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I’m in New York on business for the firm. I texted Drew and Lauren to let them know that I was in town and hoped we could meet for dinner.
I miss both of my friends. Never has distance been an issue for us despite my living in our hometown of Charleston, South Carolina and them living in New York, where they’ve lived for the last five years.
However, never have I felt the distance more than I do now, with Drew not speaking to Lauren and me being devastated about our brief fling all those years ago and the impact that it’s now having on her marriage.
Drew didn’t respond to my text this morning, but Lauren did. She made reservations for tonight's dinner at Ivy & 5th, a swanky upscale restaurant. When we finished, I called for a car to take her home, but she said she wasn’t ready.
While I didn’t think that her returning to my hotel room with me was a good idea, she said she just needed to get away from the house tonight and had nowhere else to go.
I couldn’t deny her request to return with me for a little while. We’ve been here for the last hour talking about what’s been going on with her marriage.
She turns to me now with dried tear stains and is as beautiful as she always was. My heart breaks for Lauren because I only want her happiness, and I know that lies with Drew.
I push a lock of hair back from her face.
“Hey, remember when we went swimming in the lake in Drew’s neighborhood.”
Lauren’s face turns red, and she laughs, smacking her hand over her mouth.
“Oh, my god! I was horrified when we came out of the water and found our clothes gone!”
“Nobody was as horrified as Tyler when Denise laughed at his dick!”
Lauren laughs again. “Yeah, she gave him such hell about his hard-on for the next year. Do you know that she was secretly crushing on him back then?”
I shake my head. “Not surprised looking back. They never got along and were always at each other’s throats. If she saw him with a girl, she’d do something to embarrass him.”
“She was jealous,” Lauren shares.
“Figures.”
“And you? How come you never told me that you liked me earlier?”
“Earlier?” I ask, lifting onto one elbow.
“Yeah. Like...um, when we were kids instead of waiting until we went to college.”
Shrugging, I say, “I don’t know. I was like the rest of the guys, I guess. Insecure. Immature. I wasn’t as cocky as Shep and Onyx were.”
She nods. “Your big brother and cousin always thought everyone wanted them.”
“You included.”
“Me?” she asks, jerking her head back and pointing at herself.
“Yeah. That’s why none of us ever said that we liked you.”
“Why?” she asks, scrunching up her nose.
“We all thought you had a crush on Shep, and we could not stand up to my big brother back then. He had a car. He was the only one of us who had clear skin, wasn’t skinny and wasn’t still growing into his looks.”
She laughs. “I always thought you were cute.”
“Thanks, I guess. Too bad I didn’t feel that way.”
“I always thought the two of you looked like twins.”
“Don’t ever say that to Shep. He’s liable to kill you.”
