Chapter Five
1143 Words
Amelia stared at Ethan’s business card for what felt like the hundredth time.
It had been sitting on her bedside table ever since she found it in her handbag that morning. Every time she picked it up, she found another reason to put it back down.
“What if he doesn’t remember me?”
“What if he only gave me the card to be polite?”
“What if I embarrass myself?”
Her thoughts were interrupted by another voice message from Lily.
“Amelia Carter, if you don’t message that man today, I’m coming over there myself!”
Amelia laughed despite herself.
“Fine,” she whispered.
Taking a deep breath, she unlocked her phone and saved the number from the card. Her thumb hovered over the keyboard for several seconds before she finally typed.
Hello… I’m the girl who ruined your suit at your sister’s wedding.
She stared at the message.
Then quickly deleted it.
“No, that’s too awkward.”
She typed again.
Hi, this is Amelia… the girl who accidentally spilled champagne on your suit at the wedding.
She hesitated one last time.
Before she could change her mind, she hit Send.
The message was gone.
“Oh God…”
She immediately tossed the phone onto her bed as though it had burned her fingers.
“There,” she sighed. “Whatever happens, happens.”
⸻
The following morning…
Ethan sat at the breakfast table absentmindedly stirring his coffee.
It had been two days since the wedding.
He had finally accepted that Amelia probably wasn’t going to contact him.
Perhaps she had lost the card.
Or perhaps she simply wasn’t interested.
Trying not to dwell on it, he picked up his phone to check his schedule for the day.
Just then, a notification appeared.
New Message
His heart skipped.
He opened it immediately.
Hi, this is Amelia… the girl who accidentally spilled champagne on your suit at the wedding.
For a moment, Ethan simply stared at the screen.
Then the biggest smile spread across his face.
“She actually texted.”
Daniel, who had just walked into the dining room, stopped in his tracks.
“What happened?”
Ethan looked up, unable to hide his excitement.
“She messaged me.”
Daniel grinned.
“The champagne girl?”
Ethan nodded.
“I told you she’d text.”
Without wasting another second, Ethan replied.
I was beginning to think fate had changed its mind. It’s nice to hear from you, Amelia.
Barely a minute later…
Her reply came.
From that moment on, the conversation flowed as though they had known each other for years.
They joked about the wedding.
They laughed about Amelia’s terrible habit of bumping into people.
They talked about their favorite foods, movies, and childhood memories.
Hours slipped by unnoticed.
Morning turned into afternoon.
Afternoon slowly faded into evening.
Neither of them realized they had been texting for nearly ten hours.
For the first time in a long while, Ethan found himself smiling at his phone.
And for the first time in years, Amelia couldn’t remember the last time someone had made talking feel so effortless.
The following morning, Amelia woke up to a “Good morning” text from Ethan.
A smile crept onto her face before she even realized it.
She quickly typed back.
Good morning. I hope you slept well.
Almost instantly, three dots appeared on her screen.
I did. Thanks to our conversation yesterday.
Amelia couldn’t help but laugh.
“He’s a fast replier,” she thought.
After exchanging a few more messages, Ethan paused for a moment before typing something he had been wanting to ask since the previous day.
I was wondering… would you like to meet for coffee this weekend?
Amelia stared at the message.
Her heart raced.
She had expected they would continue texting for a while before meeting again. Somehow, the invitation both excited and frightened her.
She smiled to herself before replying.
I’d like that.
Within seconds, Ethan sent the name and location of a quiet coffee shop.
Saturday, 11 a.m.?
Perfect. See you then.
⸻
Saturday arrived sooner than either of them expected.
Amelia stood in front of her wardrobe for nearly thirty minutes, trying to decide what to wear.
“It’s just coffee,” she reminded herself.
“But why does it feel like so much more?”
Eventually, she settled on a simple light-blue dress with white sneakers. She wanted to look nice without appearing as though she had tried too hard.
Across town, Ethan was getting ready as well.
Daniel watched him straighten his shirt for what seemed like the fifth time.
“It’s only coffee,” Daniel teased.
Ethan smiled.
“I know.”
“So why are you nervous?”
“I’m not.”
Daniel laughed.
“You’ve changed your shirt three times.”
Ethan shook his head and grabbed his car keys.
“I’m leaving before you say anything else.”
⸻
The aroma of freshly brewed coffee filled the café as Amelia stepped inside.
She glanced around nervously.
Then she saw him.
Ethan was already there, seated by the window.
The moment their eyes met, both of them smiled.
Ethan stood immediately.
“I’m glad you came.”
“So am I,” Amelia replied.
He pulled out a chair for her before taking his own seat across the table.
For a brief moment, neither of them spoke.
Then Ethan chuckled.
“I think we’re less awkward over text.”
Amelia laughed.
“I was thinking the exact same thing.”
The ice was instantly broken.
They ordered coffee and pastries before settling into an easy conversation.
They talked about everything from their favorite books and movies to childhood memories and embarrassing moments.
At one point, Ethan asked, “So… what do you do?”
Amelia’s face brightened.
“I own a small bookstore.”
“Really?”
She nodded proudly.
“It isn’t the biggest, but I love it. I’ve always believed every book has the power to change someone’s life.”
Ethan smiled.
“I like that.”
“What about you?”
He hesitated for the briefest moment.
“I work in business.”
It wasn’t exactly a lie.
He simply left out the part that he was the CEO of one of the country’s largest companies.
He wanted Amelia to know him as Ethan—not as the wealthy businessman whose name often appeared in newspapers and magazines.
For the rest of the afternoon, conversation flowed effortlessly. They laughed until their coffee had gone cold, completely losing track of time.
As they left the café together, both of them realized something neither had expected.
What had begun as an awkward accident at a wedding no longer felt like chance.
It felt like the beginning of a friendship they were both unwilling to let end.
- Writer
