A year and a half had gone by since that day. It was now summer, and luckily for Bristol, there was no cloud in the sky. The young lady had gone for a walk around the city in search for a place to eat lunch. Her boyfriend of two years was at work, and today his schedule was too busy to allow a lunch break with his girl. She didn't mind, though. She was still happy about moving to Bristol with her boyfriend. She felt as if the relationship between them would last forever, and grow into something more.
The small businesses along the road were starting to open. The lady stopped at a corner bistro. She peaked through the window to see only a few people scattered about the tables, and no line. It was just how she liked it. She stepped inside and went directly to the counter. Right next to it was a glass case, full of salads, drinks, pastas, and baked goods. Above the counter and cabinets was a menu that described the drinks and price range. To her side was a chalkboard stand to inform customers about the daily specials and discounts. The cashier smiled at her. "How may I help you?" he asked politely.
The young lady looked up at the cashier. He was rather tall, not dark, but handsome. She returned a small smile. "I'm not quite sure, to be honest. Surprise me?"
He let out a small laugh. "That's rather new. I'll manage it."
She began to fish out her wallet from her purse, but before she could be done with unzipping it, the man shook his head. "No, no! It's on me, I insist."
Her eyes widened as she bit her lip. "I… What? Won't you get in trouble for doing that? I mean, I have the money. I can pay for it."
"No, it's fine, really! Go ahead and take a seat. I'll bring you your order when it's ready."
She thanked him, still feeling uncomfortable with the idea of getting a free meal.
"Ah, what's your name?" he asked.
They both exchanged names, both agreeing to meet up some time soon. She turned around and scanned the bistro. There was a table in the corner that was empty. She took a seat, facing the glass walls. Outside were a few more tables that belonged to the bistro. The only table that was in use was the in front of her. A man was sitting there with his back to the wall. He was drinking what seemed to be a tall cup of black coffee. Her eyes squinted as she tried to focus on the details of the man's clothing. He was wearing a brown pinstriped suit. A lighter brown trench coat was hung on the chair next to him. His hair was a mess, but somehow managed to still be cute. Her eyebrows furrowed. She recognized this suit. The young lady looked back to the counter to see that the cashier wasn't there. She stood up and walked outside, looking at the side of the man. He had the same brown eyes.
She walked closer to his table. "Excuse me," she spoke, "I think I know you from somewhere."
The man at the table turned to her, and his face immediately twisted into a cheerful smile. "Well, hello again!" he greeted.
Her eyes widened in shock. It was the same man from the park, but there was something about his face. He hadn't aged a day. "It's… It's really you! You're the man from the park. Wha-what are you doing here in Bristol?"
"Oh, just wondering about, looking for something to do. But, look at you! You've grown a bit!" His eyes sparkled, almost as if to say they admired how her beauty had grown since that day.
"And you…" she whispered, "You haven't aged at all. Do you use an anti-wrinkle cream?"
He laughed. "What a silly girl you are!"
She frowned, almost a bit worried about how the man before her looks exactly the same. And to be in the same clothes! It was almost as if he had no home, yet managed to stay groomed. "I didn't catch your name last time. Who are you?" she asked.
"I'm the Doctor."
His tone and smile miffed her as her eye twitched. Wouldn't it be common sense to provide an actual name? She dared asked him; "Doctor? Doctor who?"
He was rather cheerful about her reaction. "Doctor!" he laughed, "Just the Doctor. And who are you?"
She rubbed her arm with the other hand. "I'm Carreon."
"Oh, come on. You can tell me your first name. I'd like to address you properly." His smile grew a bit more, if that was even possible.
"I don't think that would be-"
The door to the bistro swung open, revealing the cashier from earlier. "Rose," he smiled, "Your surprise order is ready."
Rose Carreon looked away, nervous about how the Doctor would react. She slowly looked up at him, and immediately her heart was stung. The Doctor was frowning, and his eyes were glassed. It was clear that he wasn't over Rose Tyler. Yes, he had been doing better, but it still hurt him to know that she was gone.
She looked behind her back and thanked the cashier.
"Well, it was nice bumping into you again. I suppose I'll go now." And with that, the Doctor walked off. Rose frowned, feeling unusually sad and hopeless about the pain the Doctor's face had held when he heard her first name being said. She looked at the table that he had been sitting at. He left his coffee and coat. She picked up the trench coat, unsure of what to do with it. There was no doubt about it belonging to him. Rose had no idea where the Doctor lived, where a person could usually catch him – nothing. She looked around the busy streets, yelling his name, standing on her tip toes for some extra height, but to her dismay, there was no sign of him. She felt as if it was her fault for the loss of his coat. A heavy sigh escaped her lips. Bristol had begun to get darker, matching Rose's mood. The dark grey clouds stormed in, covering the once-blue sky of Bristol. And on cue, a heavy downfall of rain began to soak everything in sight.
"Can this get any worse?" screamed Rose. The poor weather had a laugh at her. Answering her question, hail aided the rain in its gloomy terror. She used the Doctor's coat to cover her head and clothes as she quickly walked down the streets. All of the taxi cabs that pass her have already been taken. The coat had a peculiar smell to it. It was hard for Rose to describe, but she loved it. She almost wished that she could keep it, but she wanted to find the Doctor to return what was rightfully his. And, to be logical about it, the scent on the coat would later wash off and be replaced with her own if she kept it.
She walked and walked until she got to her boyfriend's work building. He never spoke about what he did there, but she knew all about the company. They were called Kyliath. They were known for their banks and products. It varied from machinery to beauty. As well-known as they were, they weren't good people.
She stepped inside and went directly to the front desk. The air conditioner was unusually high for the weather outside. All of the furniture was made of white leather. The walls were made completely of transparent glass. Everything was high-tech to the point of where Rose had never seen some of the stuff that the employees were using on the first floor. The receptionist looked impatiently at Rose. "May I help you, miss?" she asked, her tone drenched in annoyance.
"I'm looking for Michael Borja," stated Rose.
"Mr. Borja is in a meeting," replied the receptionist, not even checking the computer in front of her.
"Are you sure?" asked Rose.
"Yes, miss. I'm not an idiot. Every employee in this building always knows where people of the executive board are. Now, who are you?"
Rose narrowed her eyebrows, getting more miffed about the rude nature of the receptionist. "I'm his girlfriend."
The receptionist sighed. "I'll see what I can do. Now, please, go away."