"You know, I made a new friend," Nina said to his best friend Dylan

"It's good you are trying to move on"

"I still find difficult to believe people. But, I could not resist giving him my phone number, he's the journalist, Jake Mollins. I have read his many articles. It's amazing"

"Good"

Dylan was facing unemployment from the past 6 months. He was really into a depression. Just, trying to diversify his world beyond his problems. Nina and Dylan were school friends. He became upset to hear someone so good at his career, best at his articles and Nina impressed with him. They both were an exact opposite of each other, so Dylan had no interest in reading, whereas; Nina did a lot of reading, online as well as offline. Every time she was on her phone it was always because she was reading something or the another.

"How are you doing?" Nina knows about his disappointment and feels so helpless. Even if she wants to help him, she could not. All she could do is give him some options and contact his references about getting a better job.

"I don't know, what I am gonna do"

Dylan was a trainee in a well-known firm, but the company decided to remove all the trainee people, due to their sustaining policies. Which left him with very less experience in his field.

"Did you contact the firms where you had been for an interview?"

"I am waiting for their reply"

"Let's go for a movie" Dylan asked Nina every time to go out sometime

"I am sorry"

"I knew your reply. Still I asked you out of formality"

She upset him again. Which she never wants to do ever, after all, he is her old school friend.

Nina has just lost confidence to go out with somebody, even if it's her close friends or anyone else. She doesn't know the reason. But, it never felt right. Whenever she felt like tumbling over some decision, it always meant for her to let it go with a neutralizing option.

Nina never missed her long time boyfriend Kane either. At first, it all felt like the world was falling apart when it came to their breakup. But, then being alone made her feel the best. She found herself, what she exactly want in her life.

Kane was a jerk!

"I should be going, it's time for work" Nina finally found a way to end this disappointing conversation, she never liked to see Dylan so bored of his life and frustrated.

"Bye"

Dylan went back to his house. He would keep texting Nina, in the middle of her work or anytime. Because they only had each other and no other friends. He would go out sometimes with some of his oldest mates, especially at night, have drinks, party hard like boys always do, but he never reached anywhere, he again came back to his bitter routing which was just lying around the house, eating snacks, sleeping or watching tv.

There were times when Dylan would message Nina that he had got nothing to do at all, he's just sitting ideal. There are no excellent shows to watch on television either. Sometimes Nina would fell asleep while texting him, and again Dylan was left alone to his worries. His routine was totally disturbed, suffering from insomnia made him a night owl.

For Nina, everything was just fine. She had the type of job she always wanted with the environment of making new friends or sharing each other's stories, cooking, reading. The only problem she had was to pursue her further studies. She had actually failed in an entrance exam.

Nina loved her job and everything she had, but this was not enough in today's world. This was what made her feel inferior, sad and more of an upset sometimes. The problem was her friends were very successful as compared to her.

---xxx---

She was running for her train, it was almost 8.00 Am, and she was running through the cold winds flashing on her face with ultimate speed, making her way through the crowd of people walking along the path "What is wrong with this people, just get aside" she just screamed to everyone while running, this irritated her.

As she was stepping down on the platform, looking towards the direction of train 'it's not coming yet', she took a sigh of relief, her eyes got stuck on his long time seen friend, he was sitting some distance away, almost lost in his thoughts. He was Jake Mollins, his favorite article writer, as usual with headphones in his ears, trying to remember the lyrics, looking right straight on another platform. She went near him and tried to figure out at whom he was looking at.

"Hie" She said with the voice not too loud since it was a public place, she didn't want to grab everyone's attention. Jake didn't react or looked towards her, still looking straight.

"Hie, Jake" now in more loud voice and added huge smile

Jake looked towards her with blank face and raised his eyebrows suddenly with astonishment

"Hie"

Without Jake even asking her to take a sit, she sat beside him, still retaining her big smile

"You live here, you are going by this same train?" Now, Jake had something to say

"Yes, I always travel by this train, convenient with my time. I am just waiting for my friend to arrive"

Nina was not waiting for any friend to arrive, but she knew if Jake asks her to accompany him then she'll have an excuse ready. Being with newbies actually made her feel strange.

Since they didn't have much time left for chatting, Jake said while dispersing "Call me, whenever you are free or would you like to have lunch with me today?"

"Oh" this just surprised Nina, 'wonderful, I would love to spend time with him'

"Yeah, yeah, sure" Nina hesitated, 'oh my God, I just refused my best friend to go out for a movie and now this man is asking me for a lunch, what do I do, What should I say, Yes, I'll say Yes' She could not refuse and pretended to be smiling through the talk 'I am stuck but he is so handsome'

"Yes, sure I will call you" She just had nothing else to say. Even, she just remembers her saying 'yes,yes' all the time

The case was, Nina had always refused to go with boys who ask her out if that doesn't make her comfortable. This was different for Jake, Nina just couldn't take her eyes off his white colored skin and strongly build face structure. His black shirt with sleeves folded up to his elbow, Manly hands visible with the blue veins indicating the strength and perfectly fitted brown trouser.

Nina bid a good day to him and went away,

'I would love to have lunch with him, he doesn't seem that bad' at last she was through with this idea.

As Jake saw Nina walking away from him, he thought 'Oh damn it, she's so short, it's so absurd'

Yes, guys, Nina didn't have an impressive height or long thin legs, she just had a thin like normal upper body and short height. Not too short, around 4.11 feet. Always wears top up to knees and black legging with her long hair always tied in a ponytail.

'I shouldn't have asked her for lunch' Jake realized.