Ryan couldn't figure out where he had seen the woman before. She didn't seem like one of his usual clients, and the restaurant they were in wasn't the kind of place he would expect her to visit. But as she got closer, a memory clicked, and he remembered her name -Sheila.
Ryan was surprised to see around as he wondered why she was here. "To eat, of course!" His subconscious mind hit him.
"Yeah, right!" He admitted.
Ryan had wanted to dodge to avoid being seen by Sheila, considering his present appearance and environment. But luck ran out on him as he was seen by Sheila before he got the chance to dodge her.
"Ah -Mr. Ryan..."She vocalized in recognition, hastening her steps towards him. "It's you!"
Ryan couldn't believe it. He had hoped to escape this embarrassing situation, but his plans were foiled. How would he explain his presence in such a place, especially to Sheila, of all people? And with the state he was in - messy hair, unkempt clothes, an unshaven face...Oh, no! He was a mess!
Sheila was getting closer, and he was starting to panic. "It's not what it looks like!" He blurted out, trying to push away any awkward questions.
Sheila paused in her tracks, and Ryan could feel his face turning red. "You 100k different, Mr. Ryan." Sheila said after a moment of silence, an amused smile playing on her lips. "Where is your usual impeccable appearance? And why are you here, of all places?" She asked, a hint of concern in her voice instead of the sarcasm Ryan was expecting.
Ryan felt a lump in his throat. He was at a loss forwords. How could he explain this without coming off as a total slob? He felt his face flush even more as he struggled for an answer-he haven't been embarrassed like this since his existence.
"I...I..."He stammered, his mind going blank. Then, he remembered something. A few weeks ago, he had read an article about how most performers handle unexpected situations. One of the tips was to say "yes, and..."to any unexpected circumstances and build on them.
So, taking a deep breath, Ryan said, "Yes, and I'm here to try something new." He knew it was a bit of a stretch, but it was the best he could come up with on the spot.
To his surprise, Sheila burst out laughing. "You are funny, Mr. Ryan, and your sense of humor is something else." She said, chortling. "Did you leave business to start telling jokes now?"
Ryan was stranded, unsure of how to reply her. Instead, he started laughing too -though nervously and uncomfortably as he avoids her eyes.
"Can I sit with you?" She asked after her laughter had died down, gesturing to the empty seat opposite him. "It's just a friendly request."
"Sure, do!" He blurted out almost immediately without thinking it twice and ended up regretting his reply. He badly wants her to leave and sit somewhere else -if possible, leave the restaurant.
"Yeah, thanks!" Sheila smiled warmly in appreciation as she had her sit, adjusting her weight on the seat. "It's good to see you again after months, Mr. Ryan."
"Likewise, Ms. Sheila." Ryan replied, summoning all his courage to look directly into her eyes. "It's been a while indeed. Who would think I will see you out of the blues like this?"
"Yes, and it's good to see you outside the confines of your office building." She responded, looking around the restaurant. "Did you come here for dinner?"
"No,I...I..."Ryan stammered again, unsure of how to explain his presence there -he couldn't be more embarrassed. "I just felt like being here." He lied, forcing out a smile to cover up for it.
"Oh really?" She looked at him skeptically as she heard his stomach rumbling loudly. Ryan's face flushed, clouded in embarrassment as he hurriedly looked away.
"Well, yeah... and I ended up ordering something to eat." He chuckled nervously.
"Oh, I see." Sheila cited simply as she nods in understanding, staring differently at him. "I'm sorry to say this, but you don't look too good, Mr. Ryan. This wasn't the popular man everyone knows -what happened to you?"
Ryan couldn't doubt the sincerity in her voice, he could tell how much she's worried about him. He sighed, running his hand through his hair in despair. He might not know her much, but the little opportunity they had together, he can say she's someone with a great personality.
"A lot happened and it's. It's a long story, Ms. Sheila." He started, unsure of how much he should reveal to her; because he's too ashamed to share whatever happened to anyone. "And it's not for public ears."
"That's okay, Mr. Ryan." She responded, a look of concern on herface. "You know, I'm happy you're willing to share even a bit of it with me. It's not every day that you let your guard down."
"You're right, and it's because I trust you, Ms. Sheila." He blurted out, realising how true that statement was. "I can't help but admit how rough life has been for me after losing someone precious to me."
Ryan understands the look on Sheila's face, and before she could say anything, he beat her to it. "No. no, she's not dead. I mean; I divorced her, but that was the greatest mistake of my life."
"You're divorced?" She asked, the look of concern deepening. "I'm so sorry to hear that. It must have been very difficult for you. May I ask what happened?"
"It's...it's a very long story." He said, sighing heavily. "-and it's complicated, too. This is the part no one knows, not even the media -I married twice. I divorced her for someone else, but that was the beginning of my nightmare."
Ryan took his time to explain everything all that had happened to him, leaving nothing out. As Ryan opened up to her, Sheila listened with rapt attention, giving him her full support. She was shocked by what she heard, but she tried not to show it, knowing that he needed a listening ear. She allowed him to talk for as long as he needed, even when the restaurant started to fill up with other patrons.
When he finally finished talking, she took his hand in hers and gave it a gentle squeeze. "I can't imagine what you've been through." She said, her eyes soft and understanding. "It must have been really hard on you -I can imagine the pains you must have been through, Mr. Ryan."
"Yeah, I know, right?" Ryan was quick to admit. "And since things haven't been going well as I thought they would, I have it think through for days but ended with the same idea -It's a good thing I see you here, I wouldn't say it's a coincidence."
Sheila's did not understand a bit of what Ryan's words meant as she stares questioningly at him, her brows drawn together. "I don't think I understand what you mean, why isn't this a coincidence?"
"I'll be coming to your company tomorrow, I want to sign off the remaining shares of the Lerman's company. At this rate, I can't..."
Ryan was still talking as Sheila butted in, cutting him off abruptly. "I'm sorry, but I don't work there any longer." She told him, earning a questioning look from him. "Uh -something came up, so I had to leave."
"Oh,Isee..."
The uncomfortable silence that was starting to build up was suddenly interrupted as her phone rung. She didn't hesitate as she brought out from her chest pocket to answer the call and realised it was from Milan.
"Is something wrong...?" Sheila couldn't help but get worried as she picks the call.