One Time Thing [Wattys 2021 Shortlist] ✔️

Chapter 8: It's getting complicated

XANDER

"Oh." Was all Xander was able to say when his eyes met Mia's in his living room, in an exquisite white dress. For a moment, he wasn't sure if last night even happened, or if it was some weird premonition dream.

Disbelief crossed Mia's face, but she composed herself so quickly that Xander thought he imagined the spark in her eye, the missed heartbeat so clearly written over her face.

"Hi," she walked over to him, offering her hand, "I'm Mia."

He took her hand, the sweat on their palms plain evidence of discomfort and awkwardness. Millions of questions swarmed in his head. 'How the fuck,' was the loudest of them all.

"Xander." Every nerve in his body yelled for him to gather himself and so he did. He put a fake smile on his face and proceeded to meet Mia's boyfriend.

"Jeff."

"Xander."

His heart hammered in his chest while he led them to the table. Maryann called her other friends inside to eat, but Xander heard none of that. The need to run and hide, just so he can loudly express his emotions, washed over him.

"I'm gonna get more wine." He said.

"I'm gonna help." Mia said immediately, which earned them a couple of weird stares. Xander gladly walked over to the kitchen with her, so, so grateful that Annie forbade him to tear down the wall between it and the living room.

"What the fuck?!" He hissed under his breath once they were both out of sight.

"I don't know, I don't know, I don't know." Mia repeated quickly in a row, going through her hair with both of her hands. "You told me her name is Annie!"

"It's short for Maryann! How come you didn't make the connection?"

"I don't know, because we used to call her Virgin Mary in high school!"

Xander chuckled, but then he remembered their current situation.

"Oh, this is bad." He leaned onto the counter, trying to calm his rapid heartbeat. "We pretend we've never met."

"Of course we pretend we've never met! Gosh, how come you didn't make the connection? I'm at your house. Don't you know people that are about to visit your house? At least their names?" Mia was fuming now, her eyes were all glossy and her face red.

"No, actually." Xander pushed himself off the counter.

"Get the wine. Let's get through this evening." Mia opened a couple of cupboards, not bothering to ask where the glasses were, or for permission. Xander stared at her while she did it.

"You're so fucking beautiful." He said, completely unable to help himself. "I don't know why I didn't say it last night. That's what I should've done, just spent the entire night telling you how unbelievably gorgeous you are."

"Shut up and tell me where are the wine glasses." This time, when she looked at him, her eyes were glossy with the unshed tears.

"Mia, hey, Mia." He tried walking over to her, but she stopped him with his hand. "Listen, it's okay. Come on, nothing happened. Let's get through this, okay?"

"It's fine. I'm okay." Just like that, those tears were gone and she took the wine, leaving Xander alone to find the glasses.

It was hard for him to believe that she was actually here. Of course something like that would happen, of course she couldn't have just disappeared from his life.

He spent another few moments in the kitchen, calming his nerves with a glass of whiskey. Everything was under control, he tried convincing himself. When Annie later asked, he would say he didn't really her friend from high school and they wouldn't hang out with them. Mia would probably say the same thing to her boyfriend and they would never have to see each other again.