Unexpected Romance - 5 Romantic Short Stories

by Norah C. Peters

  "Not so fast Sally. Don't go arranging dates for me. I'll kill you if you do."

  "Only joking my love. I'm your love life consultant not your P.A. You'll have to pick out the cream of the crop and decide who to date. Just get on with it ok, don't hang about or some other babe will snag all the good ones."

  Cristina looked at her watch and stood up. "I'll have to get going Sally or I'll miss my train. It was so much fun seeing you. And thanks so much for taking the time to listen to me, it really helped. And I do feel like I can get out there and meet someone new. If that site is any good this could be exactly what I 've been looking for. So thanks for that. Just don't put me on any more sites! I'm serious."

  Sally laughed and stood up to hug her friend, "Bye for now, my little friend, I love you. See you next Sunday, same time, same cafe. Bye."

  * * *

  Another Sunday in Covent Garden, carefree Londoners strolling in the afternoon sun, children laughing and dogs getting walked. In their window seat Cristina and Sally giggled uncontrollably until the laughing gave way to tears.

  "There's no way I'm dating that guy," Cristina spluttered.

  "Why not? Shave off that enormous beard and trim those huge eyebrows and you're all ready to go," Sally grinned. "By the way you look different today. Is that a new coat? It's beautiful."

  "Yes, I decided it was time to clear out my wardrobe and change my look. I love this material, it feels so luxurious," Cristina beamed.

  "Good for you girl. So, are you ready to pick out some hot men?"

  "I am actually. Which is more of a surprise to me than anyone else. I feel happy and carefree again for the first time in a long time. Your love consultancy is working. I'll have to hire you more often." Cristina grinned and stared more closely at the screen.

  Sally frowned. "Great. Well, it's not all good news I'm afraid. I went through all the responses, more come in every day so it took forever to get through them all. And, I narrowed the list down to the most suitable candidates, if you will. Thing is, I contacted a few of them and each one sent me weird replies so maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all."

  "Oh, really? I though you said this site wasn't like the other ones. Are we wasting our time in that case?"

  "Cristina, I asked Mary, one of the girls in Manchester, about it. I told you about how they met their husbands online. And she told me the secret is to write a profile that limits the responses you get. Otherwise you get inundated with messages from perverts and the guys with beards like a bush."

  "Which is exactly what we're dealing with. So, how do we fix my profile?"

  "Mary checked out your profile and edited it for me. She's amazing with words and your profile reads completely differently now, plus it should only attract attention from guys who are looking for a serious relationship.Take a look."

  Cristina leaned forward and scanned her new profile. "Wow, that's amazing. I'd date myself after reading that. So, any hot guys want to date me since that was changed?"

  "The changes only went live early this morning so it's too soon to tell if it's going to work. You did get one new message an hour ago though from NewToThis. He sounds hot. Here, look…"

  Cristina played with her hair absentmindedly as she read the message. "Hey, you're good, really good. He does sound like my kind of man. but there's no photo. Oh, it says he only joined the site today and his profile hasn't been completed yet. Okay, once I see what he looks like I'll put him at the top of the maybe short list."

  "So, what have you been up to Sally?"

  "Nothing much really. Working like a dog as usual. I saw my sister yesterday and I had a blast playing with her kids. They are 3 and 6 already. I spent all afternoon getting chased around the garden. I was completely and utterly exhausted afterwards."

  "Sounds like fun. So, how does your sister handle life without her career?"

  Sally took a sip of her coffee. "She adores it. As I mentioned before she was the last one in our family any of us thought would be the maternal kind but she surprised us all. She's a great mother and although she feels like pulling her hair out at times, she says, she wouldn't take her old life back for all the money in the world."

  "And she was a big shot too. The one most likely to be running the consultancy a few years down the road. That's quite a turnaround. Well, good for her, I'm happy for her." Cristina paused and played with her coffee cup before continuing. "And what about you Sally? Any new guys on the scene?"

  Sally rolled her eyes. "Not right now I'm afraid. I'm just snowed under with work. I reckon if I just keep my head down for a few more years I'll be set up for life. I just don't have the time for a man. I don't even have the time to look after a goldfish. Seriously."

  "Oh great, so while you're putting my neck on the line and expecting me to fend off the weirdos, you're officially off the dating scene. That's just great Sally," Cristina teased.

  "I do have a good excuse though," Sally laughed.

  Cristina stared into space for a moment and then looked back to Sally. "I've been doing some serious thinking since you helped me get out of that misery I was wallowing in. I started to remember that when I was happy with Greg and when I was unhappy had very little to do with anyone else but me."

  "What do you mean? Spill the beans Cristina, enough riddles."

  "I mean, when I look back over the years with Greg I had some of the happiest moments of my life. And then, other times, it seemed like no matter what I did, it just wasn't enough. I didn't get the love I needed so badly. I blamed him for that. And little by little we stopped talking about our needs and we just coasted. We assumed everything would work itself out. Now I can see I was completely wrong. There was one glaring difference between when I was happy and when I was unhappy in the relationship."

  "There you go again. More riddles. Come on, get to the point or I'm walking out of here," Sally groaned.

  "The big difference was this. When I was loving I was happy. But when I was craving Greg's love and attention I was miserable. No matter what he did for me, I just needed more and more reassurance. And the next day, even more. He could never care enough or tell me often enough that he loved me.

  "I never noticed this before. I guess it's a decision to be loving and happy. A moment to moment decision. When I chose to love I was happy, we had harmony in our relationship and he loved me deeply. That was the irony of it all."

  "Hmm. Interesting. Very interesting. Maybe you should write a book," Sally joked. "Or maybe you could reveal the secrets to finding love online, you certainly get enough interest."

  "Yeah right Sally. Hey, back to that site for a minute. Can you send a message to that guy for me?"

  "The one with no photo? What was his nickname again? You mean that guy NewToThis?" Sally raised her eyebrows.

  "Yeah, he had an amazing profile, could be a good match, you never know. Ask him if he'd like to meet up for coffee, that way if he does look scary I'll be able to escape after a quick espresso, ha ha." Cristina decided not to mention it but this guy was like her ex, maybe she had a type after all even though she'd never noticed before.

  "Okay, consider it done SundayCoffee. And unfortunately it's time for me to go Cristina, see you next week," Sally got up to leave and hugged her friend before dashing to the train station.

  Cristina enjoyed a leisurely walk to the local boutiques and was soon lost in a sea of silk scarves when twenty minutes later her phone buzzed. The text from Sally confirmed a date with the photo less guy for Monday at 6 p.m.

  Cristina stormed out of the shop and click clacked quickly down the street, she needed to think. Oh my God, tomorrow! What was Sally up to? Okay, I 'll just text her back and cancel that. Is she completely nuts? I know I said I was ready to move on, but, come on, give me another week to get my head together, really. Anyway, I don't even know what this guy looks like. This is sheer madness. I must be more desperate than I thought to be going ahead with this.

  Ok calm down Cristina, be logical for a moment, if you can.
I'll meet him as arranged. The cafe will be crowded. We'll get drinks, talk and then I'll leave. That'll be enough to prove to Sally that I'm serious. No need to tell her that I'm terrified at the prospect of meeting someone new. And afraid that if I do meet a good man I'll just blow it like I did with Greg. I can be such an idiot, such a complete idiot.

  I wonder what Greg is doing these days? Maybe I should call him to see how he is. It's been over two months since we last talked. Strange not talking to him anymore. I hope he's not, I mean, I wonder if he's met someone. Probably has. Girls always liked him. He's good looking, successful and a great guy. What girl wouldn't like him?

  Enough. Listen up Cristina. Greg is gone. It's over. Time to move on. Sally is right, it is time to move on and with a helpful push from her maybe I can meet someone new.

  Ok new plan. Meet that guy tomorrow for a quick date. Treat it as practice and aim to be out of that cafe within 40 minutes. Surely that's doable. Meet the guy, have a chat, make small talk for a while and thank him for the date. Easy. Say goodbye and promise to email him at the site. When I get back to him I'll say it was great meeting him but he's not my type.

  I can do that. (I think)

  * * *

  On Monday evening Cristina was gingerly rushing over cobble stones in her heels when her phone rang. "Are you there yet Cristina? Is he ok, need me to rescue you?" Sally asked.

  "Oh hi Sally, look I'm running late. I don't have time to talk. I was supposed to meet that guy at 6 and I'm already 15 minutes late. I'll call you later, ok?"

  "Ok darling, hurry, hurry. Good luck. Talk later, bye."

  "Bye," Cristina rushed on with a white carnation in her button hole, scanning the crowded street for a guy with a red one. Nope, don't see him yet. She dashed into the coffee shop and scanned for red carnations. None in sight. Oh God, he's left already. Why couldn't I be on time for once?

  Cristina got in line to order a drink, feeling a little self-conscious, she put the white carnation in her coat pocket, then her phone buzzed again. It was a text from Sally - "not our Sunday coffee shop btw the other one across the street."

  Panic swept Cristina's face as she dashed across the street and into another busy coffee shop, she scanned the room in search of that elusive red carnation. Nope. She was too late. Missed him. What was she going to do now?

  "Hello Cristina, over here", a familiar voice called out. It couldn't be. Could it?

  Cristina looked over and in the far corner of the crowded cafe Greg smiled back at her. He looked splendid in an perfectly pressed grey suit. Her heart missed a beat and she almost tripped before hesitantly making her way over to him.

  Greg moved his briefcase from the seat beside him. "Fancy seeing you here. Good to bump into you, take a seat, let me take your coat, I hung mine up over here." Greg, ever the perfect gentleman hopped up to get Cristina settled in and kissed her on the cheek before asking, "Are you meeting someone?"

  "Oh, thanks. I'm a little flustered I 'm afraid. I've been rushing around like a crazy thing . Late as usual," Cristina smiled. Pleased to have some company, and very pleased to see Greg. "Ah, no I'm not meeting someone, I mean, I was supposed to be but I got here too late."

  "Hey, relax, I'll be right back with a drink. Black coffee with a small dash of milk and one sugar, same as usual." Greg announced, Cristina smiled back at him.

  Over coffee Greg and Cristina caught up. And they talked like they never had back when they were together. Greg talked about his fears and about the void in his life since they parted. He hadn't been dating but he was about to start. He hadn't felt like it. And anyway he had recently got promoted to partner. He was the youngest partner in the law firm and the bump in salary was great but the pressure was unrelenting. He talked about a lack of purpose these days.

  Cristina sat close to Greg to hear him above the noise of the after work chit chat that filled the crowded cafe. She had never seen him open his heart to her like this before. He had matured. Something had definitely changed. She started to feel that old chemistry they always had. She knew what he was going to say before he said it and chose not to finish his sentences like she always did before. She listened, really listened and he talked with his complete attention on her, like she was the only one in the room.

  "So, anyway, enough about me, what's new with you?" Greg asked. "You look beautiful, I see you have a new look, It really suits you."

  "Oh thanks, it's nothing, I just got a few new clothes."

  Greg looked closely at Cristina. "It's not just that, your hair is different, a little longer, and, you have new ear rings. Very elegant. "

  Lisa felt a warm flush and almost blushed but she stopped herself before the glow reached her face. Okay, be professional, be friendly and stay in touch. That's it. That dating site guy is still a possibility but Greg is a ghost from the past. Keep some perspective. But still Cristina couldn't ignore the chemistry. At least they could start being good friends. It'll be weird seeing him with a girlfriend. It's just a matter of time. Need to be ready for that.

  "So, you seeing anyone Cristina?"

  "Not at all. Greg, I know this is going to sound weird but I had a date planned for tonight but it didn't happen. I was late and I missed him. It would have been my first date since us."

  "Oh well, his loss, my gain. It's great to see you again. Well, that's two coincidences today in that case. I had a date for tonight but she never showed up. And you won't believe this, I arranged it on a dating site. Her photo was terrible I couldn't really make out what she would look like in person so we arranged to wear carnations so we could spot each other."

  Cristina's pulse burst into song and she gripped the table. She raised her voice.

  "What? You must be having a laugh? Did Sally set this whole thing up with you? This isn't funny Greg. I mean it. It has taken me ages to get over you and now this. If this is your idea of a joke it's a very sick one indeed. I never expected you to stoop so low. You should be ashamed of yourself." Red in the face, Cristina gulped some coffee and slammed the cup back onto the saucer.

  Greg took a deep breath and sat back. He never minded when Cristina lost her cool but it had been a while. He calmly responded, "What are you talking about? Who is Sally?"

  "Just a friend. Show me your carnation, right now," Cristina shouted. Greg, a little taken aback stood up and reached up for a flower in the lapel of his coat. He handed her the red carnation and this time a wave of red filled her cheeks.

  "And, you don't have a profile photo on the dating site because you only joined a few days ago." Cristina shouted fixing Greg with a determined stare.

  Shocked, Greg paused before replying. "How did you know that?"

  Cristina stood up, reached for her coat, took the white carnation from the pocket and jammed it into Greg's hand. Greg couldn't believe his eyes.

  "So, you're "SundayCoffee?" Greg smiled in disbelief.

  "Yes I am. And you must be NewToThis?" Cristina snarled.

  Cristina grabbed her phone and stood up, "One minute I'll be right back. Don't you go anywhere. I'm not finished with you yet," she barked at the bemused Greg. He sat there patiently waiting for the fire to fade as it always did with Cristina. He straightened his tie and wondered who was about to get a blasting on the other end of her phone. He wanted to smile but decided it wasn't a good idea. Give her a few minutes and he knew everything would be fine again.

  Sally picked up on the first ring. "Hey Cristina, so how did your date go? Is he hot?"

  Cristina shouted down the phone. "He is. And you already knew that. I walk in here and the date is Greg. How could you do this to me Sally? I trusted you."

  "What on Earth are you talking about. If the guy is like Greg don't blame me. I was just trying to help."

  "Come on Sally, you were setting me up with Greg all along. The two of you must have had a right laugh stringing me along like this for weeks. Grooming me to join that site, getting my hopes up, then this. I don't find this in the slightest bit amusing. In fact, I
think its down right cruel messing with my head like this."

  "Calm down just one minute Cristina. I have never even met Greg, how do you think I could have conjured up this absurd scenario. Think logically for a minute."

  Through the haze of her anger Cristina saw that she was wrong. Greg had been genuinely surprised to see her, he was a terrible liar, he hadn't expected to see her, his face had given that away. And Sally have never met him. She suddenly realized, she'd got it all wrong. She apologized profusely to Sally and rushed back to Greg for more humble pie.

  Cristina slowly and cautiously took her seat next to Greg. "I'm so sorry Greg. Really I am, I thought meeting you was a set up planned by my friend Sally. I just spoke to her and as she rightly pointed out she doesn't even know you. I feel like such a complete idiot. Please forgive me."

  Greg reached out and put his hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry Cristina. That's one of your most endearing qualities. I love your fire, it's exciting. And you never let it ruin the day, if you're wrong you say you're sorry and it's over. I love that about you." Greg smiled and looked across the table at the woman he had loved and lost. The woman he had not stopped thinking about everyday since they had split up. He had missed her so much.

  Cristina felt Greg's reassuring hand on her shoulder and she felt calm again, he always had that effect on her. "Thank you. How come you never said anything before?"

  Greg paused before moving his mouth closer to Cristina's ear and lowering his voice. "There's a lot that went unsaid before. I suppose that happens over time even when you really care about someone, you stop saying the little things, the little things that matter a lot. You wait for the big moments like birthdays, like Christmas and like Valentines Day but it's the little things we do each day that say a lot. You know what I mean. Even going out for a meal can become old after a few years. It's just too easy to opt for the nearest place because it saves time, because it's convenient. But that misses the whole point which is to spend that special time together in a place you enjoy.