Love's Serendipity

It had been a while.

She sat there, slowly chewing her food. She let out a sigh as she studied the ambience. The restaurant was just about the same.

The restaurant was behind the lobby of a spectacular hotel, well situated in the center of the busy city.

The Urban Bistro was a stylish haven in the midst of the tall, modern buildings that surrounded it; the floor to ceiling windows offered an unhindered view of the streets.

It was their venue for date nights and special occasions, in the early days of their marriage.

She had not been there since he abandoned her and her pregnancy. She summoned a lot of courage to return there.

She was there for the outstanding array of food. There was a buffet every Sunday.

She smiled softly as the thought of her young son came to her mind. He was the only joy in her life. She delighted in his naughtiness and playful ways.

She had made up her mind to remain single…for sanity and peace. Her ex-husband hurt her too much, and she had lost faith in all men or hope for love.

She felt spent and emotionally exhausted. Indeed, she had nothing else to offer anyone. She could never be enough for anyone else.

All the love, emotions, and feelings she could ever have, had been squeezed out of her by the ungrateful moron she chose for a husband.

She owed her son an apology for selecting a loser as his father.

***

Adrian Sterling had decided to be alone that cool Sunday evening. He needed a break from his incredibly busy life.

Some peace and quiet would do him a lot of good at this time.

He had not taken a break in forever. He was there to try out the cooking of the new chef.

He was seated at a table adjacent to an incredible looking woman. She was indeed a sight to behold. Apart from her beauty, the countenance on her face drew him to her. He studied her carefully out the corner of his eye, but was careful not to be caught glaring at her.

She had a rare, subtle beauty. He has been with too many women to know that. She had little or no makeup on, which meant she had nothing to hide.

He had had his fair share of women. They presented themselves to him as beautifully as they could be but looked entirely different when their makeup was washed off.

She had a timeless beauty that could compete with the greatest works of art. Her perfect skin and delicate, high cheekbones framed her face, and her long, luscious hair cascaded down like liquid gold. Her eyes were wide, expressive, and as deep and alluring as the ocean.

She had soft, inviting lips that were well-sculpted. Her lips frequently curved into a faint smile. Her presence had an enticing attraction due to the trace of mystery in her gaze, which made him wonder about the depth of her thoughts.

She seemed sad, pent up and eluded of confidence. Try as she might, the pain could not be hidden in her eyes. But he must commend her for being strong enough to eat alone.

Everyone present there was with a partner, family, or friends. But she sat alone, quietly eating her food.

Was she stood up?

Nah.

She would have left instead of staying.

She looked so lonely, and he felt oddly attracted to her. He had an urge to care for her and deal with her pain. He felt a tingle every time his eyes rested on her face.

He had the penthouse in the hotel of the restaurant to himself. He could have ordered a sample of each dish sent to his room, but he decided to come downstairs.

He was so glad he came.

What bliss would it be for him to have her in that room...alone...even for a moment. The things he would do to her...

She disrupted his thoughts when she walked past him to get more food. He took the opportunity to go with her.

He had to get close to her.

He walked behind her and fed his eyes with her delicate stature.

She was so feminine. She moved with grace and poise, like an old movie star. She took easy, calculated steps like she was being watched.

And the smell that lingered after her was driving him crazy!

She smelled like honey and vanilla.

Why was he feeling this way?

She got to the spread of food and picked up a new plate, totally oblivious to the man behind her.

It was time for dessert.

Decisions, decisions.

Cake, pie, or Ice cream.

Perhaps a bit of everything.

She gave a small chuckle as she reached for a serving spoon. Her hand jammed the man standing beside her, who reached for the spoon at the same time. Their eyes met, and he held her gaze for a couple of seconds.

The plate she was holding fell down and broke making a loud noise.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," she exclaimed.

"It's fine," he drawled with a smile at the corner of his mouth.

Finally, the barrier was broken.

He had been told he had an effect on women, by women. He called it the Adrian Effect.

He honestly hoped his effect dropped that plate from her hand. Not her clumsiness.

"So, so clumsy of me." She looked away from him as fast as she could.

"It will be taken care of," he said as he saw a couple of the restaurant staff walk towards them.

"We'll take care of it, ma'am," said one of the staff.

"Thank you," she said as she took a step back away from him.

She quickly picked up another plate and put the nearest dessert on it. She walked away as swiftly as she could back to her table.

It was as if she didn't want to be noticed by anyone.

She sat down and took a couple of deep breaths to calm herself. She took a quick glance at the man her hands touched earlier as she could see him clearly from her table. His attention was on the food.

Oh, wow.

He had such an overwhelming effect on her. It was so tangible, she could almost touch it. He was so handsome, with amazing facial features.

He commanded attention with his dominating presence, height and self-assured demeanor. His chiseled features were a perfect combination of sophisticated appeal and toughness. His gorgeous, deep-set eyes were a rich emerald green, expressing an intensity and warmth that mesmerized her when she looked into them.

A man like that could never be interested in her. No man could be interested in her, she thought sadly.

She was about to start eating her dessert when she felt someone sit in front of her.

She looked up and saw it was him.

"I...I..think you missed your table," she stammered.

"No I didn't," he started. "I wanted to check on you, you seemed startled by the broken plate."

"I'm okay. I didn't want to make a scene."

"It's just a silly accident," he said.

She didn't know what to say, so she took a bite of her cake.

He was waiting for her to recognize him. They all did. All the women he had been with knew exactly who he was and that was the only reason they wanted him.

"Do you come here often?" he asked as he took a spoon of the ice cream he brought with him.

Still nothing. He was stunned that she did not know who he was.

Was he making a conversation with her? Why was he talking to her when he could speak with more beautiful and younger women? She had earlier noticed a couple of women looking at him.

She could not remember the last time she spoke or even sat with a stranger. She had a pretty dogmatic life. Work, school for Thomas, her son. Then home. No friends, just Fanny, her neighbor who was more than willing to help out with her son.

"I..hmm hmm," she said, clearing her throat. "I used to come here with my..."

She stopped.

She did not know this guy.

She was not going to bear any aspect of her life to him.

He smiled at her and she looked away avoiding his eyes. She felt a little tremor with the way he looked and smiled at her.

"You find the food okay?" he asked trying to ease her up. He could sense her insecurity.

"The food is delightful," she said smiling faintly.

"I came here for the food," they said at the same time.

They looked at each other and laughed.

"I'm glad you like it," he said.

"Why? Do you own the place?" she asked jokingly.

He didn't respond.

"I'm glad you like the food brought you here....made me meet you," he said.

But she didn't hear him because she saw Bob, her ex-husband walking out of the blue angrily to her table.

After three years!

Bob couldn't believe it was her. A strikingly beautiful woman had caught his attention as he made his way into the restaurant with his girlfriend Nicole. She looked oddly familiar. He realized it was her only when he looked closer.

He was seeing her for the first time since he left home three years ago. She looked totally different from the wife he dumped three years ago.

She was no 'Frumpy Sharon' anymore.

That was the name he and Nicole mocked her with. Her glasses were gone and her skin was clear and glowing. Her straight blonde hair had grown long and fell beautifully on her shoulders.

The harsh realization dawned on him that she was indeed the one. She had changed so much, looking unbelievably attractive.

He suddenly felt possessive and irritated as she seemed to be having a good time with a male companion. They were still legally married. She was after all still his wife.

"Sharon!," Bob bellowed immediately creating a scene as everyone focused their attention on them.

What the hell was he doing there? Standing shamelessly behind him was Nicole, who also couldn't believe how much Sharon had changed.

Nicole!!!

Backstabbing bitch!