Anna was shocked at his offer. This random stranger she had just happened to meet was offering her money? Free money, and she didn’t have to do a thing? What was the catch?
“You have to know I can’t accept that,” she replied, almost biting her lip as she spoke. But I do need the money. It would help tremendously.
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“And why can’t you? I don’t want to brag, of course, but lending you a few thousand dollars wouldn’t be a big deal.” He shrugged. “Consider it a gift, if that makes you feel any better.”
A few thousand? That would, hopefully, be enough to cover the cost of Daisy's new school for the first semester. And maybe help with her flat's rent check for the month.
Still, Anna shook her head. "What's the catch?" she asked. There always was one.
“Hmm, well, you could get coffee with me again tomorrow,” he suggested. “I mean, I don’t want to sound like a creep, so you don’t have to if you don’t want. It’s simply a suggestion.”
Anna was caught off guard. “That’s it?” She covered her mouth quickly, realizing she’d said it out loud. “I-I-I’m sorry,” she stammered quickly. “I didn’t mean it in a negative way. It’s just… I’m not used to such generosity. I’d love to get coffee with you tomorrow.”
He snorted. This woman sure was mysterious, but she also entertaining. “You act so shocked. Yes, Anna, I’m not doing this to get something in return.” He grinned at her. “So it’s a date, then. I’ll pay.”
"When you've experienced the things I've experienced, people without an alternate motive will make you surprised," Anna said, a firm tone backing her words. But she quickly blushed at his words. A date? She'd agreed to a date? "You really don't have to do that," she said, her voice turning shy and losing its volume.
He noticed how flustered she became, and he couldn’t help but chuckle. “Or maybe it’s not a date. It’s whatever you want it to be,” he replied. “And nah, don’t worry about it. I invited you, after all. It’s only right for me to pay.”
"No, no," Anna countered softly. "It can be a date." She hadn't been on a date since Harry. Was this a date? Was she doing it right? God, what would Daisy say if she discovered her mother went on a date? "Alright, if you insist…"
Shoot. Was he making this awkward? He had been on dates with multiple women before, and normally he felt more confident, but being with her made him nervous. “Anna, we don’t have to go out if you don’t want to. Really,” he insisted. “I’ll give you the money, no date necessary.”
Anna winced at his reply. "I'm sorry, I've made it weird…" She closed her eyes and took a breath. "I think we should make it a date. I would feel awful just taking your money and not repaying you in some way." Not even realizing it, Anna had managed to forget everything in the company of this man – the forboding email, Harry's debts, Daisy's schooling. He was helping her relax and forget about her problems, if only for a moment. It was a moment of reprieve that Anna desperately needed.
“No, no. If anything, I’ve made it weird. I was the one who asked you to do this in the first place,” he said. He took a sip of his coffee before he continued. “But a date sounds lovely.”
Anna smiled, genuinely smiled, and relaxed for the first time in a little while. "It's a date," she said, taking a satisfying sip of her latte. "Though I am curious… what do you do for a living?" She wanted to know where all of his money came from.
“Oh, I’m an engineer. It’s a hectic job, but it makes a good amount of money,” he said. “What about you? Some sort of office job?”
Anna winced a bit. She couldn’t blame him for assuming, but her job was modestly high-paying. The problem was that the money was usually directed elsewhere… like paying off Harry’s extensive debts.
“I’m an attorney,” she answered. “A criminal barrister.”
His eyes widened slightly. An attorney? Didn’t attorneys make quite a bit of money? Why was she struggling to afford her daughter’s tuition? Well, he had no room to judge. He had no clue what was going on in her life.
“Quite the job,” he replied. “Now that I think about it, you definitely look like the attorney type.”
Anna noted his eyes widening, and she could practically see the questions forming in his mind, but he was polite enough to not ask any out loud. For that alone, she was thankful.
“Indeed, it is,” she agreed. At his remark, her mouth dropped opened in surprise. “What is that supposed to mean?” she asked with a laugh.
“Mm… I dunno. You look smart. Professional.” He grinned at her. “Like you would make a good attorney. But that begs the question, do you like your job?”
Anna nodded in the affirmative. "Yes. I like what I do. My mother told me I had an overwhelming sense of justice as a girl. She also said I was good at arguing, and I only got better at it," she remarked with a quiet laugh. "But really, I discovered an interest, a talent, and a way to make money, so I pursued it."
“Mm. That’s always good,” he said, settling back in his chair. “If I need to, I can pick you up from your job tomorrow to go get coffee. I don’t want our little date to be too much out of your way.”
Anna hesitated a moment before nodding. He’s trying to be nice. “Alright, you can pick me up. I’ll write out my firm’s address for you…” She dug around in her bag to find a pen.
“Here.” He took out a pen and handed it to her. “You know, I never thought that when I entered this coffee shop, I would end up scheduling a date with someone I barely know. But you know what? No complaints.”
Anna arched her eyebrows and took the pen from him. Why did he always seem to have everything she needed? "Me either," she remarked, a small smile on her lips as she wrote down the name and address of the law firm she worked at. "Do you believe in fate?" She felt her stomach twist at the mention of 'fate.' It reminded her of Harry.
“Hmm… strange question.” He gave a simple shrug. “Mm, I suppose I do. I think we meet everyone in our lives for one reason or another, whether that’s fate or not.”
Anna blushed a bit with embarrassment. “It is… I’m sorry.” She shook her head, but her eyes met his with a look of understanding. “Yes,” she murmured thoughtfully. “I think you’re right.”