Chapter 85: Conversing with Old Acquaintances in Coffee Shops Leads to a Pleasant Ending of the Day

“Raemon.”

She hadn’t said the name in so long, it sounded funny on her lips.

Octavia stood to face him. The man before her was undoubtedly Raemon Kentworth…though a different version of him.

Her eyes merely grazed over his hiking boots, still bearing the marks of mud that had been washed off.

The old T-shirt he wore under a long-sleeved khaki shirt and his faded, dusty jeans had obviously been exposed to all kinds of weather. And his facial hair had been growing out.

Even on his head, dark, curly hair was gathered at the back of his head in a small, careless man-bun.

But most of this was lost on Octavia. Her eyes went straight to his, and there they stayed.

“You’re…alive,” Octavia said.

Raemon smiled. “Yes. I hope no one thought otherwise.”

“Well…I almost did at some point. But you’re here now.”

Raemon did not lose his easygoing smile at her response. Then he bent down and gathered the rest of Octavia’s paraphernalia.

“Oh…thanks,” Octavia said as he stood and handed her stuff back to her. She quickly stuffed them into her book bag and this time made sure to zip it up.

“You’re the boss now, are you?” he asked.

“I guess so,” Octavia replied. She wrinkled her nose. “It still sounds weird when people say it.”

“You’ll get used to it. From what I hear, you’re an excellent employer.”

“I do like having employees who love me,” Octavia acknowledged. “And I think they do. In the very least, they don’t hate me.”

“Really? Not even your assistant?”

Octavia said nothing to this at first. But she observed the look in his eyes, and it made her break out into a grin.

“Even my assistant.”

“That’s good to know.”

“I’m sure it is,” Octavia replied. “How did you know where I was?”

“O.G. Idea is the most talked-of company in the city. It wasn’t that hard.”

“But you’re here. At the exact moment I came out of the building. How…?”

“Weren’t you on your way somewhere?” Raemon asked, brushing over Octavia’s question.

“Um…yes. I was just heading to the Juice Factory.”

“The what?”

“Oh…Quentin’s place. They call it the Juice Factory now because…well, it kinda was. Anyway, you’ve been there, haven’t you?”

“I suppose I have,” he replied.

“It was a while ago.”

“Yes.”

Octavia hesitated before asking, “Aren’t you going to tell me where you’ve been?”

Raemon dug his hands into his pocket. “Maybe another time.”

“How about why you’re here now?”

He said nothing.

“Then what about why you left? Why did you just give it all up and…disappear?”

“I think we both know the reason for that.”

It was Octavia’s turn to say nothing.

“It was good to see you again,” Raemon said, “take care.”

She watched him walk away from her, his worn clothing fading into the gray and black suits of the bustling pedestrians.

Octavia had imagined what it would be like if he suddenly showed up. She hadn’t been certain of it happening, but now that it had, she didn’t know what to feel. Or that she should feel anything at all.

***

“Don’t forget the meeting we have with Indira tomorrow,” Gracie said.

Octavia lifted her weary head from her computer screen. She stared at Gracie with a blank look on her face.

“Tomorrow? I thought that’s on Friday?”

“Yes. Today is Thursday.”

Octavia blinked. “Shit. Already? Where the fuck is time going?”

Gracie gave her friend an inquisitive look, then moved from the door to take a seat in one of the chairs before Octavia’s desk.

“Something wrong?” she asked. “You seem off lately, and you were way too quiet the other night at the Juice Factory. What’s up?”

“That was because I ate so many of those appetizers,” Octavia said. “Quentin made enough to feed an army.”

“Imagine what it’s been like for me being the only one around to taste his cooking.”

“It was all really good, of course. Just…uh…much. Hey, don’t you think Lauren and that friend of Quentin’s really hit it off?”

“From what Quentin told me, phone numbers were exchanged.”

“Aww, that’s adorable. Look at you and Quentin matchmaking! You guys planned this, didn’t you?” Octavia grinned.

“You’re totally going to become that annoying couple who tries to partner up all your single friends.”

Gracie snorted. “Don’t count on it. After all, you’re still single.”

“I know. Which makes me wonder why you’d partner up Lauren first instead of me. After all that we’ve been through, Gracie…I thought I meant more to you than that.”

Octavia sniffed and dabbed at imaginary tears.

Gracie’s face was impassive. “Nice try.”

“Are my acting skills not up to snuff?”

“No. Your attempt at changing the subject is what’s ineffective. You didn’t answer my question—what’s up?”

“Fuck.” Octavia sighed and shut her laptop. “I’m just…tired.”

“That’s not it,” Gracie replied. She eyed Octavia intensely.

“Not exactly…,” Octavia started, her eyes fixed on her desk. “Well…you’re not going to believe this, but…”

“Raemon’s back.”

Octavia’s eyes shot up to meet Gracie’s. “How do you know?”

“I saw him.”

“You saw him? Where?”

“At the coffee place I go to. The one not too far from here. He works there.”

Octavia’s eyes widened.

“He works in a coffee shop?”

“Yup.”

“But…did you talk to him?”

“I had to. He took my order,” Gracie said.

“Did he recognize you? Was he shocked to see you or anything?”

“Of course not. I mean—he did recognize me. But he wasn’t shocked.”

Only then did Octavia become quiet. When she finally spoke again, her voice was distant.

“That’s crazy,” she commented.

“What is?”

“A year ago, he was a billionaire.”

“Now he’s a barista.”

“Hmm. Sounds like the title of a motivational biography. Only the other way around of course: ~From Barista to Billionaire~.”

“I’d buy the ~Billionaire to Barista~ book,” Gracie said. “Sounds more interesting.”

“Or like a tragedy,” Octavia said, “a cautionary tale on debt or something.”

“Still more interesting than a motivational book.”

Octavia shrugged. “I guess so.”

“You should stop by there and see him,” Gracie said.

“You think so?”

“He told me he’d been traveling,” Gracie said, “and he only recently got back to the country.”

Octavia directed a scowl at her desk. “That’s more than what he told me.”

“Octavia, that’s not the point.”

“Then what is?”

“Why do you think he came back?”

Octavia raised her head to find Gracie’s cool eyes giving her a meaningful look.

“Uh…he forgot his…um…socks?”

Gracie shook her head at her friend and then stood. “Just go by there some time, okay?”