Chapter 4 A Stranger, A Cold And Alienated Old Friend

Dusk came as a promise of starlight; of those brilliant pearls of the nighttime that sat as if cushioned upon a pure black velvet sky.

After changing into a floral lace gown, Sharon applied minimal makeup, reserved to a sweep of mascara and some lip gloss before going out to dinner with Magee.

The view from the restaurant was breathtaking, clearly not the kind of place one could get a table on impulse. There were flowers on each table, delicate live piano music and the overall decor revolved around a vintage style that Sharon really appreciated.

Sharon's gentle smile melted across her face like warm honey as she said, "Thank you. You still remember?"

Magee smiled through his captivating eyes as he gazed into hers and said, "We've known each other for many years. Of course I still remember what your preferences are."

Sharon fell into silence, taking a pensive look back in time. It had been exactly eight years.

Soon, an array of savory dishes with a range of colors, flavors, textures, and aromas was placed before them. Snapping out of her thoughts, Sharon picked up her chopsticks, mouth salivating and eyes wide with excitement.

Only once pleasantries were exchanged. The conversation really did get interesting between the two and it seemed like everything was going smoothly.

Although they hadn't seen each other for many years, they were able to pick up right where they had let off without any effort.

After dinner, Magee had to go back to work as his colleagues insisted that he work overtime. Sharon understood his urgency and politely refused Magee's kind gesture of taking her back. While she stood by the bustling street, she cast glances at the people passing by; the decorative neon lights and the numerous lights that caused the dense mass of skyscrapers to glitter.

Absentmindedly, she hailed a taxi and entered, telling the driver her destination before sinking into the seat. Soon, the taxi stopped at one of the most happening places in C City, famous for its nightlife.

In the Sun Bar.

The place was shrouded in smoke; the loud music pounded against her eardrums and reverberated through her body, while the strobe and laser lights dazzled her eyes. That intoxicating primal need for others, to move and experience joy as one, separate and joined, that was what the place was all about. This was a completely different world from the outside. It was a world where lust and desire went hand in hand.

Sharon lowered her head and surreptitiously walked to the bar counter. Finding herself a stool, she looked at the young bartender and said, "I'll take a glass of champagne, thank you."

"Sure," the bartender replied briskly, handing her a glass of champagne.

Sharon picked up the glass and sniffed at it as she raised it to her lips before taking a sip. The champagne had the vinosity and generosity of Bouzy Pinot Noir in a well-balanced frame. Just the taste she desired.

"Hey there, beautiful! Are you here by yourself? Would you like to dance with me?" Sharon turned around and faced the sharply dressed man with furrowed eyebrows.

After scanning him up and down with a contemptuous look in her eyes, Sharon looked away and politely refused. "Sorry, but I'm waiting for someone. Thank you."

The man immediately understood that she wasn't playing around, so he stopped pestering her and left.

Sharon set down the glass upon the counter and looked out, eyes focused on nothing in particular. There was a strange expression on her face that implied she was trying to recall something.

"It seems like you are the female version of our boss," said the bartender, polishing glasses and wiping the spills off the counter.

Sharon withdrew her sight and asked in confusion, "What do you mean?"

The bartender smiled as he patiently explained, "Our boss likes to sit on that very spot and stare at outside the window just like that."

Was she being mistaken for one of his boss' admirers now?

With a smile on her face, she picked up her glass and took a sip. "I'm sorry. I don't know your boss..."

Before she could finish her words, however, someone bumped into her from behind and she turned around with an annoyed frown.

Dolled up under layers of makeup, a woman, undoubtedly drunk, smiled at Sharon as she reeked of alcohol. "I'm so sorry!"

"It's okay. Don't worry about it," replied Sharon politely.

The bartender noticed this and said, "So, underneath all the beauty lies a woman with good character. That's quite admirable."

"Thank you," said Sharon with a smile.

When she raised her eyes and looked towards the exit of the bar, the flashing lights revealed a familiar figure.

Taken by surprise, Sharon froze almost instantly.

It wasn't until the man walked right past her before she quickly fished out one hundred dollars from her purse, left it on the counter and walked out in a hurry.

Outside the bar.

As soon as she got out, Sharon whipped her head around, desperately searching for the familiar figure in the crowd, praying that her eyes were not just playing tricks on her.

After looking around for some time, when she couldn't find the face from her memory, she felt disappointed.

Over and over again, she was faced with such disappointments.

Biting her lip, she held her bag tightly with both hands. The fact that her mind was in a mess was becoming increasingly difficult for her to hide.

Could it really be? Perhaps, she was just seeing things?

None of the answers could give her peace.

Walking on the street in a daze, Sharon turned a blind eye to the curious gazes from the people around her. Without a conscious thought, she clutched at her aching chest and her eyes welled up with tears.

The bright streetlights began to blur and the more she tried to focus the worse her headache became.

Just then, a bitter wisp of wind blew disheveled her hair, blowing it across her peachy skinned face.

She raised both hands and brushed her hair out of her face, tucking some stray hair behind her ear.

Suddenly, Sharon caught sight of the familiar figure that haunted her thoughts just a moment ago, standing under a gigantic, well-lit billboard.

The elegance of his face was at odds with the coldness in his eyes.

He had dark eye brows, which sloped downwards in a serious expression. Although his lips were tightly pursed into a straight line, his prominent jaw curved gracefully around and the strength of his neck showed in the twining cords of muscle that shaped his entire body.

His handsome face made her world fall apart in an instant.

Sharon stood there in a daze, squinting her eyes at him and wondering if this was another one of her imaginations running wild.

After all, this was the man who had been appearing in her dreams all the time.

It was him. The man who took her virginity.

It was clear that the past three years had changed him a lot. His face no longer had that infamously devious look, but he still had that cold aura that stopped other from getting too close to him.

After the surprise, she instead felt really upset all of a sudden.

So what was Sharon to do now? Maybe he had changed, just as she had changed as well.

After all, three years was enough to change people drastically.

Despite her unsettled thoughts, Sharon walked towards the man, struggling to contain her beating heart within her chest.

She finally stopped on her tracks, about a hundred meters away from him.

What would she say if he recognized her? What else would she say, if he didn't recognize her?

However, she realized that she had come this far already and it would be such a waste of time if she turned around and walked away.

Sharon took a deep breath to calm her nerves, clenching her fists as she walked towards him with difficulty.

Just as she was close enough to speak, another voice interjected out of the blue. "Boss, the car's ready."

Boss? Sharon froze, stunned by what she had heard.

"Okay." His voice hadn't changed as much. It was still cold and unshaken.

The moment she raised her head to look into his eyes, a cold shiver drove up her spine. Although, he seemed intimidating, his indifferent eyes seemed as though he was looking at a complete stranger. At last, he looked away quickly.