[ RF ] You are set up on a blind date with a person who you badly bullied for 10 years in school .

Lincoln relaxed back into his chair and surveyed the interior of the restaurant he found himself seated in. Maroon wallpaper meeting creme, sculptured pillars with cross stitched carpet laid below twenty or so other tables. It remained him of Vegas and he felt uncomfortable meeting in a place with such open sight. 
 He surveyed the other diners, watching their excitable machinations as they pushed chicken, salmon and venison deep into their hungry mouths. 
 
 `` Remember that lane you led me down that time?'' Angel asked from across the table, politely but unexpectedly and with enough conviction in her voice to elicit an answer. Almost like the memory had been on her mind the whole of the evening but she had felt to timid to raise it. 
 
 Lincoln, glanced up, using his bourbon as an excuse to hesitate as he considered how to divert the conversation from where she was taking it. 
 Something that had happened a long time ago. It was only in this moment that he realised the recognition was mutual and that she had known who he was since they had met earlier on in the night. 
 `` I can remember a lot of different things from when I was younger'' came his delayed response, he smiled somewhat enticingly as if to plead that his company was more alluring than dredging up distant memories from each others past. 
 `` Yeah but do you remember what I'm talking about..'', she continued `` that little gravel shimmy that ran down beside the river in Westport?'' 
 Lincoln paused as his eyes locked with Angels again, his smile wavering before fading as realisation he couldnt avoid the conversation 
 `` Yeah I think I remember that, that was a long time ago, I'm sorry'' he responded slowly, at first making eye contact but then shifting it to the half consumed Lasagna still placed in front of him. 
 `` Remember what you did to me down there?'' she responded, leaning in as she spoke, a look of equanimous conviction presenting itself on her face. `` you know what I remember?'' she whispered. 
 Lincoln pushed back even further into the confines of his chair, his composure which had been impenetrable for the majority of the evening beginning to undermine itself as 
 `` Look Angel, I know that things happened, a lot of things a long time ago'' he started, trying to project confidence in his voice to ease the level of tension that had built in a little under one minute. 
 Angels voice tremored `` You know what that did to me, what you did to me?'' 
 Lincoln shifted his glance back again to her eyes, noting the way in which they glistened as she spoke 
 `` Angel,'' he started `` Theres.. there's nothing I can say, or do, to make up for that. It was a long time ago''. 
 A tear rolled from Angel's eye, down her cheek and towards her jawline. Lincoln moved for a serviette only to reconsider in lieu of the thought of it seeming insensitive considering the reason for her emotion. 
 `` Hello again and how are both you finding your meals?'' 
 *Jesus* startled Lincoln, immediately contemplating the fact that the waitress couldnt have returned at a worse time. 
 `` We're fine thanks for now, everythings all good'' Lincoln stammered, `` We'll come up and pay shortly''. 
 Lincoln smiled again, this time falsely and with little sincerity. The waitress, moved her glance across to Angel, a look of empathetic responsibility casting across as she noticed the tears that ran down Angel's face. `` Is everything ok Ma'am?'' she inquired delicately 
 `` We are fine, both of us at the moment, thank you'' came Lincoln's response on Angels behalf, a spluttering attempt to deescalate what was a in increasingly embarrassing situation for him to be in so suddenly. 
 Angel looked up `` I'm ok thank you'' she said, softly and carefully `` My friend and I just have a lot to catch up on'' 
 Lincoln looked at the waitress, his eyes pleading at her to return to the table 
 `` Ok, well let me know if either of you need anything from here in'' 
 Lincoln watched her as she turned and walked away, somewhat ceremoniously, her ass shaking in her jeans as she bounded across the restaurant floor. 
 Lincoln and Angel both sat there, silently contemplating the two feet of tension that resonated across the table. 
 Finally Angel leaned forward, `` You're a fucking coward to come here tonight'', she spoke, her eyes livid and accusatory as she stared across at Lincoln. 
 `` I had no idea this was..'' came Lincon's response 
 `` You had no idea this was what? this was me? who I am? ``, her voice raising in pitch as each word was released 
 Lincoln looked around, to see who had noticed the situation he was in, the last thing he wanted was the increase in hysteria to attract the attention of the other patrons. 
 `` Angel, I was young..'' he reasoned 
 `` No Lincoln'' came her response `` you were a prick'', her voice quivering with emotion. 
 Lincoln sat still, accepting to the reality that there was no eloquent exit to the situation he found himself in. He could accept her still being caught up on what had happened that afternoon. The grey sky above, the wet grass alongside the pathway he had led her down alone. He considered the beating he had given her and the way her face had reminded him of the way a paper-mache mask looks once its dried out in the sun for an hour. 
 Lincoln stood from his chair, at least now she had gotten it off her mind. In some ways he felt good, as if the exploration of this memory could provide some retrospective closure to her, to wrap it up in time and move on. 
 `` I was n't expecting this tonight and I'm sorry about what happened,'' he stated somewhat inconviently `` Everything happened such a long time ago and when I sat down and met you, to be honest I did n't even realise it was you.'' 
 Angel sat there, her fingers poised delicately around the trim of her wine glass. The tears that had rolled down her face had evaporated, leaving small olive tinted trails across her cheekbones. 
 `` I do feel better,'' came her quietly spoken reply `` a lot better Lincoln'' 
 Lincoln smiled, somewhat pleased that the point of hysteria had plateaued and he was free once more to execute his exit strategy 
 `` I'll take care of the bill for us both, are you going to be alright here? you know.. by yourself?'' Lincoln asked, his lips moved almost betraying a grin that had consumed him internally as he considered what he considered to be a polite final impression. 
 As he waited for a response, Lincoln's gaze drifted around the room. He surveyed the other patrons, dining away, oblivious to the serendipitous escalation of events that had occurred right among them. Then came four words that would change his life forever. 
 `` How's your wife Lincoln?'' 
 

