My eyes widened as I recalled that name. My mouth went dry.
Rory was a college schoolmate who had been following me around since I set foot on campus. Nina and Rae knew him well. He courted me from my first year in college until my fourth year. He may have even continued after I graduated. He only stopped pursuing me when he and his family left the country for some unknown reason. I had no idea he had returned.
I had my fair share of suitors in college, but my attention wasn’t fully there because I had a lot to prove to my father. Rory was my almost-boyfriend, and I might have accepted his proposal if I hadn’t been too embarrassed to face him one day due to a cut on the side of my lip from what my father did to me.
I was afraid to respond to suitors because I didn’t want them to see the situation I was in. I’ll admit it; I was afraid of being rescued. I was also scared they might leave me because of my circumstances, or worse, they might be the ones responsible for my predicament, thinking it was acceptable to hurt me because of my father.
But Rory, he was different. Even when I avoided him, he persistently pursued me and proved himself.
I smiled to myself, proud to know that he’s likely an engineer now. I knew this was his dream, and it’s heartwarming to see him achieve his goals.
~*~
I finished my work quickly in the morning. I wasn’t hungry, but I was craving iced coffee.
I stood up and decided to buy it myself instead of asking my secretary to do it for me. She tried to dissuade me at first, but I said it would be good for me to walk instead of sitting all the time.
Dario followed me, and I let him. I went to a well-known cafe to buy my coffee.
Would it be bad if I had a cup of coffee right now? My body probably needed the fuel, and coffee would energize me.
“Good morning, Ma’am! May I take your order?”
I ordered my usual iced coffee and waited for it to be served before preparing to return to the office.
“Thank you,” I said to the barista as she handed me my drink.
I was walking out of the cafe when I accidentally bumped into someone. I didn’t mean to, but the impact spilled my iced coffee on his expensive blazer.
“Oh, my god! I’m sorry!” I said, even though I wasn’t sure if I was at fault or he was.
I quickly grabbed a napkin to try to clean his blazer, although it wouldn’t do much. I was apologizing when the man spoke.
“Millie?”
I stopped in my tracks when he spoke. His voice was familiar but seemed so distant that it made me turn my head to look at his face.
My eyes widened. It felt like just a moment ago I was reminiscing about the past, and I never expected our paths to cross so suddenly.
“Rory? Rory Green?”
He smiled widely upon realizing that I remembered him. I was still in shock when he suddenly hugged me tightly.
Dario approached us quickly, but I gestured for them to stay back. Dario furrowed his brow slightly, but I knew it was a natural reaction for him.
“Do you have some time? Can I invite you for coffee? It would be a way for me to repay you for the iced coffee,” he said with a smile, revealing his dimples.
Ah, why did women used to swoon over him? Maybe because of those dimples.
I thought I had nothing to lose, so I agreed. I had no ill intentions, and I certainly wasn’t considering being unfaithful to Gio. This was just a friendly meet-up.
Rory returned quickly after buying his iced coffee. He also had a blueberry cheesecake for me. I noticed Dario and the intense glare he was directing at Rory from the nearby table. They were seated at a table beside Rory and me. Dario couldn’t seem to take his eyes off Rory, as if he were about to harm him at any moment.
“How have you been? You’re back!” I smiled at Rory to prevent him from noticing Dario’s hostile glare.
“Yeah, it’s been a while. We have a project here, so I’m here now. I often work in other major cities, but for now, we’re focusing on projects in New York.”
“Oh! You’re an electrical engineer, right?”
“Yup, actually…” He shrugged and gave me a meaningful smile. “Never mind.”
Rory and I continued chatting. At one point, I noticed him looking at my hand.
“You’re married, huh?” I lowered my coffee cup and looked at my wedding ring. I smiled at him and nodded.
“Yes, happily married,” I replied with a smile.
He gave me a sad smile. “Too bad I left the country. Maybe you would have married me.”
My eyes widened at his statement. I didn’t know how to react to what he said.
He probably noticed that I became uncomfortable, so he quickly apologized.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to say that. I don’t want to disrespect your marriage. I just can’t believe you’re already married. I heard rumors that your father wanted to marry you off. I thought it would remain a rumor. I guess it came true.” He gave a restrained smile. “So, who’s the lucky guy?”
“Gio Locatelli. I’m also lucky to be his wife, actually.”
Rory’s smile faded briefly, but he quickly regained his composure.
“Are you happy with him?”
I nodded. “Yup, he’s a good husband.” Not everyone knows that about him.
“I know the Locatelli name, but personally, I don’t know much about them except that they are media-shy. It’s quite a feat to get them to agree to an interview. I don’t want to judge your husband. So, if you’re happy, I’m happy for you, too, Millie.”
I was pleased with what Rory said. My smile returned to my lips.
I said my goodbyes because I needed to get back to the office.
Dario was looking at me meaningfully. In the elevator, I couldn’t hold it any longer, so I confronted him.
“Spill it, Dario,” I ordered him. He seemed like he had something to say but was holding back.
Dario shrugged and sighed. I raised an eyebrow and gave him a stern look.
The elevator doors opened on our floor, and I exited, quickly followed by my secretary. Her face showed anxiety as she walked beside me.
“Ma’am, Sir-”
“Where have you been, Millie?”
I was taken aback when I suddenly saw Gio outside my office. My eyes widened, especially when I noticed that he seemed irritated, his jaw clenched.
“And who was with you earlier, aside from Dario? Mind introducing me to your friend, hmm?”
I recognized this tone in Gio’s speech all too well. He was angry, and he was damn jealous!
How did he find out that I was with someone else? I looked at Dario, and when Gio noticed that I had turned my attention to him, he quickly averted his gaze and pretended not to have noticed my disapproving scrutiny.
Damn you, Dario! You’re such a snitch!