The Reunion

Oh god.

There was a part of me that truly and mercilessly despised myself right in this very moment. My cheeks felt hot. I reckoned they also resembled the color of a bright red tomato, ready to be harvested at the end of summer.

Most people try to look their best when confronted with seeing an ex again. They dress up, rifle through their make-up drawers and dare to dab some blush on their cheeks and try that bold and sexy lipstick they'd normally never wear. Me? I got absolutely pissed, probably looking like a fool, tears in my eyes from having laughed so hard all night long.

I watched in horror as Jonah, Rachel and Charlie went to greet the happy couple, hugging Nick warmly and politely shaking the girl's - Jane's - hand. I remained in the background, unsure how to proceed. The alcohol in my system was fogging my sense of judgement. Surely it wasn't a good idea to just refuse greeting them, was it?

Come on, Agnes. Be rational about this.

So, I tried. I smiled as brightly as I could possibly muster, waving awkwardly when it was my turn to reunite with Nick.

"Hey you," he sighed softly, his big blue eyes settling on me. He didn't look nervous to see me at all. Then again, he wasn't the one spending Christmas without a significant other. Nope. That was me.

"Hey," the words escaped me in a much more cheerful tone than I'd expected them to, the surprise was visible on my face, "how've you been?"

I hadn't intended to hug him or anything. For some reason, that felt inappropriate. And that's where the good old, incredibly awkward, are going for a kiss on the cheek, handshake or hug, dilemma set in. Nick leaned in, one arm snaking around my shoulder as he pressed a kiss against my cheek.

"It's good to see you," he said, leaning back, "you look good."

I nodded. "Yeah, you too. I mean - it's good to see you, and you look good as well." My eyes lingered on him for a moment before flitting over to Jane, a tall, slim brunette who looked like she'd walked right out of a Glamour cover. She was absolutely gorgeous. And far prettier than I was.

Nick quickly realized that we were staring at each other. "Oh! Right. Nessie," I felt a chill run down my spine. Nick was always the only one who called me Nessie. I'd figured he would have dropped the habit now that we were no longer dating, "this is Jane." His arm went around her shoulder, pulling her a little closer to him and nudging her forward.

"Hi," the Australian accent slid off her tongue, a hand reaching out towards me, "it's lovely to meet you. Nick's told me a lot about you."

My eyes went straight to Nick, an eyebrow quirked. He'd been talking to me? Now that was something I didn't expect to hear. Nick coolly kept his eyes trained on me and a permanent smile etched on his face.

"Yeah," I croaked with half a smile, "swell to meet you too."

"Had quite a bit to drink have we?" Nick inquired, smirking at me as he prodded a finger against my flushed cheek.

A little ashamed, I chuckled and admitted my guilt by nodding my head.

"Some things never change," Nick swept past me and headed straight for the newest bottle of wine we'd opened, "guess we have some catching up to do."

He poured himself a glass and eyed me with a bemused look. "In more ways than one."