How We Met Again

Birthday Things

Emily's POV

I can't stop replaying the moment Sue and I almost kissed a couple of weeks ago in my head; her breath against my face, her hand on mine that was on her leg, our faces so close together... I couldn't stop thinking about it and to be honest, I feel really guilty. Even though we didn't actually kiss, I feel like I betrayed Mary for even thinking about it or wanting to. I really like Mary and I want things to work out between us—I've decided I'm going to focus on my actual relationship and stop this game Sue and I have going on.

Sue's been out of my life for years and now she thinks she can come back into it and sweep me back off my feet? It wasn't going to be that easy, it couldn't be that easy. Sue was with someone else over the past two and a half years, and though it was a bad one—she still stopped what we had without any real closure. We were still hooking up when we would come home for holidays, and we were still very much talking throughout the first couple of years in college. Some guy comes along and then I was nothing to her. I can't let her draw me in so quickly.

It was my birthday and we were celebrating tonight at the bar near mine and Vinnie's apartment. It was just a small group of us going out—myself, Mary, Vinnie, Sue, Jane, Austin, and an old school friend, George. I wanted to keep it lowkey and not really party—just wanted to have a nice evening with friends and maybe get a little drunk.

I looked at myself in my bedroom mirror, straightening out the outfit I chose for this evenings festivities—a white t-shirt, oversized blue and green plaid shirt atop, ripped jeans and my black boots. Casual, edgy and cute all at the same time.

Mary walked up from behind me, wrapped her arms around my waist while resting her chin on my shoulder—looking at our reflection in the mirror. I leaned back into her and smirked as her lips pressed up against my neck, placing a gentle kiss before looking back at our reflection.

"Well, don't you look pretty tonight." She flirted, squeezing her grip tighter around me.

I smiled and reached my hand back and held the back of her head while I looked at our reflection, "Thank you, baby."

I turned around and grabbed her head in my hands and kissed her, smiling against her lips. Mary made me feel special. I said I wasn't going to let Sue get between us and I'm trying to stick to my guns on this one. And like I said—Mary is a total catch and my feelings for her were real. It was just complicated because my feelings for Sue have never really gone away but I've been able to put them on the back burner these past couple of years because I had assumed I'd never see her nor talk to her again. I was trying to just remain friendly with her and be fair to all of us—myself, my girlfriend, and Sue. I'm not trying to juggle two woman—I'm a one woman gal.

Lavinia walked into my room as Mary and I pulled away from our tender kiss.

"Ready to go? Everyone's already at the bar—Sue just texted me to let me know." Vinnie said, placing her phone in her purse and looking at the two of us.

I looked at Mary and she smiled, both of us looking back at Vinnie and nodding. We gathered our things and we were on our way. The bar wasn't far from our apartment, like I said—only a few blocks away. After about ten minutes of walking, we had finally arrived at Biddy's. Vinnie, Mary and I frequented here quite often and it has become our favorite spot to just hang out and let loose.

When we walked in, it was already packed because it was a Saturday night. Over the crowd, I could see our group at a bar table in the back corner and the three of us made our way over through the waves of twenty-somethings all trying to enjoy their Saturday evening, too. One we reached the table, we were greeted with smiles and hugs from Austin, Sue, Jane and George. They had already ordered a round of drinks and there were three to spare for Mary, Vinnie and myself.