Where We Met

10.

"Mom will you stop setting me up with your friend's son? Please... I'm really not interested." Clara said through gritted teeth, watching Zaphire made her order as she managed to grab a table in the middle of the cafe, placing the shopping bags on the chair next to her.

Zaphire and she had been shopping for the past two hours in the mall when her mother called. Zaphire decided to stop by a cafe to grab some coffee for the both of them.

"But Lorena said Jon is thrilled to meet you! Come on now Clara. You'll never know if you don't give it a shot." Her mom pleaded over the phone.

Urghh! Not another guy name starting with a J.

Clara rolled her eyes, knowing her mother would not see her. "Whatever it is, I'm not going. I'm very much occupied with work."

"It's only going to be an hour or two. You still have to eat your lunch. Or better yet dinner!"

"Mom-"

"I don't care honey. Let's call it a deal. I'll give Jon your number and he'll text you. He's a nice guy... trust me on this. Definitely better than that jackass ex of yours. No pun intended."

"Mom!" Clara exclaimed. She hated when her mother would always broach the subject. Every single time, her mother would remind her of how doltish and credulous she was, as if she did not know it herself.

"Okay fine fine. I won't talk about him. Just... go out with Jon. Give yourself a chance."

"Mom I won't like him. I just know it." She paused for a short moment and contemplated. "I'm in love with someone else." She muttered.

"What? That's great! Bring him over then!" She continued to blabber. "Let me judge this time. You only brought Jack home after dating for two years and it was too late for me to say anything because you were so blindly in love with-"

"Mom mom mom..." She repeated, her voice rising at each syllable until she got her mother's full attention.

"What?"

"I'm not going to bring him over. It's not happening. But let me just deal with it myself alright? I'm an adult. I know exactly what to do."

"You're twenty six. Single and only been in one relationship. Failed too if I may add. Clearly you don't know what to do with your life." Her mother retorted.

Ouch.

"Jacklyn is getting married next year. Oh and Lisa too. Your cousins are all younger than you but they already have their lives planned out perfectly. Honey I'm worried about you."

"See... that's where you're wrong. Life is not all about marriage. I do want to get married one day. Just not now." She explained, even though knowing her mother would not give in. "I'll call you back later. Zaphire is here." She disconnected the call when she noticed Zaphire approaching their table.

"I heard you." Zaphire offered her a pitied look and passed her a cup of hot latte.

Disheartened, Clara sighed heavily. "I don't know Zaphire. Sometimes I feel like my life is a mess. I thought I finally met someone. Yet he turned out to be a different guy. And now my mom is so eager to set me up on a blind date with her friend's son? I can't believe I'm saying this but... work is the only thing that's keeping me alive and happy now."

"Do you want to tell me what's going on between you and Xane? You both looked fine at the wedding."

With that, Clara had spent fifteen minutes spilling her guts out, telling Zaphire everything that happened in the past weeks, including the things that he had said at her apartment door