      "She turned down a whole lot of rich men, Bankers, Politicians, CEOs, Lobbyists to mention but a few just to settle down with a country boy.  A cowboy." 

        "Cowboys are sexy, ain't they?" 

       The waiter arrived with their meals and set each plate on the table.  Faith sighed with relief, this was going to make him stop talking about Kimberly. 

       "Enjoy your meal," the waiter said and started leaving. 

       "We will, thank you," Faith called after him. 

      "So, you think sexiness would pay the bills?" Noah ask. 

      Please God, not this talk again. What was it about this Kimberly for Christ's sake?  "Love doesn't mind..."

        "Bullshit! Are you saying you can marry someone broke?" 

        "If I love him, why not?" 

       "Who is going to sponsor your lavish lifestyle?" 

   She glared at him. He was eating totally oblivious of what he just said to her. 

        "Noah, I don't live a lavish lifestyle." 

        "Oh, that's right. I totally forgot that you are more of a t-shirt and jeans person." 

      Was that why you broke up with me? You only wanted a girl like Kimberly? Was that why you asked to see me? Because you saw me all dressed and on makeup at Danny's party? She wanted to ask those things but she spooned her food inside. 

      He looked up at her.  "Why are you not eating? It's your favourite right?" 

       "Oh, yes!" she replied with a smile and put a spoonful in her mouth.  She ate jambalaya just this afternoon. 

        "I can't seem to take my eyes off you, Faith. What happened? You changed and you wear makeup now." 

      I didn't change and I still don't wear makeup.  "I met a friend here, Charlotte, she influenced me so much." 

        "She must be a very sexy woman." 

      Why does he have to call other women sexy in her presence?  "She is an adorable person." 

        They ate in silence for a while, she broke the silence. 

     "So, what are you doing here? Did you come for business?" 

       "Yes, I came for business, but I'm not going back to San Francisco anytime soon, I'll stay here for a while." 

       "Oh." 

        "Is it not here that Nora stays?" he asked with a mouthful of food. 

       "She stays here." 

         "Are you still friends?"

         "Yes, of course. We are friends," Faith answered nervously, recalling how Nora had ignored her at the hospital. 

       "That's right."

     Silence settled in between them again and Noah ate his food like he enjoyed it so much.  She watched him for a while. Since she came, they have not said anything about the reason he invited her out. They have just been talking about random things and even discussing a woman she didn't know anything about. 

        "Uhm... Noah?" 

         "Yes, love." 

      She cleared her throat and swallowed hard. Thankfully, Noah was not looking at her.   "You have not said why you called me here." 

      Noah paused eating, paused chewing and stared at her for a while.  "What do you want us to talk about?" he asked softly.  "It's enough that I'm seeing your pretty face, babe. I will make it up to you since I'm here. We are cool together and we understand each other." 

       "Didn't you say you wanted to see me and talk things out?" 

         "Babe, let's eat first. We still have time to talk all we want alright? Come on, let's enjoy the meal together." 

        "You have been dodging the topic since I came, each time I try to bring it up, you go into another topic." 

         "That's not true, babe." Noah dropped his spoon and it clattered on the plate.   "I'm sorry. I was saving that for the last time. Let's eat first then discuss later." 

           She stared at him for a while. He looked at her and saw that she wasn't buying it.

        "Come on, babe. Let's enjoy the meal and talk later. You have barely touched your food." 

        "Why did you come back?" Faith asked stubbornly. 

         "I miss you, alright? Isn't it obvious?" 

         "You never called to say that nor ever answered my calls." 

          "That was because I was busy, but each time I come home, I miss you." 

           "You have other girlfriends." 

             "They are just flings. You are the only woman I have ever loved. I don't know what came over me, but since you left, I've been through hell and back." 

       Faith would have blushed, but she put two spoons of food into her mouth and started chewing.  He always has a way of melting her heart with words. 

       He promised to make it up to her this time and she said she would like to see him try. They ate and drank and he drove her back home. Before she went down from the car, he held her arm, leaned closer and whispered in her ear. 

         "You look perfect tonight."   

      It has made emotions surge through her and once she was in the elevator, she took out her phone and started playing Ed Sheeran's  'Perfect'. She sang along until she was in the apartment and everywhere was dark. She wondered if Ethan was around because she left the lights on when she was leaving.  She turned on the lights and saw Ethan arms folded across his chest, seated on the sofa. She kept singing planning to ignore him but Et was not someone to be ignored. 

        "Why are you looking so happy?" he asked and stood up. 

         "Why are you standing and coming so close to me?" she asked and ran towards her room. 

      He pushed her and she screamed.  "I don't wanna play now." 

       "Then tell me where you went to?" 

        "Duh! Who are you? I went to meet up with my ex-boyfriend and we seem to be patching things up." 

       "Oh, really? How is he?" 

         "He is alright." 

        "Alright, good night. I just wanted to be sure you are okay," Ethan said and went into his room without looking back.

          Faith paused her music and watched him until he entered his room. She shrugged and entered her room.