"Rashad?"
It's Dr. Al-Masri who's speaking, and my senses reel a little when I realize it's Mr. Mine he's addressing.
Rashad.
I finally know his name, but it's too late, and I can no longer let myself care about this.
Over and done with, remember?
I pin a smile on my face and reach forward to touch my date's arm. "Brian?"
Brian's cheeks are flushed when he looks at me, and the last thing I see is Mr. Mine's expression turning thunderous—-
But we don't care about that, do we, self?
No, we absolutely do not, and so I yank my gaze away from Mr. Mine and focus on my date.
Focus, focus, focus.
It's a struggle to be honest, especially with the two men taking the table directly behind Brian's, and Mr. Mine making no effort to hide the fact that he's staring at me the entire time.
I'm sure he has his reasons for pushing me away, but what's done is done, and I've never been the type to knock my head endlessly against the wall.
You made your choice, Mr. Mine.
You knew I wanted you, and I knew you wanted me back. But you did what you did, and all we can do now is move on.
Over and done with, a.k.a. The End.
Or so I tell myself with foolish, hurt pride, but barely half an hour has passed since then, and I'm reduced to mumbling an excuse to Bryan before practically running to the ladies'.
I'm sure my date thinks I'm about to poop or something, and while there is something my body wants to release—-
It's something a lot grosser, and it's called tears.
You're so unfair, Mr. Mine.
I should probably stop calling him that, but how can I when the part of him that's Rashad isn't something he's let me see? All he is to me is a handsome stranger, just that, but as pathetic as it is, the mere sight of said stranger also has tears running down my cheeks.
When did you turn into a crybaby, self?
Grandpa Paco raised me better and stronger than this, and I mustn't waste my tears on a man like him.
We can do this, self!
I repeat the words in my mind as I spash cold water on my face, but when I step out of the ladies', the first thing I see is the man I was hoping to forget.
Remember your promise!
Having him this close is torture, with the way it reminds me of how his sheer presence alone can make me hot and wet. I wish I can say it's different now...but it's not.
"Are you trying to make me jealous?"
The way he snarls the words out makes me want to strangle and kiss him at the same time.
How dare you, Mr. Mine?
I may want him terribly, and maybe I'm even a little in love with him, but I can't let him play hot and cold like this with my feelings, and so I force myself to answer him without even meeting his gaze.