I Had It All

-Present Day-

Folding my hands on the table’s wooden surface, I anxiously looked around the restaurant, hoping to see that familiar face. I twiddled with my thumbs, and when I heard footsteps coming from behind me, my heartbeat picked up, and I whipped around.

It was just the waitress, handing me my beverage. “Here you are, sir. Just shout if you need anything,” she said politely. I smiled and nodded, and she walked away.

Finally, the glass door on the other side of the building swung open, revealing Kelsey’s face. She looked around, probably trying to spot me. A waitress pointed her in my direction, and she seemingly glided over to me. She was so poise and graceful; I took a moment to admire her as she walked over. I smiled and she returned the gesture, sitting across from me.

The waitress came back and took our meal orders, then walked away.

“Sorry, I was late,” she apologized. “Traffic is crazy around this time.”

“Oh, it’s fine,” I shrugged it off. “I know what it’s like.”

“So how have you been lately, Alex?” Kelsey inquired sweetly, her voice exuding sincere interest.

I shrugged my shoulders. “Pretty good. Touring is crazy, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Kelsey chuckled. “I know; I hear tons of wild stories from bands on the road. Parties, drinking, one night stands…” she trailed off.

“I can imagine!” I exclaimed. “Especially since you’re interviewing all these bands, I bet nothing is really a shock anymore.”

“You’d be surprised. Yesterday was certainly a shock for me.”

I scratched the back of my neck nervously. “Yeah, sorry about that. I didn’t know who our interviewer was, and I didn’t expect it to be you, of all people.”

She rubbed her delicate face with her hands. “I’m so sorry I flipped out like that. I just…I didn’t know what to do. I mean, with our history and everything… I thought it would be awkward.”

I laughed lightly. “It was a little. But I’m glad I saw you again.”

She smiled sweetly. “Even though I was a bitch to you yesterday at first, I’m really glad I saw you again, too.”

We looked into each other’s eyes, and all my old feelings came flooding back. Memories of us rushed through my mind, and I wanted nothing more than to lean over the table and kiss her.

She has a boyfriend! She has a boyfriend! I kept reminding myself. Restraint…I needed restraint…

Thankfully, since I have no self-control, the waitress came, our plates in hand. “Here you are. Have a nice day.”

We began eating in silence; the only sound to be heard was the sound of the silverware clinking against the dishes. “So, um…tell me about this boyfriend of yours,” I said nonchalantly, pretending not to care, even though it was secretly eating me up inside. The one time I finally get to see her again, she’s already taken.

Kelsey dropped her fork on her plate, and it landed with a deafening crack! Her eyes were the size of golf balls, and her cheeks tinted to a rosy pink. “M-my boyfriend? You want to know about him?” she stuttered.

I probably looked as confused as I felt as my head cocked to the side. “Well, yeah. I mean, what’s his name, how long you’ve been dating…”

“He’s…he’s uh-” She looked down when her cell phone buzzed. “Hang on.” She flipped her phone open and read whatever text it was that she received. When she read it, she sighed in clear frustration, and her eyes seemed sad as she replied.

She closed her phone and dropped it back into her bag. Looking at me sadly, she exhaled. “Alex, I hate to leave you, but I just found out I’m needed somewhere else.”

My heart sank. We’d only been there for about ten minutes and already someone was stealing her away from me. “Is…is there any way we can hang out again? I mean, we’re going to be here for about a week…”

Kelsey seemed relieved for some reason when I suggested that, and she grabbed a pocket-sized pad of paper and a pen out of her purse. Scribbling something down, she grinned and ripped off the paper. “Here’s my number. Call me whenever you’re free.”

I took it from her hands and I couldn’t help but smile. “Thanks. I’ll definitely do that,” I nodded.

“Great. I’ll see you soon, Alex. It was nice catching up.”

“Yeah, it was. See you.”

Even though she was leaving me again, I at least had a way of contacting her this time.