I had already spent a good two hours with former teammates and friends rehashing the good old days from our years together in high school, a time that now numbered twenty years past. The drinks flowed freely and I have to admit, our high school reunion was more fun than I'd expected, seeing a lot of faces I hadn't seen in quite some time.
"The older we get, the better we were, am I right?" I said to my buddy Dave, clinking a beer.
"Damn straight," he laughed. "Especially if you're Tommy." Dave nodded toward an adjacent table where Tommy Turner was holding court with a gaggle of former classmates. Tommy was our old teammate, our quarterback who had connected with me on many passes and handed the ball off even more to Dave. Tommy was a gifted high school athlete, the league player of the year and, now, a balding, heavier version of his former star self. We'd connected earlier and shared stories and a few laughs but we had long ago drifted apart and I hadn't seen him in years. At his side sat Christi, his high school sweetheart and now wife.
Tommy "The Burner" Turner went on to play college ball but realized after the first couple of years that the talent pool in college athletics ran much deeper than high school and his talents wouldn't get him much play on game day. Instead, he dove headfirst into fraternity life and, judging by his performance now around a table of admirers, still had a talent for being the life of the party. The laughs came fast and loud from his table and, then, to my surprise, his wife came from the table too. She pulled back a chair and sat down between Dave and I, settling in with an arm around each of us.
"Enjoying yourselves boys?" she asked. The years had been kind to Christi. She wore a form-fitting cocktail dress with a tasteful showing of her gorgeous breasts. Unlike her husband, it was apparent that she worked out considerably, judging by her trim body and sculpted arms.
We had caught up earlier with some small talk so I knew the basics of what she and Tommy had been up to over the years. Now she sat between us, sipping her chardonnay, and wanted to know more about what we had been up to.
"Kinda slumming over here with us, aren't you?" Dave joked.
"Yeah," I added. "I'm not sure we can keep up with the tall tales flying around over there."
""Let's just say I've heard the tales a time or two," Christi replied. "Besides, mark my words, Tommy will flame out and head to our room after another drink or two."
"Well he's been going hard," I said. "It's not easy being popular."
"He's in his element," Dave added.
The three watched as "The Burner" and several of our former classmates and teammates knocked back another round of shots, followed by more laughs and a call for the cocktail waitress. "You watch..." Christi reiterated.
Dave's wife returned from the lady's room and stole him away to hit the dance floor leaving Christi and I alone at the table. We rehashed some old school memories for a few minutes before she took on a more serious tone. She glanced over had her husband who remained oblivious to her whereabouts across the way. Then she said, "I was just thinking about you recently."
"Really?" I was surprised given that we were never real close although we were part of the same group of friends in high school.
"You remember that party, where you pulled Tommy off of me by the hair?"
"Yeah, I do." I remembered alright. They had been on a couch together and then started arguing. Tommy got loud and threatening, something I'd never seen in him, and he pushed her over and pinned her down on the couch. I thought he was going to hit her and I just reacted. "He was pissed."
"At me or you?"
"Both." I laughed at the memory now. Tommy had come off the floor and was ready to charge when he realized it was me and I was calling for him to chill. He left the party that night in a huff but it was soon forgotten, chalked up to booze and stupidity. Christi looked me in the eyes and she was not smiling.
"I thought about that night because Tommy had never been like that before nor since. Until the other day."
"Wait..."I replied, noting her seriousness. "Is he abusive to you?"
"No, not physically." She took a big sip from her wine. "It's more of a passive-aggressive thing with him."
"Are you guys okay? I mean, you seemed fine together earlier."
"He's had affairs...I know it." She stared into her wine glass in silence as I processed what she was saying.
"Damn, I'm sorry to hear that." Seconds later I took a slap to the back." I turned and there stood Tommy, swaying like a tall tree in a stiff breeze.
"Well kids..." he bellowed.
"Well?" I asked.
"Gotta get my beauty rest. I'm headed up hun," he said to Christi. "Can't hoot with the owls if were gonna soar with the eagles!"
I wasn't sure what eagles he was referring to but Christi replied, "I'll be up soon."