Anna Smith never expected her run-in with George Greene would happen in such a painfully awkward setting.
Her hand was still on the doorknob, one foot already inside the room, but something about the two people sitting in the private booth just felt… off.
Thankfully, Anna was quick on the uptake. After just a moment of embarrassment, she pulled on a polite smile and said, “Oh, sorry, I think I walked into the wrong room.”
Inside, a man and a woman were facing each other. Both turned their heads when they heard her voice.
Anna did her best to seem chill, like this wasn’t killing her inside.
The woman sitting across from George gave a nod, probably wanting to leave a good impression. Her voice was sweet and gentle. “It’s alright.”
Anna pressed her lips together and couldn’t help but glance at George out of the corner of her eye.
He looked perfectly relaxed, leaning back in his chair with legs crossed and arms folded. That laziness of his? Still the same.
She didn’t dare look at his face. Straightening her back, she gave a slight nod as if to excuse herself and turned quickly, pulling the door shut behind her without so much as a backward glance.
Only when the door clicked shut did she finally let out the breath she’d been holding. Her shoulders dropped as she completely deflated.
The place was a lounge, with each room on this floor set up for blind dates.
It never occurred to her that George would end up in one of these situations.
A guy like him, doing speed dating?
With his looks, wealth, and charm, there was never a shortage of women throwing themselves at him. Even when he wasn’t single. And now that he was divorced with no strings attached?
After standing there blankly for a while, Anna gave a bitter chuckle.
It really didn’t matter what George was like now. Two years had passed since their divorce. They were nothing to each other.
Even if he was getting married again, that’d be totally normal.
Taking a moment to regain her composure, Anna took a closer look at the room number behind her. Two seconds in, she realized the mistake—yep, scrambled the 6 and 8 while rushing.
She followed the numbers along the hallway and double-checked this time before opening the correct door. As she pushed it open, she apologized with a quick smile, “Sorry I’m late. Traffic was a nightmare.”
The man inside got up politely. “Nice to meet you, Miss Smith.”
Lucy White had played matchmaker and set Anna up with this guy—a doctor, supposedly with great credentials.
Anna hadn’t really expected much. But now that she saw him in person, she had to admit Lucy’s famously dicey taste had scored a win.
Dr. Young was definitely easy on the eyes. Mannerly, well-spoken—just seemed like an all-around decent guy.
Still, it caught her off guard that someone this great was also stuck using blind dates.
Somewhere deep inside, something stung.
Her mind drifted back to the one person she had tried not to think about.
Dr. Young didn’t seem bothered by her lateness. Whether it was because he actually liked her or just didn’t want to embarrass Lucy, he introduced himself in detail, covering pretty much every box a person could ask about.
But Anna? She barely registered a word. As he spoke calmly and steadily, her mind just kept wandering.
Back to George Greene.
She hadn’t thought of him in ages—until today.
One year married. Two years since the divorce. They’d spent more time apart than they’d ever spent together. The lingering resentment had worn thin long ago.
After the split, she kept track of his news for a short while. He’d been with someone new not long after—some childhood friend of his, if the gossip was true. Just hearing that had crushed whatever frail hope she had left.
Looking back, it made sense. She hadn’t been his match even when she had it together. And now, in this mess?
News about George had eventually faded into the background—just magazine articles or casual mentions. She hadn’t paid attention. Apparently, things with that girl didn’t last, either.
