The Allure of Love

Chapter 6

A tense silence stretched between Anastasia and Jack as they processed the topic of her college reunion invitation. She could practically see the walls going up behind Jack's eyes at even the notion of revisiting the past.

"Come on, babe," he said at last with a dismissive chuckle, reaching over to squeeze her knee. "You can't seriously be considering hauling us all the way back to Central State, of all places? Reliving the cafeteria hangover cures and crammed dorm living?"

Anastasia pursed her lips, reining in her simmering irritation. She knew Jack's semi-nomadic upbringing from military family to family had caused him to develop a fierce aversion to any shades of conventionality or routine. But surely he could open his mind a smidge to experiencing her beloved alma mater again, if only for a whirlwind weekend? It wasn't like she was asking to move back to the Midwest and settle down into the suburbs tomorrow.

"It's just a reunion, Jack. A chance to catch up with some friends and walk around old stomping grounds," she said, keeping her tone light but resolute. "We could make a little travel weekend out of it, do some hiking in the state parks nearby to break up the nostalgia overload."

Truthfully, revisiting Central State did dredge up a complex storm of emotions for Anastasia. Some of her most cherished college memories were inextricably linked to Chris - late night cram sessions at the dusty library, raucous house parties where she nursed secret crushes from across the room as he played drinking games with his buddies, receiving her diploma as he beamed from the crowd with tears of pride. Even now, those lush arboretum paths they had wandered writing poetry for their creative writing course together felt emblazoned into her psyche.

And yet, for all those pangs of nostalgic bittersweetness over her dashed hopes with Chris, Anastasia still felt a deep yearning to revisit that sense of community and home CSU had represented for her formative years. As much as she cherished her thrilling globetrotting adventures with Jack, there was still that little girl inside her that dreamed of building more permanent roots and traditions to pass down. At least visiting alma mater for a single weekend could sate that itch for reconnecting to her past self and soul-nurturing rituals...right?

"Well I suppose if we build in plenty of hiking time in between your student regressive behavior, I could be convinced to make a cameo, if you insist," Jack said with an exaggerated put-upon sigh, already making it clear he would not be the reunion's biggest supporter.

Anastasia shot him a look but couldn't help laughing at his put-on antics as his scruffy face contorted into a signature pout. Batting her eyelashes in faux-innocence, she crooned, "Why, kind sir, it would mean the world to this little small-town rube if you'd grace the proceedings with your distinguished worldly presence."

Jack rolled his eyes at her teasing drawl, finally letting a grudging smile crack across his lips as he tackled her backwards onto the cushions in a fit of giggles and breathless kisses. As his cheeky laughter rumbled against the sensitive skin of her neck between nips, Anastasia felt that lingering tension seep from her shoulders once more. Maybe if she could get Jack's full buy-in for this reunion weekend, he would actually allow himself to get charmed by her sentimental collegiate roots. It would be a new adventure all its own - an opportunity to peel back another layer of Anastasia's intriguing past that Jack had yet to fully unearth. If she could captivate his notorious sense of wanderlust and appetite for novelty with this weekend getaway...anything was possible.

Still, a quiet yearning fluttered in the back of her mind. As much as she adored Jack's free-spirited zeal for life and ability to keep her on her toes, Anastasia knew a part of her still craved the comfort and stability that someone like Chris embodied...

As the next couple of months crept closer to the Memorial Day reunion weekend, Anastasia couldn't shake recurring pangs of unease mingled with jittery anticipation. While Jack paid the obligatory lipservice to the scheduling, grumbling about missing out on Bhutan's infamous wild mushroom festival and acting like Alumni Weekend at CSU was the most torturous scenario imaginable, she knew the thought of seeing her inner circle of college friends again filled her with an odd sense of trepidation.

Though she had fallen out of touch with most of the old gang in recent years, too preoccupied with climbing the corporate marketing ladder and then becoming swept up in Jack's whirlwind courtship, there were a few key people Anastasia felt tight pangs over at the thought of reuniting with on campus.

Her former roomie from sophomore and junior year, Kate, for one - could she avoid the awkwardness sure to arise from her dramatic third year move across the hall to live with Chris? Not to mention keeping her now very tangled romantic storylines on the downlow to avoid a total rumor massacre? Kate had been one of her closest confidantes back in the day about her long simmering crush on Chris and all the angst that came with it. Surely her old friend would be able to instantly sniff out the lingering chemistry and wounds there, no matter how much healthy airs Anastasia tried to put on for a mere weekend.