I waited nervously outside of the restaurant, anxiously awaiting his presence. I gave one last yawn, and took another sip of my soda. An hour ago, I was about to go bed, looking forward to a night of blissful sleep, when my phone rang.
"Hello?"
"Jane? It's Mark. How are you?" My heart stopped. It literally stopped for about 4 seconds until, realizing it needed to keep beating to keep me alive, it started again.
Ever since I was 15 years old, I'd had a crush on Mark Moore. There was just something about him that drew me to him, something I'd never experienced with anyone else. It was that feeling that kept me coming back for more, and him too, apparently, since he called me out of nowhere.
He convinced me to get out of bed and meet him at a diner a few minutes from my apartment. It didn't take much convincing; anytime I can see Mark, I'm there.
I paced outside the restaurant, nervous knots forming in my stomach. I hadn't seen him in a year, and just the thought of seeing him, his long dark hair, his green eyes, made my stomach turn.
It was unseasonably cool for July, with a slight breeze blowing in. It was 2 AM, and the parking lot was nearly deserted. I gazed up at the stars and noted how bright Mars was. It somehow comforted me to see Mars, it's red fierceness visible in the sky, and it eased my stomach somewhat.
I gazed at my watch nervously. He was 5 minutes late, but I wasn't worried yet. He was always late.
Finally, a dark red Camaro drove on to the gravel parking lot. I smiled. He was here.
He got out of the car, looking around, his eyes adjusting to the darkness of the early morning. He finally saw me, and grinned. I walked over to him and we embraced. Two old friends, glad to see each other again.
Except it was more than that, and we both knew it.
He gave me a kiss on the cheek, and we walked into the restaurant. The waitress smiled at us as she took our order. She probably thought we were lovers, and in a way, she was right.
"So, it's been a while, Jane. What have you been up to?" I went through a laundry list of the boring undertakings of my life, never taking my eyes off his. I suddenly felt like none of these things mattered, because he wasn't in my life to share them with me. Then I shook it off.
I knew he wasn't meant to be in my life the way I had originally wanted him to be, and I was comfortable with that. I've had a boyfriend for a long time, someone who could offer me what Mark couldn't, which was a stable life together. With Mark, there was always questions of where he was or what he was doing and why wasn't he calling me? That's the only reason why we didn't last. I wanted stability, and he didn't.
"Well, it sounds like you've been busy," he said. I nodded.
He talked about his life. He was currently the successful owner of a new movie theater, and was very proud of it. He talked about his girlfriend, Sylvia, and how they weren't getting along very well. A small glimmer of hope rested in my heart, but I tried to make it go away.
As he talked about the movie business and his car and his life, I started into his eyes. My god, I thought to myself. He is still as gorgeous as he was the day I met him. Those big, strong arms. Those bright green eyes. I could barely contain myself as I tried to eat my chocolate chip pancakes.
He must have seen the look in my eyes, because he stopped in mid-sentence.