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But my friend just chuckles. “Okay, for real, what gives? Women never upset you, and you’re usually way more casual about relationships. Hell, I can’t even remember the last time you went out on date and actually had something to say about the girl the morning after.”
I guess he’s right. Most of the time, my dates are nothing more than rolls in the hay, and that’s how I like it. But with Ramona, it’s different, and I consider what to tell Bruce, given that he’s not exactly the most discreet guy.
But I shrug, deciding pretty quickly that Bruce is alright. I lean back in my chair and gesture for the other man to sit down as well.
“Do you remember the other day when I went to that meeting at Concord Design?” I ask.
He nods.
“Sure. You came back and mentioned that you were impressed with the work but had some concerns about the staff.” My buddy sits down across from me as he speaks, looking at me intently the entire time.
I nod slowly. “I wasn’t totally honest about what happened,” I confess grimly.
He cocks his head to a side, hazel eyes squinting. “What are you talking about? It didn’t go well?”
“No, the meeting was fine, and their pitch was solid,” I reassure my colleague quickly. “And while the manager I met was a bit of a handful, the real reason I came back and mentioned my hesitation is because of something else that happened in the meeting. Rather, there was also someone else present.”
“Oh yeah? Who?” Bruce is clearly curious, and I know part of the reason is that I don’t usually talk in circles when it comes to explaining myself.
“This is going to sound fucking insane, but it was this woman who I used to know from when we were kids.” I shake my head, chuckling. “She’s a few years younger than me, and she was my shadow growing up. And now,” I shrug, “let’s just say she grew up.”
It’s Bruce’s turn to shake his head. “And you’re concerned with running into her at this meeting because…?”
I consider how to convey my worries to my friend. “We hooked up the other night, and it was amazing.” Bruce raises his eyebrows at my description. “Yeah, yeah, I know that sounds absurd but this woman, she is something else. She’s… different. There’s a connection there. And I guess I didn’t expect there to be.”
“Well, then I guess I still don’t see the problem then,” Bruce says with a smirk, leaning back into his chair. “Sounds to me like you might have rekindled something with someone you actually like. Kudos.”
I think for a moment.
“Yeah, but the last time I saw her was over twelve years ago, and our friendship ended somewhat strangely.”
For a moment, I consider privately what Ramona said to me at drinks the other night. It’s clear that she’s still upset about the Cove incident, but that’s strange. After all, who cares? We were just kids, so why would it matter? Sure, I was mean to her but that’s how teenage boys behave. Hell, I was barely in charge of my own hormones at that age.
“So how did it end?” my friend prompts.
I turn my attention back to him. “Oddly. She brought up this random fight we had as kids.”
He whistles. “Damn, that woman holds a grudge.”
I shrug. “I know, right?”
“But what happened in the fight?” Bruce asks me, curiosity etched on his face. “Did you tackle her or something, and then sleep with her sister?”
I shake my head and grunt. “No, it was just kid shit. She used to tag along with us boys, but one day we wanted to go to our secret hideout and she wanted to come with us. I told her no, but of course she didn’t listen.” I frown. “I guess it’s safe to say that it turned somewhat nasty when she followed us on our bikes.”
Bruce frowns in return and leans forward slightly. “Nasty how? Like did you guys beat up on her or something?”
I scowl. “No, we’re teenage boys, not criminals. Goddamn. You make it sound like we’re zoo animals or something. We just yelled at her, and told her we didn’t want to hang out anymore, some shit like that. She got upset and ran away.” I shake my head and grimace as I recall the full story. He whistles again.
“Yeah, pretty standard adolescent stuff.”
“I know, right? But the thing is that we had a good reason for not wanting her to come. We were headed to our hideout to look at porn magazines and we definitely didn’t want a ten year old girl there. Even at that age, there were clear boundaries.”
At this detail, Bruce howls with laughter and literally slaps his knee. “Like Penthouse? Playboy?”
I grimace.
“Worse. Grinder. You know, the one with full nudity where they do it with no holds barred.”
