"Hey! David! That's a face I haven't seen for a long time" Eugene said as he stood up.

David had called and made an appointment to see him.

"Eugene" David smiled and shook his hand, immediately wiping it with a wet wipe after that.

Eugene looked at David's behavior and smiled. Same old OCD David

"Take a seat man! I haven't seen you for years! You disappeared off the map after... well.. you know" Eugene said

David nodded with a smile and took a seat

"All the stuff between us from before... water under the bridge right? We're good?" Eugene asked

"Water.. bridge. Yeah" David said

"Can I get you anything? A beer? No... I know.. a Coca Cola" Eugene said as he pressed a button on his intercom and ordered a coke for David

"You remember" David said

"Sure buddy. We're best buddies aren't we?" Eugene said excitedly. 

"Yeah" David said emotionlessly. 

"So... how can I help you? I hear you're doing well, have your own exhibit and everything" Eugene said

"Well I... want... to... buy a.. .business. Cryonics...but.... legal..." David stammered. 

He seems to be able to talk fluently by himself and communicated by e-mail and text excellently. But in person, he still struggled to talk since his depression. 

"Calm down David. Let me look at your file" he said as David handed over a folder of documents. 

Eugene examined the documents before understanding what was going on. 

"I see. You want to buy this Cryonics Company Everlife, which has gone bankrupt after several years. But they are stuck in a lawsuit by the families of the bodies stored in it after it was found that they never maintained the bodies at all, dumping them instead. 

And you want to buy this company? Is that right?" Eugene asked

"Yes" David replied

"Well, I don't know why you would want to buy it, and  it's none of my business, but are you sure you want to buy it?" Eugene asked

"Yes. Good.. cheap machines." David stammered

David legitimately was thinking of buying the company and even made the owners an offer. He thought it was a good idea to get a company where people give you their bodies which he will use, and he will get paid for it. Win-win.

"But.. legal.. issues" David continued

"I understand. The legal caveats and injunctions make everything stuck. You can't buy it at the moment. If you really want to buy it, my firm is good in solving such things. I won't be personally dealing with it because I specialize in criminal law, but I will put good lawyers on it" Eugene said

"Ok" David replied

"Hey... do you want to have lunch? My treat" Eugene invited

"Um." David was undecided

"Come on. For old times sakes. It's great to see you" Eugene asked again 

"Ok" David replied

--

Both of them sat in a swanky restaurant in the middle of the city and both of them ordered steaks. 

"Your lager sir, and for you, your Coca Cola" the waiter said, serving them their drinks

Eugene started talking about old times as David smiled and listened silently. 

He did remember those times, and really enjoyed himself listening to the old stories. 

But his mind kept continuing the timeline and he ended up back to the experience where he walked in on Eugene banging his girlfriend Valerie. 

So he sat silently as Eugene regaled their wonderful experiences together. 

"Oh she's here!" Eugene said, standing up

"Who?" David looked up

Eugene pulled out the chair for a beautiful woman to join them, dressed in a pink pregnancy dress and sporting a small bump.

"The normal please" she smiled as she ordered from the passing waiter and sat down. 

"David this is my wife Rose!" Eugene said and continued "and darling, this is my best friend from college David"

David stood up and shook her hand, giving a slight smile before sitting down. 

Rose stared at David's face for a while. 

"What is it honey?" Eugene asked

"David? David Forsythe?" she asked

"Yes" David said emotionlessly

"My God! How are you?" Rose smiled brightly

"Do you know each other?" Eugene asked, looking back and forth between them. 

"Yes! David was this brilliant artist in Aquilani College!" she said

"The famous college you went to? You went there too David?" Eugene asked

"Yes" he replied blankly

"David... I don't know how to say this... I'm sorry. I tried to get the college to change their mind.. but.." Rose apologised

"I...don't remember" David replied

"Huh?" Rose and Eugene said

"I don't remember.. much.. of college" David said

"You don't remember that you..." Rose asked but Eugene stopped her

"No" David said

"How about when me and... you know..." Eugene asked

"No" David replied

"What about all the times we had with each other?" Eugene asked

"First time... meet... today" David said

Both Eugene and Rose were stunned. Rose started crying

"I... better... go. I... ruined.. lunch" David stood up and left Eugene trying to comfort his wife

"David..." Eugene called out, but David had already left. 

Eugene and Rose had a quiet somber lunch. They exchanged stories about David and found that both of them had practically ruined his life before. 

As they left, they found that David had already paid for their lunch

Eugene made a few calls and within hours a document was placed on his table. 

He was troubled the whole day and read the file investigating David's life before he went home.

At home, he greeted Rose who was still saddened and smeared makeup. 

She looked at the file in his hands as he sat her down to explain. 

"My god! After he dropped out of medical school because... ah.. because of me.. he went to your art school" Eugene said

"...where he was kicked out because of me. I know this part. So what happened after that?" Rose asked

"It says here he disappeared. There were even missing reports on him by his parents. But they couldn't find him and he didn't even attend their funerals when they died in the tower collapse a few years ago." Eugene said

"How"" Rose asked

"Remember Florencia Towers that collapsed? They lived there" Eugene said

"Then what happened to him?" Rose asked

"For 2 years, he disappeared off the maps. Then he suddenly reappeared, opening his Forever Death exhibit last spring. It is assumed he travelled the world learning plasticizing methods from the different experts around the world. 

He's quite an expert, being new but already having numerous requests to buy his cadavers from around the world" Eugene said

"Forever Death? You mean that exhibit with the dead bodies that caused the media storm a few months ago?" Rose asked

"The very same. He came to me asking for help buying a Cryonics Company that went bust. It seems he has a morbid obsession with death" Eugene said grimly. 

"So... what are we going to do?" Rose asked

"He was my best friend. I will help him with his case, and try to get close to him again. You saw him. I don't think he has a happy life, although he seems reasonably well off" Eugene said

"Yes. Let me know if I can help. I fell guilty for what happened before with him too" Rose said

"It's not your fault you know. Your friends were the ones who reported him, and the college was too strict I think. He was in his own home after all" Eugene said

"Ooh. Did you feel that? I think our baby kicked" Rose suddenly said

Eugene smiled and placed his hand on her belly. 

"Now now little one. Your daddy is here" he said as he bent over and kissed Rose's belly.