Me After Meeting You

Luckily, her earlier words had affected Ian because he didn’t do much more than that. After having tasted his fill, he pulled her hand to his heart, and as he kissed her one last time, he softly whispered, “I don’t have much patience, so don’t delay too long and test my fortitude.”

And with that, he let her go and left.

He got up … and left.

Amber looked at the closing door, still somewhat numb.

But he really had left, as if he wouldn’t be able to ever leave if he were even a bit slower.

Amber looked at her hand and fell into a deep daze. She could still feel his lingering touch, a strange mix of hardness and softness.

She released a pent up breath, picked up her phone, and sent Ian a message. “Why me?”

He didn’t respond.

After a long time, as Amber was flipping back and forth in bed trying to fall asleep, her phone suddenly beeped.

She hurriedly opened it, and it was a reply from Ian, only three short words. I don’t know.

She didn’t know how long he had thought for before giving her this response.

She knew that this wasn’t a half-hearted reply. And as she looked at it, she felt a sense of calmness and contentment fill her heart, and she couldn’t help a small smile from creeping onto her face.

Later, Amber sent Ian another text message. “If two lovers truly have intense feelings for each other, then there’s no reason for them to stick together from dawn to dusk. No matter how long they are separated, their feelings for each other will be reaffirmed through their gazes the moment they meet.

The same is true for dates. Regular dates aren’t always at a fixed time. Two people deeply in love are still independent people, with their own responsibilities and hobbies. They’ll work when they’re busy, and they’ll meet when they’re not. That’s a normal relationship.”

She was almost blatantly telling him, ‘Dear, don’t be so fixated on having pre-scheduled dates. Love isn’t a computer program, and if you’re busy, then we can just have fewer dates during that period, ok?’

This time, Ian responded very quickly, but with only five words, though that was two more than before. “You’re trying to dupe me.”

She spat out a mouthful of tea.

Amber had been cradling her phone and accidentally choked herself wide awake.

Because it was really too late, and because she still had to work tomorrow, Amber didn’t reply. But in her heart, she thought that, if she had time, that she definitely had to properly discuss this with him. She also couldn’t handle having a date every two days over the long term.

Since it was around the time for classes to start back up again, Amber would have to start working and preparing lectures. It would be impossible for her to not work overtime.

***Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

The next day, at noon, Amber went out to get lunch with Susan. Somehow, they even picked up a patient along the way.

Susan had originally invited Amber out to lunch yesterday, but Amber hadn’t been free as Trysta had already made an appointment with her. Thus, she could only push the lunch with Susan back a day, to noon today.

As soon as Amber got off work, she went to the gynecology department to look for Susan. Coincidentally, she also ran into one of her middle school classmates there.

He was the husband, his wife had just given birth a month ago, and the two of them were here for a checkup.

When Amber came over, Susan was currently scolding the two of them, but mainly Amber’s classmate. “Do you live in a forest? Do you have to cross a mountain to get to the hospital? If there’s any discomfort, then you have to go to the hospital. This is common knowledge!

And as for you, just because you married him, it doesn’t mean that you sold yourself to him. Your body’s irrevocably yours. If you don’t take good care of it, then who will?”

When Amber poked her head in, Susan stopped shouting, and the man getting scolded immediately recognized her. “Amber?”

Once the two started reminiscing, Susan stopped scolding them, and the wife even stopped crying.

Amber’s former classmate lived somewhat close to her parents’ home, but after they had graduated from middle school, the two of them had gone to different high schools. And since Amber spent very little time at home, they almost never ran into each other.

It was already surprising that he had recognized her at first glance.

And then all four of them went out for food. They had to, after all, from Amber’s classmate’s point of view. One of them was an old classmate he hadn’t seen in a long time, and the other was the doctor taking care of his wife, he couldn’t neglect either of them.

Afterwards, Susan laughed at her. “You’re really even busier than a CEO. I can’t even get a private lunch with you even with an advance appointment.”

Amber was also helpless. After all, what could she do about this situation? When the classmate and his wife went to their car, she quietly asked, “What happened to them?”

Susan massaged her forehead as she explained, “Her womb prolapsed, and because they didn’t see a doctor in time, it wasn’t treated properly. Now, it’s all a big mess. I gave her a device to help her recover, but she was so afraid of it that she started crying. My god, what’s the matter with these people?”

She shot another glare at Amber. “If not for you, then I wouldn’t be having lunch with patients like these. They only give me headaches!”

Amber clasped her wrists reassuringly. “Alright, I’m sorry. I’ll treat you to a big feast some other time.”

Susan lightly harrumphed.

But Amber’s classmate was actually quite witty as he had been working in business for quite a while, and his words flowed naturally, almost like a comedy routine.

The wife, on the other hand, seldomly spoke, and her gaze always ended up landing on Amber’s body. It contained a sense of examination and wariness, and also a confused mix of envy and admiration.