I borrowed Mom’s SUV for the night and headed off to the reunion. I drummed on the wheel as I drove, restless energy mixed with nerves thrumming through my system. I hadn’t been unpopular in high school, but I wasn’t exactly a jock or an academic superstar, either. And doesn’t everyone kind of want to impress their former classmates at a reunion, show them how great your life has become? I knew I didn’t have a thriving tech-startup like Bryan, but I’d still do my best to project a confident, has-it-together air.
I arrived at the Villa where the reunion was hosted and checked in at the table up front, grabbing my name tag and attaching it to my lapel. I scanned the room for Bryan and Nic and saw them at a table near the back of the event space. Tall, lanky Bryan towered over Nic’s small 5’2” frame. He had to be at least a foot taller than her. Nic looked the same as in high school, her short strawberry-blonde hair and bangs adding to her wholesome girl-next-door vibes. Her dress was a sunny yellow, and Bryan wore a matching yellow tie. As I passed tables, my eyes searched for other familiar faces.
Then suddenly, there she was, standing next to Nic. Long hair the color of dark chocolate. Soulful brown eyes with flecks of honey that caught the light. My Brooke. Time seemed to freeze for a moment. All the air left my lungs. Shaking myself from my momentary daze, I weaved through the maze of tables and approached the table where they stood. As far as I could tell, Brooke hadn’t seen me approach, but I heard the unmistakable sound of her voice. After all this time, hearing it again sent goosebumps up the back of my neck and nerves fluttering in my stomach.
“This is my fiancé, Brock.”
She introduced Nic to a 6 ft. tall man in a slim navy suit. I caught a glimpse of the giant sparkling rock on her finger as she placed her hand over his chest. He didn’t wear a tie, just a crisp white dress shirt open at the neck. He looked like he belonged on one of those popular vampire shows, with his too-slick dark hair and his flash of too-white teeth. I swallowed my immediate distaste.
Fiancé. She was getting married.
“Brooke and... Brock! Omigosh, that’s so cute!” Nic squealed from beside us. “Totally meant to be.”
Brooke smiled her uncomfortable smile, the one usually saved for new acquaintances and unfamiliar situations. All this attention was really not her scene anymore. Interesting. She’d been a social butterfly in high school. What had changed?
“A perfect match,” Brock agreed, flashing a winning smile at Nic.
Jesus, this guy looked like an advertisement for a dentist’s office. I tried to hold back my irrational wave of jealousy as he pulled out Brooke’s chair for her.
We took our seats around the circular table. I sat next to Bryan on my left and Amanda, another classmate, on my right.Brooke and her fiancé sat directly across the table from me. I willed her to look at me.
She looked anywhere but.
After what felt like an eternity, she finally caught my eye. Her gaze searched my face, seemingly assessing both the familiarities and the changes. I couldn’t read what emotion she was hiding, though.Is she happy to see me?I wondered.Will this be awkward, after the way we left things?
I didn’t have time to wonder for long. At that moment Stephanie, high school cheer captain and our former class president, climbed onstage and spoke into a microphone.
“Hello, reunion goers and guests! Welcome! On your tables during cocktail hour you’ll find some conversation-starter cards. These cards are meant to test how well you remember your classmates and get to know their dates and guests. Start the conversation, and enjoy reconnecting!”
A waiter came by and took drink orders. Of their own volition, my eyes sought out Brooke. I had to know every tidbit I could about her, even her drink order. It had been five years since I’d laid eyes on her, and pathetic as it was, I was starved for information about her life now.
“Just ice water for me, please. Thanks.”
Her fiancé ordered a “Scotch, neat. Top shelf. Macallan 18 if you have it.”Stuck up rich prick, my inner dialogue rumbled. Fair? Maybe not. But that’s where my head was.
I wondered why she didn’t drink. Was she still an athlete? Even in her formalwear I could tell her body had softened since high school, curves filling out the dress I tried unsuccessfully to tear my eyes from.Don’t eye-fuck some guy’s fiancée,I told myself in vain. But this wasBrooke. Her firm, trim, muscular form now gave way to full hips and softer angles. She was stunning, maybe even more so now than five years prior. Her chocolate hair fell far below her shoulders. She wore a floor-length dress in a sparkly fabric. It was so dark of a blue it was almost black. I couldn’t help noticing how the fabric clung to her curves. Thin straps adorned her shoulders, and I struggled to keep my eyes off the alluring dip of the V-neckline. Brooke had definitely filled out, in all the best ways.
The waiter placed a beer in front of me and I took a sip, struggling to swallow it down.
Nic’s cheery voice broke my train of thought. I glanced over to see one of the conversation-starter cards in her hand.
“Okay, this one is for everyone at the table,” she began. “If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go? I know Bryan’s! New Zealand. He wants to see the filming locations for theLord of the Rings.”
Bryan squeezed Nic’s hand and nodded his agreement, then leaned down and kissed her temple. “And Nic wants to see Angel Falls, Venezuela—the tallest waterfall in the world.”
I could see the love and familiarity pass back and forth between their eyes.Damn, what would it feel like to have that kind of connection with someone?I mused.
“Omigosh, YES!” Nic replied, lovingly patting Bryan’s cheek. She turned to Amanda: “I know you used to love art, so... I’m going to guess somewhere with art museums and a really dedicated art scene. Maybe Paris, or Spain or somewhere?”
Amanda’s face broke into a grin. “I studied abroad in Barcelona! Oh, I’d love to go back.” For a moment, she looked dreamily lost to the memories.
Nic clapped her hands in glee at her successful guess. “Okay babe, now you guess where Cade would go.” I smiled at how Nic had become our table’s self-appointed cruise director for the evening.
“Hm...” Bryan began. “Well, he loves anywhere he can climb and surf and jump off things. Maybe Hawaii? Machu Picchu?”
I shrugged. “Sounds good to me. I’m up for anything.” I turned to Brock and caught his eye. “And where does Brooke want to go?” I challenged.
He cleared his throat.Snootily, I thought. “I plan to take her to St. Kitts for our honeymoon. My family owns property down there,” Brock replied with smooth confidence and a wide smile.So I was right about the rich guy thing, I thought smugly. “She’ll have all the best amenities. Butlered drink service. A personal masseuse.”God, this guy was insufferable.I could sense the women on either side of me swooning, though.
