THE MOMENT
Kathy stopped scrolling immediately. She recognized his face on a subconscious level even before she'd completely registered it. The same brown eyes that had tortured her for years, and the same moptop of stringy hair. It'd been 20 years, and he still didn't know how to groom himself; not even for a dating app, apparently. At least he dressed appropriately in a crisp white blazer with red accents.
"Otto Kingsley...," she read his profile, giggling the entire time. "Projects & Hiring Executive Manager - Sharp Development! You totally made that up! You and me need to resolve some things, Mr Kingsley," she continued to laugh as she sent him a message without hesitation.
She didn't need to consider it for a second. His story was obvious at a glance, and she knew how well she took care of herself. She felt like she'd bloomed in comparison to his notable lack of change. She was a different person entirely with healthier habits than she had in High School, and she was sure he wouldn't recognize her. She'd gone blonde, got leaner, and improved her eyesight with surgery. Those superficial changes, along with years of deep reflection, made it the easiest decision in the world. She had changed, and he didn't. And now it was time to pay him back for the years of humiliation she'd endured.
He responded quickly, unsurprisingly. It wasn't like there was a waiting list for him, and he certainly wasn't working. She'd never even heard of Sharp Development. His made-up importance and profile left no question: he was desperate. Desperate enough to meet that night.
"Kathy, hey," Otto smiled at her when she arrived at the restaurant. He stood to greet her, and she returned the smile. The fact that he didn't shy away from her meant he had no idea who she was.
"Hi, Otto," she said as she sat down. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
"Huh? Oh yeah," he nodded. "I guess it is. Nice to meet you, Kathy." It was surprisingly easy not to roll her eyes; she was enjoying the moment too much. Her broad grin kept them grounded. He didn't even know how to behave on a date.
"So, tell me all about Sharp Development. I did a search online and couldn't find anything," she said.
"Oh," he looked surprised, then confirmed it. "Didn't expect that to be the first topic, but okay," he nodded. "I hadn't heard about them either until I got a job recently. Technically, today's my first day," he said.
"And, how did it go?" She asked. He was going to have to try harder than that convenient explanation.
"Unexpectedly weird...," he answered with a playful smile as he met her eyes. She'd wanted to date him to drag out her revenge, but she couldn't do it. He was trying to lie directly to her face, and the worst part was he still had no idea who she was. He wasn't going to get off that easily. Not after tormenting her for the last two decades.
"How so?" she asked. "Tell me about the whole company. Like I said, I've never heard of them."
"Kathy..., is that what we really want to talk about?" It was a deflection, and she wasn't going to allow it.
"Yes," she nodded. "I want to hear every detail about the company you're an 'Executive Manager' for."
"Wait," he tilted his head at her. "I feel like there's something happening here.. and maybe we're not on the same page?" he phrased the thought as a question, but kept talking through it.
"I don't want to say this is my assumption, but you've been really interested in my job since you got here five minutes ago. You're very focused on me being an 'Executive Manager'... is there a reason? I'm not saying you're a gold digger...," he shrugged.
The nerve.
"Just admit you made the whole thing up. It's so obvious," she sighed. It was too much to process, and her mind defaulted to the easiest decision while her anger regrouped.
"Yeah, I did. How'd you know?" he nodded, and seemed to ask the question sincerely. "That's how Sharp Development works, I kind of had to make up my own position. Does it sound stupid? I can still change it. You're my first meeting."
"What?" Now, she didn't know what to be angry at. He'd thrown too much at her and tried to distract her.
"You made my life hell in High School!" she yelled.
"I know, I've been wanting to apologize since you got here. It's why I came to meet you. You immediately acted like it was the first time we'd met. I thought you'd put it behind you, and I didn't want to bring it up again. But, I really am sorry," he nodded. "I've got Sharp Development behind me now, so if there's anything I can do to make it up to you, just ask."
"Make it up to me?? I've lived in hell for 20 years!" She didn't care about causing a scene at that point, and surprisingly, everyone else seemed content to ignore her outbursts.
"20?" His eyes went wide. "Oh, man. I really am sorry...," he said. "I never would've imagined you'd hold on to a stupid nickname for 20 years. That's not to downplay it," he held his hands up and shook his head.
"I was a different person back then. To me, it was just a funny name that was mildly insulting. I didn't consider how it might look from your perspective. And, it never occurred to me that it stuck with you after High School too. I'm sorry."
He sounded sincere enough for Kathy to calm down. But, he was still a liar.
"So, Sharp Development will give me anything I want to make up for it?" she asked. "Give me a house, all my bills paid for, and I never have to work a day again," she said.
"That, I can do," Otto nodded with a grin as he stood up, and invited her to do the same. "Let's go pick one out for you," he said.
"No, I don't think so," she shook her head. He'd confused her out of her anger, but she still didn't appreciate being lied to. "The last thing I want is to spend time alone with you in a car, just so you can drag this farce out any longer."
"Car?" Otto shook his head with a grin. "I'm a Sharp Development employee," he said as he gestured at the empty space next to them. A tall black portal opened, leading to nowhere. He walked into it and encouraged her to follow. "You've been asking what that means, so why don't I show you?"