New friend

Seraphina looked at her watch, it was exactly 5.37pm and Tolly was already 7 minutes late and the realisation of agreeing to meet her for a coffee was starting to feel like one of my non brilliant ideas. Some people are just supposed to be run into friends, like when you run into old school friends or old work colleagues and you swear to meet up, but both of you know it’s never going to happen, it’s just to be polite.

She watched the clock meticulously; three minutes had exactly gone by and then she heard a woman shriek. 'Seraphina! Seraphina!' She slowly turned around a little embarrassed, as she wasn’t one to shout in public like that. But then there was Tolly heading towards her table, her tight curls bouncing either side of her face, as if she were on a catwalk, you could smell the coconut oil, coco butter and the sweet scent of her perfume disturbed the freshly ground coffee bean scent of the room.

“Sorry I'm late, my mother rang, and god knows how hard it is to get that women off the phone, hope you haven’t been waiting too long.” Tolly said “let me buy you a coffee and a slice of chocolate cake” she said excitedly!”

Tolly walked over to the counter and ordered two coffees and a large slice of chocolate cake. She stood there fiddling with her new boots from Zara and from the corner of her eye, her gaze caught a familiar frame.

She stood shocked.

It couldn’t be? She thought to herself but there he was, John! And there she was, the new beau! Together looking happy. How he could move on so quickly and this was girlfriend number two since their breakup, and she had barely had a second date at this point.

As she picked up the coffees and cake and headed to the table she looked up and she made eye contact with John, stopped and smiled awkwardly back at him and he took that as a que and begun to walk towards her. In a panic, she quick stepped her way back to the table with her heel clicking loudly and placed the cake and coffee down in a panic, spilling a little on the table.

“Is everything alright?” Seraphina said.

“No... my ex is coming, please you have to pretend to be my partner?”

“Huh!?”

Before she could even respond, Tolly grabbed firmly on her hand.

“Look at me lovingly, feed me some cake” Tolly whispered to her.

Confused by the request Seraphina looked awkwardly into Tolly’s eyes.

“Why you are making a strange squinting eyes face, are you ok?”

“Yes why?”

“Because you look constipated not exactly loving.”

“Oh sorry, I wasn't exactly prepared for this.” Seraphina said sarcastically.

“Just look at me as if I was Idris Elba sitting opposite you.”

Within a second Tolly hazel eyes glistened with love, as she shoved a piece of chocolate cake in Tolly’s mouth.

“Tolly, hi”, said John. His deep velvet tone took her back.

“Oh hi”, while trying to swallow the piece of cake. “How are you?”

“I'm good” John said happily.

Her heart sank leaving her choked up not knowing what to say next; she could only focus on the cute mole he had on the left corner of his perfectly cupid bow shaped lips.

At that moment Seraphina lent over and kissed her hand. “Aren't you going to introduce me honey?”

Tolly surprised said “yes, yes of course how rude of me, Seraphina this is John, John this is my partner Seraphina” smiling gleefully.

John stood confuse, “your” ¬--

“Yes, that's correct my partner.”

“I never knew you--”

“You never knew a lot of things about me” she said interrupting him.

“Nice to meet you Seraphina”

“and you John, I've heard a fair bit about you.”

“All good I hope?”

“Mainly good, while she leaned over and softly placed an unruly curl to the back of Tolly’s ear. Tolly smiled and softly kissed Seraphina’s hand.

At the corner of john’s eye, he could see his girlfriend waiting impatiently. “Well, I guess I better go now! …

“Yeah! Well, it was nice seeing you Tolly and meeting you Seraphina.”

“Nice seeing you too... bye.”

As he walked away the two couldn't help but burst into fits of laughter as he was so unfocused going back to his girlfriend that he tripped over a table sending someone’s coffee and himself straight to the floor. Tolly turned to Seraphina and slumped back into her chair

"Thank you so much and sorry to put you on the spot like that but I couldn't handle seeing him again and still alone.

" No worries we've all been there, I do have one question though?" Seraphina said.

"what's that?"

"Can we eat this cake now!"