Past Lovers

Past Lovers. 4

Every day became a never-ending struggle . . . more of a struggle than ever before. The pressure was getting to me, with the possibility of messing this up. One step out of line, and it would all be over, for real this time. I resisted the urge to call her five times a day. Instead of spending my nights waiting at the Neon Lights Bar, I spent my nights waiting patiently by the phone. 

Eleven days after our coincidental meeting, she called. I waited for the phone to ring at least twice before answering. 

"Hello?"

"Chase, hey, it's Hayden," she said as if I didn't already know who it was. 

Just hearing her name made my stomach flip. "Hi, how are you?" 

"I'm good, I'm just about to leave the office," she crackled. "I was wondering . . . would you like to meet me for drinks?"

"Sure!" I exclaimed without a beat. I pulled back a little and told myself to stay cool. "I mean . . . where should we go?"

I could hear her clicking her tongue as she pondered with locations. "God, it's been so long since I've gone out drinking . . . I'm stumped. Do you have a place in mind?"

My lips curled into a goofy grin she couldn't see. "Neon Lights Bar on Lexington. Do you know where that is?" 

"Oh I think I've been there before," she cooed. My hidden grin grew even more. "Okay, I guess I'll see you soon," she continued with forced enthusiasm. She was trying, and that's all that mattered to me.

I hung up and snapped into action mode. I combed my unruly hair and changed out of my flannel pajamas. Flying out of my apartment, I embraced the chilly streets of New York. The thought of her kept me warm.

I arrived at the bar before she did, so I took my usual seat at the counter. The familiar stingy scent of alcohol, urine, and peanuts filled my nostrils. 

"Haven't seen you around here lately," Billy casually remarked as he approached me, with a warm smile on his face. "You know, I kind of missed seeing your sorry face every night."

I smirked a little. "I missed seeing your four eyes too," I teased back.

"You look good, man," Billy lowered his voice, taking a more serious tone. "What's been going on with you lately?"

"Where do I even begin?" I stroked the stubble on my chin. "Well, I had a date with reality. You were right, Bill, I should have listened to you. I was wasting my time here all along," I explain, messing with him a little. 

"Really? Well, I'm glad you came to your senses," he answered, as he wiped down the counter with his dirty rag. 

"Yeah, I mean . . . I should have been spending my days at the Joe's Coffee Shop on 7th," I casually mentioned, anticipating Billy's reaction.

He raised his eyebrows at me, now doubting the progress he thought I had made. "What are you talking about?" 

I was about to take the joke even further when I saw Hayden walk through the doors. 

"I'd love to stay and chat, but I've got a date with destiny," I croaked, intentionally baffling him even further. "See you on the flip side, maybe . . ."

I walked away, chuckling as my back was turned to him. Hayden approached me slowly, taking her graceful time, almost teasing me. She unbuttoned her jacket as she strutted towards me, blissfully unaware of the seductive powers she had over me. 

"You made it," I spoke once she finally was beside me. "I hope you didn't get too lost."

Her eyes avoided mine, as she chose to look everywhere else in the room but at me. I knew this was hard for her, so I couldn't complain. She was willing to give me one last shot, and I wasn't going to let it go to waste.