Raymond walked with Ron into the small café where he was meeting Tavia. They took a table by the store front and signaled the waitress to take their orders. When the waitress left, Raymond looked out the window. He didn't want to be here. He told Ron that but Ron insisted that he come out with him, rather than moping around the apartment. Now that they were here Raymond might as well make the most of it. “What time were you supposed to meet her?”

Ron looked at his watch, “She should be here soon. She’s very punctual.”

Raymond picked up a packet of sugar from the little tray on the side of the table and began outlining the edges with his finger. “All I promised was to have coffee with you two. Afterwards, you’re on your own.”

Ron smirked, “I wouldn’t want you tagging along anyway.”

The waitress returned with their bagels and muffins. Raymond picked up half a bagel and spread a generous amount of butter onto it. “Where are you guys heading to later?”

Ron did the same with his muffin and after taking a bite, said, “Nowhere special. Probably just walk around. Do you have any suggestions?”

Raymond thought back to the beginning of his relationship with Charmaine. Their dates would usually consist of a meal, a walk afterwards and then a movie. They were content just being with each other. He remembered a time during one of their walks in the park that it started to rain heavily all of a sudden. They ran inside a telephone booth and stayed there until the rain let up, which was an hour later. Still, they didn’t notice because they were chatting away inside that tight booth and lost track of time. That was where they shared their first kiss. When the sun finally broke, neither wanted to leave and break that special moment. Raymond smiled as he recalled Charmaine’s flushed face when he pulled away from the kiss.

“Hello? Raymond? Did you hear what I just said?” Ron asked, bringing him back to the present.

Raymond looked at Ron and said, “What? What did you say?”

Ron shook his head knowing where his friend’s thoughts were. He looked at Raymond with condemnation, “You got to stop it,” he said grimly. “It won’t do you any good if you keep this up.”

Confused, Raymond asked, “Stop what?”

Ron stared hard at Raymond and said, “Thinking about Charmaine. I can tell you were thinking of her just now. Stop it. She’s already with Joe and even told you to leave her alone. If you keep this up, you’re only torturing yourself.”

“I know what I’m doing and can take care of myself,” Raymond said sternly.

Ron calmly said, “I know you can but what you had with her is over. Let it go.”

Deflated, Raymond said sadly, “I blame myself for everything. I had such a wonderful girlfriend and I let her down.” With brows drawn, he said out loud, “I’ve always wondered how she knew where to find me that night. She never questioned me about my whereabouts.”

Ron felt himself sweat and stammered, “M-Maybe someone she knew recognized you and told her where you were.”

“That may be the case,” Raymond said thoughtfully, “But I never met any of her friends and neither had she met mine’s. It’s just seems strange to me. Like a set-up.”

Ron laughed nervously, “You’re thinking about something that happened so long ago. It happened already and there’s no turning back time. So forget about it.”

“You’re right,” Raymond agreed but still couldn’t shake the feeling that someone wanted Charmaine to break up with him four years ago.

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Tavia pulled Charmaine along the busy street towards the café where she was meeting Ron. She wanted Charmaine to get to know Ron because Ron was important to her. She hoped Ron didn’t mind that she brought a friend along. “Could you hurry a bit? We’re late!” Tavia said over her shoulder.

Charmaine tried to keep up but Tavia was close to running now. Halting to a stop, she called out in between gasps, “Why don’t you go without me?”

Tavia stopped and retreated her steps until she was once again in front of Charmaine, “I want you to get to know him. After all, you’re my best friend and soon you’ll be seeing more of him.”

Charmaine smiled and teased, “Sounds serious this time.”

“Very,” Tavia replied and slid her arm over Charmaine’s shoulder and prodded her forward. “There’s something about him that makes me… I don’t know how to describe it. But whenever I see him, I get butterflies in my stomach and my heart starts beating real fast. Do you know what I mean?”

“Yes,” Charmaine said as she automatically thought of Raymond and how she felt when she was with him back then. A dreamy look came across her features.

Mistaking Joe as the cause of Charmaine’s trance-like state, Tavia asked, “Joe makes you feel that way too?”

Charmaine realized that she had been thinking of Raymond again. She couldn’t seem to get him out of her mind since their last encounter. She can’t go on like this. She was emotionally drained by him and it isn’t fair to Joe either. She had to find a way to erase him out of her mind completely. She looked at Tavia with a sly smile and said, “Of course he does and more.”

Tavia laughed and squeezed Charmaine’s shoulders, “I’m so happy that you have finally found someone that treats you right. I see how caring Joe is towards you.”

“Yes he is,” Charmaine said, “Joe is everything I’ve always wanted in a man.” Then why does she keep thinking about another man, a man who had shattered her heart into pieces. A man who had the audacity to think that she would want to get back with him after the way he hurt her.

“We’re here,” Tavia announced as they approached the door. She opened the door and walked in.

From behind, Charmaine saw Tavia wave at someone, must be Ron. She followed Tavia and when they were at the table, she looked in horror to find Raymond staring up at her.