What He Wanted (Book#1 of The Runaway Club)

Chapter 33: The Coffee Date

I sighed, "Aaron, it is high time both of you get over it..."

"No, I am totally over it!"

"No you aren't, so stop defending yourself." I scolded and then added something that I was suddenly reminded of, "I met this Chloe the other day when I was with Adam on a date."

Aaron's perfect eyebrows shot up. "No way. You mean Chloe Olmstead? The Chloe?" I nodded gravely at his surprised face. It took a moment before he recovered.

"What did Adam say? What did she say?" He asked with a curiosity of a housewife on a juicy piece of gossip. I giggled at that thought .

"Adam was simply emotionless. Like as if he felt nothing; no hatred or anger or anything. But he was cold to her and she asked him why. He told her bluntly that he didn't trust her. She genuinely looked hurt, that woman and I truly felt sorry. You know, her fiancé died the day before her marriage and she loved that guy it seems. She is living her life as a widow, back in England." I briefed him.

"Damn." Aaron whistled lowly, his brows furrowed in disappointment. "I expected a cat-fight or something."

"I know." I told him as I entwined my fingers on top of the table, "But she seemed decent and very friendly even. I expected a real b*tch, the way you and Adam portrayed her. Like you know the psycho ex-girlfriend material."

Aaron was silent at my judgment for a moment, analyzing and mulling it over when a peppy red-haired girl, who introduced herself as Sephora, came to take our orders. I ordered a macchiato and croissant when Aaron ordered for a cappuccino. The girl eagerly took it down, not before giving him an appreciative once-over. Surprisingly, Aaron was too caught up in his thoughts to notice the girl.

"If I know her well enough," He began once the girl went away, "I'd say she's still the same cunning woman I had met clinging on my best friends arms, her eyes on his wallet alone."

"You can't judge someone like that." I argued for my boyfriend's ex, "Maybe she changed. Maybe this Joshua guy actually affected her ways and amended her."

"I doubt it." Aaron told me without missing a beat. "See, I had put up with her for three years. When you've been with a person long enough, it is natural you understand what sort of person they are. You will understand the difference between in-built character traits and the traits that can be changed."

I remained silent mainly because I ran out of any smart counters to what he told me. It is true, you would see through a person when they are around you for a long time. Not everything but nevertheless, you get a jist of it.

"I guess." I vaguely offered and tried to steer the conversation elsewhere. "So are you settled in NYC or are you planning on moving back to somewhere?"

"No, no, no." He told me with a jolly air and a wide grin. The coffees arrived. "It's Adam who is settled in CA. New York is my place and that is one of the reasons why Adam and I drifted apart very soon. Although I would have to take a ride to LA once every two weeks for my modeling works, New York's worth it."

I sipped on my macchiato with a small smile. "You know, that's how I used to feel about Mumbai. I kind of miss being there." I admitted.

"If I were to miss the place where I was born, I miss Florence terribly." Aaron said, with an unexpected air of nostalgia.

"You were born in Italy?" I asked conversationally.

"Yeah." He said fondly. "My mama is an Italian and my dad is American. That doesn't matter now, mama is married to Daniello and they've been happily married for 20 years. I have a brother and sister from my mama's side as a bonus."