He missed her.
If he hadnât come here on purpose, he might never see her again.
Albert slowly made his way over and took a seat across her without a word.
Turning to the restaurant owner, he said, âBring us more food and toss in a bottle of sake.
â
The man nodded and got ready.
He was sharp.
Seeing the place wasnât crowded, he decided to close up shop, giving Albert and Jessie some privacy.
Heâd heard the rumors about the two and now he could clearly see the love in their eyes.
He was sure they were crazy about each other.
Jessie and Albert sat together at a table.
She was as cool as a cucumber.
She looked down and asked, âWhat are you doing here? We agreed not to see each other or talk.
â
With that, she started to leave.
She was scared.
She didnât want anything to do with Albert anymore.
But as she stood, his hand reached out for hers, but then quickly pulled back.
He looked at her and said softly, âLetâs grab a bite together now that we ran into each other!â
Jessie shook her head, still intending to leave.
But Albert wasnât having it.
He murmured, âItâs just one meal.
I wonât hassle you! And you barely ate.
Are you sure youâre not hungry?â
She knew the drill.
He wouldnât cut her loose till they finished eating.
She slumped back down, quiet as a mouse.
When the dishes arrived, the owner tossed in some barbecue, knowing Albert was into it.
They both sat in silence.
Jessie zoned out, while Albert quietly seasoned the meat on the grill.
He was a thoughtful guy.
Back when they were together, it had always been him catering to her during meals.
Even though they were no longer together now, some habits just died hard.
Things were still different now though.
She used to chow down on barbecue like it was going out of style.
Scared of packing on pounds, every time they had hit a barbecue joint, sheâd make him do some âworkoutsâ with her after, swearing it kept the pounds off.
And on those nights, sheâd be real frisky.
Albert had been around the block but every time with her, it was like paradiseâ¦