Jana and Bambi stood patiently outside, waiting for me. "Good morning!" I greeted them with a smile.

It was early morning, and I hadn't even had my breakfast yet. I stayed up late last night, my mind racing with thoughts. Despite feeling tired, I knew I had to gather my energy as it was my first day of work at the company.

I'm wearing my favorite white scrub uniform. Nurse Lee said I could wear anything as long as I looked like a nurse and everyone in the office could easily recognize me.

"Good morning, Auntie!" Bambi greeted me happily.

"You look really great in your nurse uniform," Jana exclaimed, looking proud at me.

After exchanging a few morning pleasantries, we made our way down from the apartment complex and got into Jana's car. Since there was no traffic, we arrived at the office early after dropping off Bambi at school. There, Jana and I decided to grab free coffee in the pantry while waiting for our shift to start.

My best friend appeared to be lost in thought. I wondered what she was thinking, but I didn't ask. If there is one thing I've learned about life is that if someone has something on their mind and they're comfortable sharing, they will. I'm also not one to pry. I believe in respecting people's privacy and having genuine conversations rather than being nosy.

As we were enjoying our morning coffee, Jana began to speak. "Thanks for doing this for me, Cali. I know it's been tough lately," she said, looking at me.

I glanced at her, "You know I've got your back."

Jana's smile widened as she sighed. "Thanks, Cali," she said sincerely. Then, her expression turned serious as she looked at me. "You know what? You might need to switch things up. Aren't you feeling a bit bored with life?" she asked, reaching for my phone on the table.

"Huh? What do you mean?" I asked, confused trying to see what she was doing on my phone. I moved my chair closer and there she was, downloading an app and setting up an account for me. What was she up to?

"This is where I met Nick," Jana said, sounding like a lovestruck teenager. Wait, seriously?

"Nick who?" I asked, now I am intrigued.

"The guy I went out with last weekend." she replied.

So, his name's Nick? And now Jana's talking about the dating app where she met him. She suggested I try it, which surprised me. Is she serious about this?

"Nuh-uh," I scoffed, feeling a bit irked. "No way I'm getting myself into that dating app thing," I said firmly.

"Fine, but give it a shot," she said, sounding defeated as she handed me back my phone. "By the way, did you bring your signed contract?" she asked.

"Yep, it's right here. I'll give it to HR later, maybe during lunch," I replied.

"Great! Let's meet up for lunch then. I can't wait!" Jana was excited.

After we finished our coffee, Jana headed to her department while I made my way to the clinic. As I sat down, I couldn't help but soak in the relaxed atmosphere. It was my first day here, and damn, it felt like a breath of fresh air  unlike the crazy hustle of the ER where I used to grind. This was a complete contrast. Here, I found peace.

I got the contract to submit to HR later and put it on the table ensuring I wouldn't miss it. While doing so, I couldn't help but think about Dom. Would we ever meet again? But how, when I'm stuck in the office all day? Should I go out for lunch? But, wait! HR needs my contract first. Maybe I'll sneak out later. But then I remembered Jana mentioned meeting for lunch.  What excuse can I make? And seeing Dom again? Highly unlikely, but worth a shot. Where do CEOs eat anyway? Probably not at their desks, right? I Googled it on my phone. Am I really this desperate? Now, notifications from the dating app kept popping up. Ugh! I should delete it, but Jana might get upset. She only wanted what she thought was best for me. So I guess muting it will do.

As I was about to mute the app, it hit me—this could be the perfect excuse! Should I pretend I'm meeting someone from the app? That way, she won't get suspicious of me. Yeah, that sounds like a solid plan.

I kept scrolling through my phone, just passing the time in the clinic.

"Places where young CEOs go for lunch?" the girl next to me chimed in, eyeing my phone curiously. "You talking 'bout the big boss upstairs? The one from Mino Cosmetics?" she asked.

"You know him?" I replied, still scrolling through my phone.

"Yeah, he's all about sushi, always going to the place across the road," she said.

"Really?" I exclaimed, impressed by her insider knowledge. But, wait. Hang on a sec, "Who are you?" I asked, looking at her. She had long brown hair and a decent appearance. Actually, scratch that, she's pretty cute.

"Oh, sorry, Nurse Cali. You looked really invested in there and I didn't feel like interrupting you. By the way, I'm Dessa from marketing. I just came by to get some paracetamol. My head's pounding like crazy. Not sure if it's my eyes or my head," she explained, rubbing her temples with a cute little frown.

I felt embarrassed that she caught me doing my little research so I tried to keep it light, "It might be your eyes, but I'm no doctor." I said, giving her the pill. "Here you go and could you please log your name and department here?" I added, handing her the logbook.

"Sure," she said, writing down her full name and department in it.

"If you're not feeling up to working, I can arrange a bed here for you to rest. Just let me know," I offered with a smile.

"This will do for now. I still have a lot of work to finish," she said, taking the pill. "Thanks, Nurse Cali." As she left, she glanced back at me. "By the way, I'm serious about sushi," she teased, giving me a playful wink.

My face flushed with embarrassment. What a way to start the day with my first patient! But, she made me smile despite that. Maybe today's not so bad after all?

During lunchtime, I walked outside and saw Jana. She leaned against the wall casually waiting for me. "Cali!" she called. "Pantry's got good food. We should try." she said, sounding excited.

"Well, actually, I tried the app and someone's up for a meet right now." I said wondering if I sounded convincing or it came off as a lie. Ugh! I'm not really good at this.

Jana was in awe. "Wait, really?" she asked, surprised. "We just installed it and you're already meeting someone?" She shook her head in disbelief. "You're on fire, Cali! I can't believe it!"

As I saw her reaction, guilt hit me. I knew I had been keeping secrets from her, but I felt like I had to do this.

"Well, I think you should get going. Come on, I'll take this to HR," she said, reaching for the contract in my hand.

"Thanks, Jana," I said, feeling a bit awkward.

"No worries, Cali. Anything for you!" she replied.

We went our separate ways, and I headed downstairs. Dessa mentioned Dom likes the sushi bar across the road so I went to the place. But, when I got there, I was surprised to see several sushi restaurants. It was like a little Japan Town. I felt tricked. Dessa never told me about this!

I peeked into a few shops, hoping to find Dom. People were staring at me both from inside and outside the shops. With their looks, it made me feel awkward, like I couldn't even afford a bowl of ramen! I'm really hopeless.

As I thought of leaving, wishing I'd just gone to lunch with Jana and not make things up, I turned around and bumped into someone. My glasses fell off, and I couldn't see. It felt oddly familiar, like deja vu.

"Sorry," he said, handing me back my glasses. I put them on, noticing a crack, but I could still see him clearly. Our eyes locked, and then it hit me. "Hey, you look familiar. Weren't you at the aquarium?" Dom asked. Yes, it was him. "Sorry I hadn't properly apologized from before. You left before I had the chance to check if you were hurt," he said. Now, he is scanning me for any signs of injury.

I tried to maintain my composure as we spoke. "It's okay. I'm fine," I replied, though I wasn't so sure.

"Oh, your glasses!" he exclaimed, spotting the crack. "I can cover the repairs, I'm really sorry," he apologized again.

"No worries, I can handle it," I assured him, but he seemed genuinely concerned about it.

"Are you sure?" he asked, looking worried.

"Yeah, I'm sure," I nodded. "It's no trouble at all."

"How about I treat you to lunch to make up for it?" he suggested, gesturing towards the restaurant behind us.

"Sure," I said without any hesitation. How could I say no? He seemed really insistent, and I kind of wanted to spend time with him too. I missed the chance before, and now, it felt just right. He also doesn't seem to recognize me anymore. For him, I'm just the girl he happened to bump into at the aquarium, nothing more.

"After you," he said, gesturing towards the door.

The restaurant was fancy, with private dining rooms, and not too crowded for lunch. We were greeted by a waiter in a tuxedo as we entered.

As we walked in, I expected to be seated at a regular table like everyone else. However, to my surprise, the waiter led us to a secluded private dining area. It occurred to me that this was likely how CEOs preferred to dine – in luxury and away from the crowd.

As we settled in, he pulled out a chair for me, and for a moment, it felt like we were on a date. But deep down, I knew he was just trying to make things right for what he thought were troubles he caused me.

"I'll have the usual," Dom said to the waiter, then turned to me. "And what about you, Miss?" he asked, realizing I hadn't introduced myself yet.

"Cali, just Cali," I replied softly.

"Alright, Cali. Perhaps, Nurse Cali?" he said, nodding towards my uniform. "Feel free to order whatever you like," he added. It was the first time in seven years he'd called me by that name again, and it felt strangely comforting.

I realized I hadn't eaten yet, so I decided to order a few items from the menu. After the waiter left, there was a brief moment of silence between Dom and me.

"By the way, I suppose you already know me?" he said casually, breaking the silence.

I was thrown off by his question. How could he know that I knew him? Did he somehow recognize me and was just pretending not to? I felt confused, unsure of how to respond.

"Oh, sorry did I catch you off guard? I just thought, you know, with all the ads and posters, you might've seen me. But it's cool if you haven't. Keeps me humble, you know? Anyway, I'm Mino, CEO of Mino Cosmetics. Nice to meet you," he said with a friendly smile.

I felt relieved that he didn't recognize me. "Ah, yeah. That's right, the posters. That's why you look kind of familiar. I also caught your interview last night," I said.

Now, he seemed interested. "So, what did you think? I'm always curious to know how people see me, especially on television," he asked. His openness surprised me. The Dom I remembered was more reserved. But it has been seven years, and people change. Plus, now he was going by the name Mino, not Dom. Quite a change.

"It was alright. You did pretty well on TV. You actually came off like a celebrity, but there were moments when you stumbled over your words, especially with those surprise questions thrown at you. Overall, though, it was a good interview," I said, feeling a bit shy. I glanced at him, and his jaw kind of dropped. Did I say too much? "Oh, no. Did I offend you? Sorry!" I said, trying not to embarrass him.

"No, Cali. Actually, I appreciate it. People usually feed me all sorts of flattery, but your comment felt more genuine. Thanks for being honest," he said. "Anyway, do you work around here?" he asked.

"Yeah, I work in the building across the road." I replied.

"Oh, that's a coincidence. We're based there too. You should drop by some time, I'll give you free products."

"But, weren't you selling products for men?" I asked, quite confused.

"Yeah, but we have products for women too. We just mostly target men," he said.

"Oh, I see. Never knew about that. Sure, I'll drop by some time." I said, smiling at him.

As our conversation flowed, I found myself becoming more at ease around Mino. It felt like catching up with an old friend, yet there was also a hint of curiosity about what could have been if things had turned out differently seven years ago.

I found myself enjoying his company more and more, grateful for the unexpected turn of events that had brought us together again.

Shortly after, our food arrived. It was our first meal together. We ate, laughed, and shared stories, making the most of our time. Overall, it was a fun lunch with Mino.

After lunch, Mino was picked up by a car. He offered me a ride, but I told him I'd just walk since the building was just across the road.

"See you around then," he said, leaving me with a blush on my cheeks.

Lunch ended, and as I walked back to the clinic with a smile on my face, I saw Jana waiting for me, looking so curious. Damn! I had completely forgotten that I had lied about having a date. There, I knew I had some explaining to do.

I sighed. Should I just tell her the truth or make up another story again? The decision loomed over me as I approached her, what should I tell her now?