How did she talk me into this??? Sarah thought to herself when she walked into the dimly lit ballroom. Her best friend, Jen, had said they would have a great time at their 10 year reunion, but now that she was there, alone, she was having doubts.
Am I at the right place? Who were all of these people? No one looked familiar to her, and she spent 4 years of her life with them! Jen walked up on the arm of her husband, Jim. Her very pregnant belly made her look as if she was ready to pop. She was glowing with pride and excitement.
Hugging Sarah, she asked, Gene is here and he said he was looking forward to seeing you again!"
Sarah's eyes went misty for a moment. She hadn't changed much in all those years, not mentally anyway. Sarah Miller was voted mostly likely to succeed. She was quiet, conservative and seemed a lot older then most of the kids she went to school with. Gene was one of her best friends back then, and he was her secret crush. They met when they were both on the school paper together, she was the editor, and he was the sports reporter. They became great friends, but Sarah knew it would never be more then that. He dated girls who were beautiful, capricious and giggly. Three things that she knew she would never be.
"Hey, are you ok?" Jen was gently shaking her arm. As the room came back into focus, she realized the butterflies in her stomach were very real, and not just a recollection of her feelings from so many years before.
Jen took her by hand and led her to their table. Sarah couldn't help looking around the room to see if he was around.
She sat for an hour and watched as Jen flitted around the room talking to people, introducing her husband, and laughing. She always loved being the social butterfly. She could talk to a total stranger and make them feel like they had known her for years. That's how they became friends. Jen was the complete opposite of Sarah, but they were perfect for each other.
Maybe a walk to the bar would make me feel less edgy, Sarah thought. She ordered a drink, and then sat at the bar and sipped it slowly watching the crowd on the dance floor grow larger. A few faces looked vaguely familiar, but she couldn't remember most of their names. How did they change so much in only 10 years she was thinking to herself, when she felt a warm hand on her bare shoulder. She turned her head and there he was.
His face was the same, only more mature, older looking. And his smile still melted her heart. "Sarah? Sarah Miller?" His voice was deeper and was as smooth and silk. "Gene? After all these years, you look wonderful, how are you?" The ice in her glass clinked as her hands trembled nervously.
"I was so happy when Jen said you were coming tonight." he said. Sarah didn't know what to say. She just smiled at him.
"So how has life been treating you? Jen mentioned you were the editor at Diamond magazine. I always knew you would make it in that field, you had such a flair for it back then."
Sarah barely heard what Gene had said, she was mesmerized by his eyes. "Yes...well, it...umm...did seem to fit me...you know...sitting in an office and ...uh ...putting all the pieces together, making sure its all right...I, umm...I like it a lot." What is wrong with me, she thought. I run the magazine with no problems, I can speak my mind to anyone, but here, with this man, I'm like a babbling idiot! She silently cursed herself for being so childish.
She managed to stumble through the conversation with him for a while, talking about what they had been doing in life. When he told her he was single, she could barely contain her thoughts. How could such a perfect man, not be attached. Gene told her about his job as a pilot and how traveling made it hard for a woman to want to settle down with him. She was imagining his sexy voice on the intercom of a plane, telling her to buckle up it might be a bumpy ride.
"They don't know what they are missing!" Sarah said before she could stop herself.
Gene smiled at her again, and she smiled then looked down. The music from the dance floor had slowed down and he asked, "Would you care to dance with an old friend?" Sarah looked up from the tile on the floor she was studying, and shook her head. He took her hand and led her to the dance floor.
Gene wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her to him. They swayed slowly to the music. "I wonder where Nancy is tonight." he said, looking around the room, then they both giggled for a moment In his arms, the years, and her nervousness melted away, they were at the prom once again. He had promised to save her a dance, and no matter how much his date, Nancy, protested, he pushed past her and took Sarah out on the floor for the last dance.
"I can't believe it's already been 10 years, I remember it like it was yesterday." Sarah said, her breasts pushed up against him. His face was so close to hers. "Your just as beautiful now as you were that night, if not more so." She could feel the heat rising up in her cheeks.
"Gene, you could always smooth talk the ladies." she laughed, and rested her head on his chest, so he could not see her face reddening. Closing her eyes, she was lost in thought. She thought about what they could do if they were the only ones on the dance floor. As the song ended he took her chin in his hands and said "Sarah, I wasn't trying to sweet talk you, I really meant what I said, you're beautiful and..." Before he could finish his sentence, Ken Mallory walked up to them.
"Gene, hey buddy hows it going?!?!" He put his hand out and Gene shook it heartily. Sarah wanted to give the two friends time to catch up, so she started to walk away, but Gene grasped her hand and squeezed it tight. Glancing up at him, his eyes pleading with her to stay, she smiled and waited for the conversation to end.
Ken's wife was calling to him so he gave Gene his number and told him to keep in touch, smiled at Sarah and walked away.
"I'm sorry about that, can we get out of here and go somewhere and just talk for a while?" he asked. The butterflies were at it again, and Sarah smiled, "Yes, I would like that a lot. Let me get my purse and tell Jen we are leaving."
Jen looked like she wanted to jump up and down with excitement when Sarah told her where she was going. Sarah smiled at her friend and walked away. "Good luck!" Jen said, louder then Sarah would have liked.
She walked outside, and he was leaning against a beautiful convertible. It was the perfect night for a drive with the top down. He held open the door for her, and she got in and he closed the door, leaned down and said. "Where to, Miss?"
The wind whipped through her hair and Sarah closed her eyes and leaned back into the leather seat, nipples hardening in the cool night air. They pulled onto the old beach road and he put the car in park. "Remember this place?" he said as he turned to look at her. Sarah looked around and she realized he had brought her to their old hang out spot. She felt like a kid again.
Gene grabbed a blanket out of the trunk as Sarah kicked off her shoes and ran off to sit on the swings. She had been here so many times before; she can't believe she had forgotten about it. Dragging her toes in the sand she leaned way back and looked up at the sky. I must be dreaming she thought to herself, but when she opened her eyes, there he was, sitting on the blanket by the waters edge watching her. Sarah got up and walked over and sat down beside him.
"Reliving your youth??" he laughed. "No, I think I am pretty happy as I am right now." she said looking into his eyes. "Sarah I can tell you how many times I have thought about you over the last 10 years. I tried looking you up so many times, but didn't have the nerve to call."
Sarah lay back on the blanket to look at the stars and said, "You?? Scared to call me? Why? We were good friends at one time." oblivious to the change in his voice. Softly he said, "Because I have wanted to tell you something for so long, and I don't know where to begin."
