The Billionaire's Regret

Her laughter filled the room, causing the usual cold, sterile white bedroom to feel a lot warmer. It felt more lively and homey. He loved the sound of her laughter, it was soft, caressing him all over. Whenever she laughed her eyes were alight with pure happiness. Her blue eyes so clear it reminded him of the clear sea which showed him all their hidden secrets. For that reason alone he made it his mission to make her laugh all the time. She rolled to her side in an attempt to get away from him, her naked thigh displayed because she kicked the sheets away.

"Where are you going?" He asked her playfully.

He knew she was trying to escape his bed though. Ready to head to the bathroom and start her morning routine. When she'd come out she'd put on her mask, ready to conquer the world. Turning into the coldhearted woman people called her behind her back.

"I need to get ready." She giggled when he reached for her thigh to make her stay a minute longer, "Mike! I'm serious. I'm running late for my meeting."

"Fine, I'll let you go for now." He rolled to his back and stared at the ceiling, "Don't take too long." He warned her when he heard her footsteps heading to the bathroom, "I also need to get ready."

"I won't." She promised him.

While Zara got ready for her day he rolled to his bedside table and reached for his phone. He scanned through his emails and messages, making a mental note of which emails were urgent and needed his immediate attention. Organizing his day he looked up when he heard Zara enter the room again, a fluffy towel covering up her delicious, tanned body. Sitting up he smirked as he noticed her eyes following the sheet which dropped down his body, barely covering him.

"It's all yours." She told him, her eyes lingering on his crotch.

"You need to get ready." He reminded her, his voice filled with amusement.

Her eyes traveled up to his chest, taking in all the lines and abs before she met his gaze. She didn't look ashamed of her staring at him, just the way he liked it. Her confidence turned him on. He didn't mind it when she let him know exactly what she wanted.

"Right." She bit her lip, her hands tightly clutching her towel to keep her body covered, "See you tonight?" She asked him.

His eyes flickered to his phone, "It's going to be a late one for me."

"I understand."

And she did. Zara's job was as demanding as he was. She started out small, her company only existing out of four people, but she was rapidly expanding. Her up and coming business took up most of her time. So she never felt left out when he told her he couldn't meet her because things were running late at the office. Zara actually understood him, he loved that about her. He knew not a lot of women were okay with their boyfriends having so many late nights during the week. Most of them would feel insecure and accuse their boyfriends of cheating, so Michael was very much aware of how well Zara fitted into his life. She was marriage material, he knew that from the day he met her.

"How about you come over when you're finished?" She asked, her mind already trying to come up with different solutions for their little problem.

"Sounds good to me."

While Zara was getting dressed and doing her hair and make-up, he took a shower and brushed his teeth. Once he finished up with his morning routine he got dressed in his charcoal suit with a white shirt and black tie. Zara sneaked up behind him and reached for his hand, making him turn around to face her. Without a word, she leaned in and kissed him. She made a whiny sound as she pulled away, obviously not happy with that decision. They both knew they didn't have the time to explore things. He gently ran his hand through her soft locks and pulled away from her, making things easier for her.

"See you later." She whispered to him.

"Later."

Zara walked away from him, her floral perfume lingering around. Grabbing his phone Michael left his apartment as well, ready to tackle the day.

***

His day was rushed, jumping from meeting to meeting while he had barely time to eat. He ate dinner at his desk while his assistant went over his upcoming business trip. Two weeks at Amsterdam to talk about the possibility of opening an office there. He wasn't looking forward to it. He barely got to see Zara and when they did see each other they rarely had time to talk. To share personal things like what they ate for lunch or what they wanted to do during the weekend. Not just catching up with emails and other work related things but actually doing couple things like going to the movies or maybe even a walk around the park. Something more relaxing.

Two weeks was a long time for them to be apart. Zara already knew about his business trip, he'd leave next week. She didn't look worried at all, she was happy for him. He knew she was genuinely happy for him to expand his business, but he also wanted her to express her feelings for him. Telling him she'd miss him. Zara did no such thing though. She was very professional about it, cold and distant. It actually annoyed him.

"I'm heading out Adam, you should too."

Adam collected his tablet and papers, getting to his feet, "I'm finishing up one last email and then I'll call it a day as well."

He narrowed his eyes at Adam, "It better be one last email." He warned his assistant, knowing Adam liked to be perfect at his job. He made long hours as well, never making a mistake. Adam was the first assistant he genuinely liked. Good at his job and a nice guy to talk to, he'd make sure Adam would never feel the urge to leave his company.

"It is." Adam confirmed and walked to the door, "Oh." He spun around and faced Michael again, "Is Zara paying you a visit in Amsterdam?"

She wasn't. When he asked her about it she told him she couldn't schedule it in. Too many things going on at the office. They'd schedule a trip together soon though, she promised him. He knew they wouldn't find the time. Their first trip together would probably be their honeymoon which was in six months.

"No, she won't."

Adam didn't react to that information at all if he was surprised he was very good at hiding it.

"I understand. Have a good night, sir."

Michael smiled at him, "You too."

Adam walked out, going back to his desk to finish up his tasks for the day. Michael shrugged his jacket on and made sure he had everything before he left. He texted Zara to let her know he was on his way, but he didn't get a text back. He figured she was probably asleep, it was nearly ten. Whenever they had a long day they usually went to bed early, too tired to go out and have proper dates. It was the life they had chosen and neither one of them complained. But sometimes he wished things were different. Then maybe they'd be madly in love, their relationship burning hot. Maybe when they got married things would ease up.

***

Entering the apartment Michael was greeted by silence. Zara's apartment looked like one of those rooms you usually saw in magazines. It was decorated by the latest trends and it looked nice. Zara liked nice things and now that her business was doing well she could afford it.

He passed the gray sofa, his eyes landing on the heels she had kicked off once she got home. She had left her laptop on the coffee table so he assumed she was done for today. Heading to the bedroom he opened the door and stepped inside, quietly closing it behind him. Zara had left her bedside table light on so he wouldn't hurt himself while he got ready for bed. She was considerate.

Walking up to her, he leaned in and pressed a kiss to her temple. She shifted in her sleep, but she didn't wake. She was tuckered out. He was tired too so he quickly got ready for bed and slipped in beside her, wrapping an arm around her waist to pull her close while they both settled to rest so they could tackle their eventful work day tomorrow as well.

***

Their entire week was the same, both of them trying to schedule their alone time in while also getting a lot of work done. It was tiring, but they both tried anyway. Always sleeping in the same bed, going back and forth between apartments. Relationships took work, nothing came easy. He was ready to work on theirs, making sure they'd eventually find a rhythm which worked for them.

It was nearing Friday, the day he'd be leaving for his trip. He was at his apartment packing his suitcase while he waited for Zara. She promised she'd stay the night and lock things up for him in the morning. He'd leave earlier than she would so she'd make sure everything would run smoothly while he was away.

It was eleven and Zara still didn't show. He texted her a few times already, worried something happened to her. He was about to call her when he heard his front door being opened and closed. Then he heard her heels clicking along his wooden floors. She was on her way to him.

"Michael?"

"In here." He called.

Zara entered the bedroom, her eyes traveling from his suitcase to him, "You have everything you need?"

He placed his bag with toiletries on top and zipped up his suitcase. Zara took a seat next to his suitcase, she looked nervous. Behaving out of character, it worried him. He lifted his suitcase and placed it on the floor, taking a seat beside her.

"What's on your mind?"

Zara stared at her lap, fidgeting with her fingers as she answered him, "It isn't supposed to be this hard, right?" She stopped her fidgeting and glanced at him, "Being in a relationship isn't supposed to be this hard."

Michael reached for her hand, his thumb brushing over her engagement ring, "It will get better, Zara. We'll get married in six months, we have our honeymoon right after. Things will fall into place once we get married, I'm sure of it."

She shook her head at that, "Mike, we're fooling ourselves thinking that. The only thing that is going to change is the fact that we signed a piece of paper which states that we're husband and wife. Our jobs, our busy lives, that's not going to change. Everything will be exactly the same, except for the fact that we'll be trapped in an unhappy marriage."

He tried to reassure her, "Zara, we'll figure things out."

She still wasn't convinced, she pulled her hand away from him and slipped the engagement ring off. She held the ring up in the light, examining the ring for a while before she held it out to him.

"Mike, we both know nothing will change in our future. Things will be exactly the same because our jobs are that demanding. I can't go through with this. I can't marry you knowing in the back of my mind I'm not going to compromise because I love my company. And I don't expect you to compromise either."

He reached for the ring but instead held onto her hand. Not ready to let go.

"Zara, I'm in love with you. I'd love to compromise to work things out."

She smiled at him, "Michael when I'm not compromising, you shouldn't either. You should find someone who is worth it." She pulled away from him and got up, her eyes scanning his room, "When you get back we'll sort things out."

She meant the issue of their clothes and other belongings lingering around each other's apartments. He knew she didn't mean their engagement because the look in her eyes told him she wouldn't change her mind. She didn't want to get married, her mind was set on that. So they were done, just like that. When Zara had set her mind there was very little which could change it. Stupidly stubborn that woman was and it was something he always found amusing, just not at this moment.

Letting out a shaky breath he placed the ring she handed him back on the bedside table, his eyes widening when he felt her lips press against his temple.

"I had an amazing time with you, Michael. Thank you for everything." She pulled away and clutched her bag tightly in her hand, "Have a safe trip." She quietly told him and turned on her heels, ready to leave, "Bye."

He watched her leave, walking out of his life forever, "Bye." He whispered, swallowing back the intense sadness he felt.

She could walk away feeling nothing at all, yet his world was shattered. That was their reality. He had fallen so deeply in love with her, but she didn't feel the same way. She could slip off her engagement ring and walk out of his life because she wasn't in love with him. She just enjoyed her time with him.

Once Michael was settled in his hotel room which had an excellent view of the city, he sat down on the edge of his bed and stared out the window. Trying to enjoy the view as much as he could. He was sure once it was nighttime the view would be even better. His mood wasn't good enough for him to actually enjoy it as much as he wished he would. Which was a shame because he wasn't considering to come back anytime soon.

Getting to his feet Michael headed to the bathroom. He freshened up and got dressed in something more comfortable. He wore black slacks with a soft grey sweater. The sweater had been a gift from Zara which brought back a flood of memories.

He left the hotel to go for a walk, needing the exercise. The city was very much alive, not that different from New York. He had to keep an eye out for those bicycles though, they were everywhere. If you weren't alert enough you'd get hit by someone or probably go deaf by the bell they kept ringing whenever you were in their way. If he was quite honest he thought the people riding a bicycle were quite rude. But what did he know? He didn't live in this city, so maybe this behavior was normal and he was the one to blame.

After walking around he found a small café which wasn't as crowded as the other places he passed and took a seat near the window, grabbing the menu to flip through it.

Soft music was playing in the background, the wooden tables were painted white. It looked like a place Zara would enjoy having a coffee at. It made him swallow painfully, not even trying to pretend to be over it. They broke off their engagement yesterday, he had the right to still be upset about it.

A brunette walked over to him, speaking to him in a language he didn't understand. The language had lots of harsh tones. He assumed it was Dutch, he heard people around him speak that language.

"I'm sorry I don't speak Dutch." He told her.

"That's okay." She smiled at him, her whole face brightening up which brought out her hazel eyes, "I asked if you made up your mind yet?" Her voice breathy and sounding awfully sinful to him.

His eyes traveled to the menu he was holding. He had opened it on a page which was in Dutch so it wasn't odd for the girl to suddenly speak Dutch to him. He flipped to the English section and scanned through it. Not wanting to keep the brunette up.

"I'd like an espresso."

"Got it." She cheerfully announced, "I'll be right back." She promised him.

He watched her walk away, she swayed her hips from side to side. She was wearing tight skinny jeans which didn't leave anything to his imagination. She had a nice rounded ass in those jeans. It was a nice distraction from the sadness he had been wallowing in.

As she passed tables which were people sitting at she smiled at them, flashing them her room-brightening smile. Her presence couldn't be ignored. She had her hair tied up in a messy bun on top of her head, a few locks managed to escape it. She had two earrings in each earlobe. Small ones which gleamed in the lighting. Her nose small and round, her eyes wide and bright. Her eyebrows soft and rounded. Some women he'd call sexy and sinful, others elegant and sophisticated but her he'd call simply beautiful. Someone you'd look at and feel like your day brightened just a bit.

As she was preparing his order she hummed to the song which was softly playing in the background. She looked like she enjoyed what she was doing. There were only a few people he knew who actually enjoyed doing their job, genuinely enjoyed doing their job.

He tore his gaze away from her and stared out the window, watching people pass the café. He was wrong when he compared New York to this place. To him, New York felt more rushed, like people just couldn't take a break. His mind wondered to Zara. It was the same for them. They could never take a break, always on the move because time was money. There was never one last email because they kept piling up. This was the first time he had time to sit down and enjoy his coffee, taking a breather. He'd savor every second of it. And when this trip was over he'd go to Zara's place and convince her she was making a mistake. They couldn't break-up after the years they invested in their relationship. He was convinced they could make it work. They hadn't canceled the wedding yet so he still had a chance, Zara left that door open. He knew she had.

"Here you go." The cheerful brunette placed his glass upon the table, "And something extra. Seemed like you could use it." His eyes landed on the muffin she had placed beside the cup, "On the house." She smiled at him.

"You shouldn't have."

"I insist." He noticed the word 'life' tattooed on her wrist as she brushed away a few locks, "I promise this muffin will bring a smile upon on your face. It's the best."

She was so sure of it, he couldn't help but smile back. Women showing confidence was always something he liked. Her bright and cheerful personality was also very welcoming considering he was lost in dark thoughts. It was a pleasant distraction. She was a pleasant distraction.

"Thanks."

She skipped away again, leaving behind a smile upon his face. He finished off his coffee and muffin. She had been right about it being good. It was vanilla, but something else lingered around. It was sweet but not too sweet. Definitely, something he would recommend. Guess the brunette hadn't been wrong about her choice of dessert. As he paid for his coffee he met her gaze. Her hazel eyes were so bright, full of life. It reminded him of her tattoo.

"You were right about the muffin."

Her lips curled up to a smirk, "Was I?"

He couldn't help but chuckle, "You know you were."

She handed back his change, "Glad you enjoyed it."

Leaving her a tip, he bid her goodbye and left the café. He felt her eyes on his back as he walked out, but he didn't look back at her. He didn't want to give her hope when there wasn't any. His mind was on Zara and he knew eventually he'd go back to her. It wasn't fair to the brunette who seemed like a genuinely nice person to him. She deserved better.

He had a dinner meeting at eight so he still had time to explore the lively city. He walked around for a few hours and then headed back to the hotel to get ready for his business dinner.

It wasn't something he was looking forward to, he preferred having coffee with bubbly brunettes who were able to distract him for a few minutes. But he was in Amsterdam for business, so he had to put on his game face and get through business dinners and boring, uneventful meetings.

***

Business dinners were definitely something he never liked attending, but it was part of his life. It was all trying to get to know each other, trying to bond. The guy who wanted him to invest in an office in Amsterdam was sitting across him, talking animatedly about the city he loved. The man had a Dutch accent as he talked, his English almost sounded Dutch to him. He had to listen carefully, focus entirely on the guy so he didn't miss anything. It reminded him of the brunette in the café. If he hadn't heard her speak Dutch to him he never would have assumed she was Dutch in the first place. She sounded British almost. It made him wonder.

"If you have the time I'd like to show you around. The boat trip is really amazing."

"I'll try and make some time." He told Robin.

The guy seemed to appreciate it, a big grin spreading across his face. He noticed a girl sitting behind Robin, she had been eying their table the entire night. He felt her eyes the minute they had walked in and sat down at their table. He had ignored it all this time, but he couldn't look away now.

She was together with a guy, the way the guy touched her hand told him they were close. Probably on a date. That kind of woman you had in every country. Always holding their eyes open to trading up. It disgusted him. He tore his gaze away from her and glanced back at Robin, raising his glass to him.

"Cheers." He said once Robin finished his speech.

After dinner, they went out to have drinks. Michael made sure to keep the drinking to a minimum, he wasn't ready to wake up the next morning with a massive hangover. He reminded himself over and over again that he wasn't on this trip to have fun, he was here to do business and leave right away. Fixing things with Zara as soon as possible, because he feared that door wouldn't be open for long.

***

It was late at night when Michael returned to his hotel room. He glanced at his phone to see it was already two in the morning. The guys had fun, drinking lots and having loud conversations. He had to admit to himself that he had a great time as well. He only had two glasses though, keeping true to his words. He had a meeting ten in the morning, he had to have a clear mind when he attended it.

Taking a shower and getting dressed in a comfy t-shirt and joggers he sat down on the bed, the pillow propped behind him while he was writing up an email. He wanted to let Zara know about his plans. They always had been honest with each other, he didn't want to surprise her by showing up once his trip was over. She'd be at loss and probably deal with things less efficiently. He pressed the send button once he finished the email and closed his laptop screen, done for the day. He set his alarm for seven AM and got some sleep.

Michael's ten AM meeting flew by, Robin was there and did most of the talking. Sometimes even switching to Dutch. He wasn't worried though, the plans they had matched his so he was considering it. It would cost money to invest but in the long run, it'd be worth it. After his meeting, he decided to walk around town, get some fresh air before he'd lock himself up in his hotel room to talk to his lawyer and financial director. Going over his ten AM meeting with them.

He was walking along the bridge, admiring the boats when he ran into an all too familiar brunette. She hadn't noticed him. She was leaning against the railing of the bridge, a professional camera in hand while she took several shots of an empty boat. He didn't see the beauty in it, but he was sure she'd argue with that. Through her viewfinder, she probably saw the beauty in everything. He stepped closer to her, standing beside her as he also took in the boat.

"Is it the loneliness you're trying to capture?"

She shifted her camera to him and took a shot, lowering the camera to see his image on the display, "Something like that." She showed him the picture, "I think your eyes express it better though."

He chuckled, "So I'm the lonely tourist wandering around your city?"

She smiled at him, "Well, it isn't my city, but thanks for the suggestion. I'm going to call this one the lonely tourist." She joked, her eyes bright with amusement.

He took her in. She had let her hair down, it came just below her shoulders, her hair swept to the side. She wore make-up, but minimalistic. Her lips were painted a peachy color which looked barely there. She wore make-up to enhance her natural features. A plain white t-shirt which was a bit tight around her chest, showing off her coral colored bra. He had to bite back a smile, the girl didn't seem to care about it. She wore a denim light shirt over her t-shirt and matching shorts. Her feet covered in booties. She looked comfortable in her clothing even though some people would question her fashion sense, calling it too daring. She looked up, meeting his gaze. Her hazel eyes sparkling as she held out her hand. She had seen him take her in, but she didn't mind. She brushed it off like it was nothing.

"I'm Evelien by the way."

He tried to catch it, but he was at loss, "Could you repeat that?"

She giggled, brushing it off, "Evelyn." She told him.

He shook hands with her, "Michael." He nodded to her camera, "So are you a freelance photographer or is it a hobby?"

She raised her camera, handling it with care, "I'm a part-time photography and film student." She carefully put her camera away in her big bag and pushed the strap on her shoulder, "Also part-time waitress."

"I remember that." He said jokingly, "Thanks for the muffin by the way."

Something sparked in her hazel eyes as she turned away from him, her hands clutching the iron railing while she smiled, "I'm glad you enjoyed my muffin."

He couldn't help it, laughing he shook his head at her, "You probably shouldn't say it like that."

She glanced at the side, a mischievous look in her eyes, "Oh, I know what I said." She smirked, "I'm not taking that back."

It felt like everything around them slowed like they were the only two people standing on that bridge. He even felt like his breathing suddenly stopped as he stared into her hazel eyes. She raised her hand and ran her fingers through her brown locks. Her tongue darting out as she licked her lips. It was at that moment he knew what she meant by that. He'd lie if he'd say he wasn't interested. He couldn't give into his desires though. He had to force himself to walk away.

"I've to run, it was nice meeting you Evelyn."

She didn't smile brightly like she usually did, "Nice meeting you, Michael." She told him.

For once her eyes didn't lure him in, she actually looked disappointed.

"See you around." He told her, walking past her.

"You know where to find me." She called after him.

She was dropping the ball in his court now, he didn't know how to feel about that. Yes, she very much intrigued him, maybe because she was so cheerful and confident. Looking like a woman who was very comfortable in her own skin. He was only there for two weeks though. If he accepted her invitation it would only be two weeks of fun. He knew not a lot of women could deal with that. So no matter how flattering it was he had to forget about it.

***

Finishing up his last meeting Michael ended the conference call and checked his email. Zara had not responded, but he didn't think she would answer him right away. Closing his laptop he went to the hotel's restaurant and had dinner there, taking his time to catch up with his emails on his phone, reading through them to stay on top of things. Adam gave him daily reports about the situation at the office.

Sipping from his water he nearly dropped his phone when he saw Zara's caller ID. It was the first time she managed to surprise him in a good way. Zara always had been very calculating, it wasn't hard for him to guess what she was thinking.

"Hey." He greeted, answering the phone before he missed her call.

"Hey." She greeted back, sounding a lot gentler than when he last spoke to her, "I hope I didn't wake you."

"No, you didn't it's nearly nine, I'm having a late dinner."

"Working late?" She asked.

"Yeah." He carefully asked her, "Did you read my email?"

"I did." She didn't hesitate when she answered him, "I think that you're right. When you get back we should actually discuss things. I don't like the way things ended. It's not how it was supposed to go. I know how you feel about me and I feel the same."

"Zara-"

"I don't tell you that often, I'm aware of that. That's why-"

"You told me to find someone better. Zara, there is no one else who I'd like to marry though."

He could actually hear the smile in her voice, "That's really nice of you, Mike. But we shouldn't make decisions over the phone. For now, we should leave things the way they are. When you get back we'll get together and actually talk things through."

Sometimes he wished his Zara was less clinical about things. That she could make choices based upon her actual feelings, but she had let that go a long time ago.

"Okay, we'll leave things the way they are for now." He agreed.

"When you get back we'll talk, I promise."

He paid for his dinner and headed to the elevator to go back to his room. He was done for tonight.

"Sure." He never did this before, but couldn't listen to her talk right now, not when she crushed his heart once again, "I need to go, we'll talk when I get back." He told her and ended the call.

He hated that he let his emotions get the better of him, but relationships weren't supposed to be the way Zara wanted it to be. She told him things weren't supposed to be that hard, but they weren't supposed to be that thought out either. When you loved someone you'd make things work. It was something he firmly believed in.

***

Without thinking he walked to the café that morning. It was before his meeting with Robin, he wanted to grab some coffee and before he knew it he stood in front of the counter facing Evelyn. She greeted him with her bright smile, nothing else.

"Morning." She told him, "Espresso?"

She remembered his order even though she probably had tons of orders after that day. She was making an effort and it didn't go unnoticed by him.

"I'd like a cappuccino."

"Switching things up." Her cheerfulness seeped right through him, making him less uptight, "I like that."

His eyes shifted to her tattoo as she was preparing his coffee. He wanted to ask her about it since it really got to him. It could either have an inspiring background or a rather ominous one. He didn't want to ruin her morning by asking her something which would make her feel like crap. So he opted to keep his words to himself and took a seat while she made his order. It wasn't crowded at all so when she came to bring his coffee she lingered.

"So you're suited up this morning." She let her eyes travel from top to bottom, "You're here for business, Michael?"

"Yes." He told her, pouring one packet of sugar into his coffee, "I'll be leaving next Friday."

"So you're here for two weeks?"

"Two weeks." He confirmed.

She noticed his eyes shifting back to her tattoo. Smiling she brushed her fingers over the curly letters.

"It's a reminder to never take life so seriously. To do what I like and have no regrets, you know?"

He knew what she was talking about, but he wasn't one of those people who lived like that. He lived by the rules and he was going to marry a woman who was the same. Who kept him in line when he wanted to switch things up. He figured even though he lived a life of luxury Evelyn was the one who enjoyed life more. It made him long for more.

"You're living your life the way you want to?" He asked her curiously, very intrigued by her.

"Pretty much." She told him, her face brightening, "I'm following classes which I very much enjoy. And this part-time job isn't that bad either. My collogues are nice people and my boss is pretty cool too. So I have no complaints so far." She shrugged, "The apartment I'm sharing isn't that great, but I know people have it much worse. So I don't have the right to complain."

"You're doing photography and film, right?"

"Yes!" She seemed like she wanted to talk about it, but a large group of people walked in, "Maybe we can talk some other time?" She asked him, longing clear in her eyes.

He knew the right thing to do was to turn her down, he had done it before but this time he couldn't. For once he'd follow his heart and make a decision based on his feelings rather than the invisible rules he had carved into his mind. He'd live his life and see where it would lead him. It would either go well or crash and burn. He promised himself he would have no regrets. Not when he for the first time in a while didn't think about his decisions. He just did what felt right.

"How about we meet up for dinner at my hotel?" He asked her.

If she turned him down he'd know she wasn't interested in him like that. The hints she gave him made things pretty clear to him, but it was never a good thing to be too confident. Then you'd fall so hard it wasn't easy to get back up. If she accepted his offer he'd just go with it. Not overthinking things and just enjoying the moment. Enjoying life.

"Sure." She reached for his napkin and wrote her number on it, "How about you text me the address and I'll meet you there?"

"Eight PM?"

She eyed the cue with stressed looking people, "Eight sounds good to me." She flashed him a smile, "See you tonight."

He finished his coffee, sending her a text with the address and left the café. When he met Zara he didn't ask her out because he thought she was interesting. Her personality didn't intrigue him at all. He made a calculating move when he asked her out, knowing they matched perfectly. She wouldn't be one of those whiny girls who'd tell him he worked too much, didn't give them the attention they wanted. With time he fell for her. Liking the woman she was. But like him, Zara had been very calculating too. Unlike him, she didn't fall as hard. She always kept a clear head.

Asking out Evelyn had been spontaneous. He wanted to talk to her because he rarely talked to people who enjoyed life to the fullest. Like Evelyn, he also didn't want to have any regrets in life either. If he left without ever making that move he knew he'd always wonder about her. The girl with the bright smile and bubbly personality.