Once and again

Prompt: Write an encounter but from the perspective of the other person.

He is late again and I don’t hate him for it. I would have just hoped that after this much time he would rush, break the pattern, show exceptional behaviour in this exceptional situation. The coffee I ordered for him is getting cold.
‘Oh hi,’ he says as he walks in, like it’s nothing. He hangs his coat around the chair.
‘So, how have you been?’
He smiles at me and I look at the table.
‘Yes, good. You know… A lot of things happening.’
I see his dark brown eyes trying to catch the little fragment of the thoughts I try to hide from him.
‘And you and what’s his name?’
I take a zip of my tea. He hasn’t touched his coffee yet. The waiter looks at us with his serving pad in front of his chest.
‘We are fine. Still living in outside with the cats and horses.’
‘Ah yes, the life of idyllic perfection.’He is teasing me and I feel a tickle in my stomach.
‘Well, you could have been part of it if you wouldn’t have packed your bags one day to move to a random place in Europe.’
The smile wrinkles disappear from around his eyes. I have hid the right chord.
‘I’m sorry. I just couldn’t…’
He fumbles with the sugar bag next to his untouched coffee cup.
‘Hey, don’t worry. It’s okay. It’s a long time ago. You had to do what you had to do.’
I hold his hands with mine and the naughty spark returns into his eyes.
‘And marriage? You planning to fully commit to the sleepy numbness of bourgeoisie life?’  I scrape my throat and straighten my back.
‘Yes, in June.’
‘Oh…’
He looks down at the floor, then back up again.
‘Well, congratulations.’
His smile seems genuine.
‘By the way, I need to go for a quick smoke,’ he says.
‘I will be right back.’
As he walks away I stare at the untouched coffee cup. I know that he’s too much of a gentleman to try something. I just wish he would.