Corbyn hadn't planned on drinking after work, but his friends were after some Friday night drinks and karaoke afterwards. So he thought he'd hang around for that and sleep in until 7 in the morning and hit the bay run with the same crew at 8. 

He hadn't expected to bump into her though. 

It had been a few years and he was hard pressed to see any updates on anybody they hung out with during those days on facebook or otherwise. 

Belle looked well, cute as always. Bit on the eccentric side, but that was why she was fun. 

"I'll have your suit dry cleaned, it's my fault", she gushed in a torrent of worry. She helped him take his suit jacket off and her eyes baulked at the label on the suit.

Geez, he must be doing well she thought. 

"It's okay", replied Corbyn taking the jacket from her and slinging it over his arm, "I was going to have it dry cleaned anyway, been wearing it all week". 

Belle laughed heartily. 

She looked more or less the same, he thought. The same merry laugh. She had shorter hair now and she wore less make-up. Less eyelashes, more bold lip. 

"Do you want a drink?", he asked casually, "my shout". 

"Oh, it's alright. I was planning on getting something to eat then join these girls in watching the band", she replied. "Do I look as youthful as they are or the same ragged thirty-something I am?"

"You look the same as I remember," replied Corbyn. 

Belle smiled in response and winked, "I still got it, right?"

"Always", he murmured. 

belle 

She was so engrossed in her small-talk albeit reunion with Corbyn she didn't feel her phone vibrate. 

Corbyn had been her sole crush in university, truth be told. They had run around in the same social circles and she had had a massive crush on him. They literally could spar on various conversational topics and could talk for hours. He was the prodigy law student and she was supposed to be the noble social work student. In Belle's fictional narration of university life, they would have been a great couple if it wasn't for Jasmine, Jade or Jana. His university exes. And they always started with J, for some reason.

Belle had deduced that they had never gotten together because of the first letter of her name, it was easier to believe in superstition and dramatics than understand the real reason why. 

They had met a university club event that she couldn't remember but she liked the fact that he wore skinny jeans because he had these set of leggy long legs that accentuated his height and prominence. He also seemed to want to converse with her and her friends instead of awkwardly sticking to the group of guys in the corner. 

She was a bold nugget in university and spoke with him relentlessly online, then disappearing whenever he started going out with Jasmine. The appearing again. Then disappearing for both Jade and Jana in intervals. 

Belle didn't intend on being a homewrecker and despite her own feelings for Corbyn she didn't want to be the cause of another girl's envy or possessiveness. So she'd disappear from Corbyn's periphery when he was steady with a girl. 

That was the kind of relationship she had with Corbyn. 

Then he went steady with Joanne for a few months which turned into a year or two and he disappeared.

Now? 

He still had the same general aesthetic, his hairstyle was more like a Korean actor in a rom-com and he seemed to wear more suits now. He was always socially savvy and could navigate a packed room if he had to. That was the Corbyn she knew. 

"Do you still listen to electro-indie bands like Passion Pit?", asked Belle curiously reminiscing. 

"Haha, more like lo-fi nowadays. Helps me concentrate with the deadlines I get. Speaking of which, might have to go into the office on Sunday", Corbyn let out a heavy sigh and then added, "Joanne hated the electro-indie. Thought it sounded like white noise. I never got back into it properly."

Belle mishearing the subtext asked, "…how's Joanne?"

Corbyn smiled bitterly, "not sure actually. Last I heard she's married to an investment banker in Manhattan". 

"Oh…I'm sorry to have brought it up, Corbyn," uttered Belle reprehensibly. 

Feeling a vibration in her purse, she checked her phone. 

yutaah_98: when are you coming? 

we're going to start soon, are you here?

"Corbyn, I've got to go meet my friend. Will you be here later?", she asked hurriedly. 

"We'll be here for a bit it looks like," Corbyn smiled as he saw Belle duck off. "I'll wait for you this time Belle, like I should have years ago".