Crazy Love

Untitled Part 1

When the phone rang on a random Tuesday morning, I didn't think much of it. I was between jobs and had been putting in resumes everywhere that would accept one. I was barely paying attention to some random morning show on television, when my cell started going off in the kitchen. I had no idea who it was, but hoping it was a job offer of some kind. Who would have thought finding work as a bartender would be so hard?

I answered with a cheery hello, and the voice that responded wasn't one I recognized, BUT lo and behold, it was a job offer! They were a new upstart bartending company that wanted experienced mixologists to run "shot booths" for catered events. The details of the job sounded great, and the guy asked if I would like to come in for a face to face interview with one of the bosses, Tessa. I agreed and we set a date and time. All that was left was to brush off my shot skills and figure out what to wear to this interview.

When the big day came, my nerves were all over the place. I had tried to do a little research on the company, but because they were still so new, there wasn't much about them. So, I headed out with high hopes that I could get in on the ground floor of something great. Never in my life did I think that this job would lead me back to revisit one of the biggest regrets of my life. That realization didn't come until I had accepted the job offer and started my first day of work.

Two weeks after a very successful interview with Tessa, I showed up at their warehouse, to get my uniform and schedule. I was introduced around to the other bartenders, runners and staff. Everyone was very welcoming and friendly, and I was excited to get started. Tessa showed me where everything was... stockroom, supplies, and the appointment book. As we weaved our way through the building, I thought I heard a voice that I knew very well and hadn't heard in years. As we got closer to the main office, I kept telling myself it was impossible; no way could that be HIS voice. Tessa opened the door, she smiled and nearly skipped into the office, and straight into the arms of the man whose voice I thought I had heard... my ex boyfriend, Jensen.

I stood in the doorway in complete shock as he turned around and embraced Tessa. He hadn't noticed me yet, and all I wanted to do was run and hide. I hadn't seen Jensen for nearly three years and the sight of him brought back a million memories of the time we had together. It was when he was working in Vancouver, and I had gone up there for a vacation with girlfriends. It was a whirlwind kind of romance, and when the vacation ended, we tried for months to keep it going. After a year, the distance wore on us and we parted ways. It was something I had always regretted, and not because he was a big celebrity, but because no man had ever made me feel quite like he had.

He spotted me before I had the chance to leave. I watched his face go from smiling and happy to shocked and nervous. He blinked a few times as if he was trying to believe that it was me standing in his office. Tessa saw his confusion and turned to me. As she introduced us, I noticed a strange expression on her face but had no idea what it could mean.

"Oh, wait..." she said and feigned a moment of clarity. "You two do know each other, don't you?"

She looked back and forth between us, waiting for one of us to admit she was correct. I nodded, and forced a smile. Taking a few steps towards them, I extended my hand in a greeting and tried to be as professional as I could be.

"Yes, it's been a long time though. I didn't realize this was your business, Jensen."

He fumbled on his words, but eventually shook my hand and nodded.

"Uh, yeah, we just launched it about a month ago. How have you been?"

"Not bad, just plugging away," I said, feeling like those few simple words sucked the air from the room.

"Good, glad to hear it," he said and turned back to Tessa. "So where did you find this one? Last I heard you were slinging beers out in the Dallas/Fort Worth area."