DESTINY'S EMBRACE

Chapter 3

Emma took continuous sips from the drink in front of her as she waited for the client. She had earlier received a text of the venue and the time of the meeting. A few minutes later, Emma sighted a man walk up to the table and sat just opposite her. He had a familiar look but she could not just place where she had seen him. He returned her confused stare with a smile.

“Emma Sinclair?” He asked.

“Yes, and you are?”

"Collins.” He outstretched his hands to her and she grabbed it in a handshake. “For a minute there I thought I was on the wrong table.”

"Oh forgive my stare, it's just that you look like someone I have met before.”

“I get that a lot though.”

"Did you by any chance attend the charity gala few months ago?”

“Yeah I did, with my friend Xander.”

"Xander?” Emma could not hide her excitement as she heard his name.

“Wait you are actually Xander’s friend? Wow!”

The rest of the meeting was more of talking about Xander and how long they have been friends, Emma enjoyed talking about him and knowing more about his friendship with Collins. She took his contact and they fixed a date to meet up.

Emma could not decide on what to wear on the day she would be meeting up with Xander for the first time since the gala. As she walked into the restaurant she scanned the room with her eyes and finally met him by the reserved area.

“Hey.” She said as soon as she got closer. Xander walked towards her not knowing what to do he wanted to move in for a hug but he only shook her hands instead and they started the afternoon with a bottle of wine.

"I never thought I would see you again.” He began.

“Well thanks to your friend.”

"Yeah, I owe him. You look even more beautiful than the first time I saw you.”

"Yeah, the flattery again.”

"It's not just flattery, and you know it.” He flashed her a smile as he caught her eyes and she blushed.

“Stop staring”

"Then you'd have to give me something more beautiful to stare at.” He looked around for a while and then looked back at her, “ I have looked around and I still can't see anyone as beautiful.”

"...and he is good with the words too.” She said.

“What about your crazy ex?”

“I haven't heard from him ever since that day that he left me the invitation card. It's been months now.”

“Oh, when is the wedding again?”

"On the 12th,” Xander noticed the change in her mood as they talked about the wedding.

"That's like in three days.”

“Oh, in three days already.”

“You sound like you do not plan to attend.”

“Well, I don't know, I feel like it would be weird and...” Xander held her hands across the table caressing them gently.

“You don't have to attend if you don't want to. You don't owe him anything you should know that.”

“Yeah right, I know I don't owe him anything but that would be me showing weakness. He would leave the rest of his life thinking that I still have a soft spot for him. I am going to attend that wedding.” Her voice was firm, Xander smiled as she loved the tone in her voice.

“Let me come with you as your plus one.”

“No, I would not want to steal you away from your daily activities. I don't want to make it a big deal.”

"But it already is. And you would need someone there with you, please say yes. I really want to come with you.”

"Alright... Alright, I'd really do need your company anyway. Thank you so much. What should I call you now my saviour?” Xander chuckled,

"Why would you even want to call me that?”

“Cause you always seem to know the right time to come to my rescue.”

“No one would like to see you in distress.”

“Well, not everyone thinks so.” She smiled at him.

•••

The soft tune from the grand piano echoed in the hall, tunes like Canon in D and wedding in the hall played continuously giving the hall the wedding vibes and a soothing aura. Emma and Xander walked in locked arms just as everyone else. The weeding commenced as the couples exchanged their vows. Fred and his bride were treated specially but most of the people had their eyes on Emma and Xander. Most people had their plus ones and partners and she was glad that she was not left out. She sighted Fred at a distance and just as if he was searching for her as well, he saw her with Xander and walked towards them.

"I never thought you would show up."

"Well I am here now, and why would you think that I would not come?"

"And you came with your bodyguard." He ignored her question and turning to Xander who stood beside her without saying a word.

"Xander is my…"

"Boyfriend." Xander cut her off. He squeezed her hands in hers. Emma was shocked by what Xander had said.

"Yes, boyfriend.” She decided to play along. "Nice party.” She said watching Fred, who stood stunned too. Camila walked over to them all smiles.

"Hey babe you haven't introduced me to your friends."

"Sorry about that babe, didn't think it was that important thought but nevertheless, this is Emma Sinclair, my ex and her guy, I guess." He said giving Xander and eerie stare.

"Your ex, wow, nice to meet you." She said,

"Nice to meet you too, I'm surprised you do not know me."

"Oh, well I'm not surprised, I specifically told Fred not to tell me about any of the ladies he had dated in the past after he had showed me tons of them. But you are different from the rest. I have to be going now, I have other guests I need to see. Enjoy the rest of the party." She finally said and walked away.

Emma was stunned by what she had said, when she was with Fred, she never knew there were others.

"Wow! Fred, you really do know how to hurt a lady." Emma said and squeezed her hand in Xander's, he felt the tension and pulled her close, staring directly in front of her.

"Look at me, I should be the only person you see in this hall." Emma felt her heartbeat begin to slow down and gradually the tension around suddenly went down.

Xander drove Emma home after the long day, they had partied for the rest of the day and had taken the dance floor away from the couples which made Fred furious.

"I think Fred still has a thing for you." Xander said as he walked her to the door of her apartment.

"Uhmm… I doubt that, I mean he just got married to the lady he had been cheating on me with for a while."

"I saw the way he looked at you at the wedding and when I told him we were dating he was just blank, like he had lost a diamond. But he wasn't wrong though.” Xander chuckled and he nudged him with her shoulders.

"Why did you tell him that we were dating, I wasn't expecting that at all."

"Me too, but I couldn't just let him think that you still had a soft spot for him you know." They got to her door and stood facing each other star g for a while without saying a word to each other. Emma could see his hazel eyes under the light, they were calm and peaceful.

"Thank you for tonight." She said.

"Thank you too."

"For what? I didn't do anything."

"For being Emma." She smiled and turned to walk in but he did not let go of her hands and so he pulled her back and kissed her and she kissed him back.

Just opposite from where they stood, a van pulled over and a man stepped out of the van with a camera taking quick shots of them.