Chapter 39: A Fortunate Meeting
After sleeping in late into the afternoon, Yesna and Angela took the subway to Bridgeport's Chinatown.
"It was nice of your manager to bring my purse to your apartment this morning..."
Yesna snorted, "Well it's his job to do that kind of stuff. Besides, he couldn't let you leave town without having you swear to be discreet about Pinky and Jett's...amour~" Yesna waggled her brows for emphasis and chuckled.
"It's not like I would say anything..." Angela said as they walked through Chinatown, crossing over the bridge that spanned a small pool of water with lotus flowers as they headed to a restaurant.
Yesna shrugged. "I know. But...he does look out for us. I don't really think it's a big deal, personally but they haven't mentioned it to anyone so...maybe they want their relationship private."
"Still...didn't you suspect?" Angela asked, recalling when she had helped her friend move and Yesna had mentioned the two being joined at the hip.
"Sort of but it's hard to tell with those two. You never really know when they're kidding but they were friends long before we hooked up for our band you know."
Yesna pulled open the restaurant door and motioned her friend inside. They were told to please have a seat while they waited for a table to open up.
"Do you think Tristan knows?" Angela asked, curious.
Yesna scratched her chin thoughtfully. "Probably. He's known them both much longer then I have. They all grew up together. Jett and Tristan are from the same town, went to the same grade school and everything. And Pinky...they met in university I think when they were just getting into the music scene. And then we all came together in Riverview. Of all places..."
"I wonder..." Angela began then stopped, biting her lip.
"What?" Yesna prompted.
"How Tristan feels...about...you know." Angela shrugged.
Yesna laughed. "About being the only straight guy in the band?"
"Something like that..." Angela admitted.
"More fan girls for him." Yesna replied with a grin.
They both rose a moment later when they were shown to a table upstairs. Angela hadn't realized how hungry she was until that very moment and devoured her food. The silence between the two women a clear indication they were both ravenous.
With their dishes picked clean Yesna sighed, "I can't believe you have to leave tomorrow morning. It sucks!"
"I know." Angela agreed poutily. "I'm having a great time here. It's like being in another world...I don't want to go back to reality."
Yesna fluttered her lashes teasingly and made a kissy face, "Even for Gunther~?"
Angela flushed, "Well ok, he's the good part of reality. It's the whole...I really have to find a job and fast part that I'm not looking forward to."
Yesna nodded and leaned back in her chair, "It's too bad you couldn't get a job here...at some publishing house, maybe if you threw Gunther's name around you could get something."
Angela sighed, "I can't...I'm not going to just...up and leave my family."
"And Gunther." Yesna added, grinning. "Must be serious. If you're actually wanting to stay there for him."
Angela laughed softly, "We've had one date! One. And he lives in Sunset Valley most of the time remember?" Angela frowned at her own words. "You know...I didn't really think about that."
Yesna rose to pay and they descended the stairs, deciding to linger in some of the gift shops before returning to her apartment.
Yesna surveyed the items in the shop disinterestedly, blue eyes passing over statues of lions, paper fans and ornate decorative swords on display. Angela meanwhile after a cursory glance around the shop moved over to examine a wooden chest.
"Oh...this is nice. I could use it to store clothes...or books. You know I still haven't unpacked all my things..." She explained as she peeked inside the chest then bent to examine the quality and condition of the wood.
Yesna moved closer, peering over Angela's shoulder. "Bit big to be bringing home with you on the bus trip though don't you think?"
"True..." the redhead conceded before gently lowering the lid. "But I wanted to bring some kind of souvenir back. Or maybe something for Gunther..."
"But half the stuff in here isn't even Chinese." Yesna grabbed a random statuette of a dragon and peeked beneath it. "See? Made in Taiwan. Tch."
The shop keeper glanced at Yesna with a slight scowl and the guitarist winked broadly and placed the statuette back on its shelf.
They left the shop soon after, Yesna declaring she wanted to use the ladies' room before the subway trip back to Yesna's apartment.
Angela lingered around the shops, watching the fish in the large tank that separated the restaurant's waiting area from a little shop. Her eyes followed the movements of the fish, hypnotized by the sway and swish of colorful fins and the glint of glittering scales. For a moment she debated bringing Gunther back a goldfish but then quickly dismissed the notion since he was likely too busy to care for a pet. Even something like a fish.
On the other side of the tank, a dark haired man was putting coins into a fortune cookie dispenser.
If Angela hadn't been so full she might have considered grabbing one as well, instead her eyes remained riveted to the fish as she continued to wonder what to bring back for Gunther.
"'You shall soon be reunited with a lost love.'" The man read aloud after breaking open his fortune cookie.
He snorted, before tossing the flimsy paper fortune into the garbage, broken cookie pieces popped into his mouth and swallowed before he glanced over at the shop keeper over his shoulder. "So how many different options are there in this thing anyway? Like five? And I bet they're all about..." he made a gesture, "Love and luck and your dreams coming true." He shook his head, hands sinking into his pockets as he contemplated the fortune cookie machine. "You know not everyone's fortune is so fortunate."
"I do not supply the fortunes sir. I just man the cash." The man behind the counter said with a small shrug.
"I know. Just making an observation." He stared at the fortune cookie machine a moment longer before he turned, about to leave the little gift shop when he caught a glimpse of red out of the corner of his eye through the water of the large in-wall fish tank.
He stared a moment in complete disbelief. He would know that red hair anywhere. Those green eyes...
"Angie..." he said, not realizing he had said her name aloud as he took a step towards the fish tank.
"Sorry, did you want something sir?" The shop attendant asked, looking at him curiously.
He frowned, eyes riveted to the woman on the other side of the fish tank before he quickly glanced back at the man behind the cash. "What? No. No. I'm good. I gotta go."
He turned back towards the tank of fish intent on catching the redhead's eye but she was gone. He looked around, face pressing close to the glass trying to see if he could spot her in one of the adjacent gift shops or in the downstairs waiting area. He clenched his fist in frustration when there was no sign of her. She was just there!
The shop keeper was watching him, amused before he finally cleared his throat and pointed to the wall behind him. "She went that way. There's a bookstore just on the other side there."
"Thanks man."
He couldn't believe it, he walked as quickly as he could towards the bookstore and there she was. Eyes roaming over the spines of a stack of books on the shop's counter.
It had been years...but he would know her anywhere.
"Angie." He spoke her name quietly, unable to stop himself from smiling as he said her name.
Angela straightened in surprise and turned, her eyes growing wide with recognition.
"Oh my god! Kevin!"
His smile widened.
She floundered for a moment, hands making motions in the air of disbelief. "How? ...what? I mean..." She laughed after a moment and threw her arms around him in a hug. "It's good to see you."
Kevin pulled her close, giving her a strong squeeze as he hugged her. "Good to see you too Angie."
They broke their hug, both smiling. "What are you doing here?" They both asked at once before Kevin motioned for Angela to go first.
"I was just...visiting a friend for New Year's. What about you? I thought you were supposed to be living in France?" Angela asked, eyes still wide with amazement.
"Yeah. I am. I'm just here for the week myself." He admitted then glanced around as a couple more people squeezed into the small book shop. "So...I'd love to catch up with you. You wanna grab a drink?"
"That would be great!" Angela enthused then frowned. "Oh...but I can't. I'm just waiting for my friend..."
"Ah..."
Angela thought he looked disappointed and her heart hurt at the sight. "Maybe...if you're ever in Riverview...or...."
"If you're ever in France?" Kevin supplied with a small smile.
They stared at each other in silence.
"You look so different..." Angela said softly. Her eyes swept over his hair, and the lack of piercings. He wore glasses now too but those sharp blue eyes still held the same twinkle as they stared right into her eyes.
He grinned knowingly as if he could see right through her to her innermost thoughts. "No worries babe. It's still me." He reached out, one curled finger brushing the underside of her chin briefly.
Angela flushed at the familiar gesture of affection and nearly stopped breathing when she heard someone clearing their throat loudly.
Yesna stood in the doorway to the shop with an arched eyebrow and from her expression Angela gathered that she had witnessed the little exchange between herself and her former boyfriend.
Kevin glanced between the two women and laughed, bowing his head as he stepped away. "Your friend I take it?"
Yesna put a hand on her hip. "Damn right. Who are you?"
"Kevin Kavanagh." he replied and offered Yesna his hand.
She didn't shake it, instead she took a step back. "Angela's ex?"
He chuckled and his cheeks grew warm and Angela was briefly grateful that she wasn't the only one who felt awkward in this moment.
"Excuse us." Yesna said and tugged Angela out of the shop and back towards the waiting area. She peeked over Angela's shoulder at Kevin before asking in a hushed tone, "Do you want me to leave you two alone?"
Angela looked bewildered. "What? No! We just bumped into each other."
"So...?"
"So." Angela sighed, "He still lives in France. I probably won't ever see him again seeing as I'm leaving Bridgeport tomorrow." She glanced back at him only to find him glancing at his watch before approaching the two women once again.
"Look. I'm sorry to interrupt your evening...I just...wanted to say hi." His gaze was warm as it settled over Angela. "It was great seeing you Angie." He smiled, and leaned in, one hand curling lightly over Angela's upper arm as he kissed her cheek. "Take care."
"You too..." Angela murmured softly.
Kevin nodded at Yesna then stopped as if remembering something, quickly rummaging in his pocket for his wallet then offered Angela a small card with his name printed on it. "Here. Keep in touch Angie."
With a final wink, he was gone.
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Continue to Chapter 40"