What We Could Never Be (gxg)

Part 2 - Present Day

"You've got this Blake." I said to myself, looking in the mirror. The day had come- my first big girl job interview outside of college. It wasn't for something I was incredibly interested in, but it was a start. A position for a case worker at a retirement community. I had just graduated a month ago, in May, with my degree in Social Work.
I adjusted the collar on my black button up shirt, which I had paired with gray fitted dress pants and black heeled ankle boots, and took out my ponytail one more time and put my shoulder length platinum blonde hair back up.
I was ready. I could do this.
I left my apartment and took the 8 minute drive to Floral Meadows Retirement Community- a luxury retirement complex that ranged from assisted living to full care of the residents that lived there.
When I got there the receptionist checked me in, and I waited for Janelle- the social work manager to come get me to interview.
I was nervous, but I just kept thinking- Be yourself, Blake. Just be yourself. Hopefully that was good enough.
Finally, a short woman who looked like she was in her 40's with thick, dark hair to her shoulders came out and said in a friendly voice, "Blake?"
I got up. "Yes, that's me." I walked over to her.
"Hi, I'm Janelle Haynes. It's nice to meet you." She stuck out her hand and I shook it.
"It is very nice to meet you as well." I said, and then I followed her to her office.
I believe the interview went well. I spoke on my experiences about my externships that I had done in college, and also about my plans to go back and get my Master's in social work. I told her how this was my true passion, and I just wanted to help people. She seemed to like it- enough to wind up giving me a tour of the building.
We passed by the kitchen, movie lounge, residents apartments, hair salon, business offices, and then we reached the Physical/Occupational Therapy gym.
At the entrance of the gym up on a bulletin board were pictures of all the employees who worked in the Physical/Occupational Therapy department. My gaze lingered over all the photos of the medical professionals, until my eyes landed on one.
How could I have missed it for even a second. Her light blonde hair. Those big light brown eyes that used to make my heart melt. That smile- with her shiny white teeth and even in the picture I could see that her cheeks were slightly flushed. I felt my heart start to beat faster. And my blood ran cold.
Brianna Wren, Physical Therapy Assistant was what it said under the photo. Yep- it was her.
"What do you think of the gym?" Janelle's voice brought me back to planet Earth.
"It's very nice and spacious." I said back to her, not missing a beat. I looked around the gym to see if I could spot Brianna. To my disappointment, I didn't see her among the other young people working in the gym and the older residents.
Janelle and I finished the tour of the building, and she started to walk me back to her office.
We were close to it when I saw her. Walking down the hallway- more like jogging almost. She never slowed down, did she?
It was the girl who I thought I was never going to see again in person. What happened to her joining the Army after college? Moving to California? After we broke up, I thought I would never lay eyes on Brianna Wren again. But that changed in this very moment. And everything I had come to accept over the past few years began to unravel.
She was wearing black leggings, white shoes, and a gray t-shirt that read "Floral Meadows Staff" in black bold writing in the front. She had a name tag on that was swinging as she walked. Her hair was up in a ponytail and she had a cold brew coffee in her left hand. No cream in there, just straight black coffee, her usual.
I was looking straight at her before she noticed me. And when she did look in Janelle's direction- and then mine,she stopped dead in her tracks.
We were just looking at each other in this hallway. It felt like nothing else was around me but her in that moment. I noticed her cheeks flush a light red. She finally drifted her eyes away and kept walking.
But Janelle wound up waving to her "Brianna! How are you?" She said, walking up to her. I followed in suit, my heart pounding. I honestly could not even believe this was happening.
"Hi Janelle. I am doing well, how are you?" She stopped walking again. I stood slightly behind Janelle, but was still close enough to her. This had to be some kind of crazy fever dream. She was avoiding eye contact with me. Or maybe I was with her?
"Good, sweetie. This is Blake- she is interviewing for a case manager position here." Janelle said to Brianna.
"How is the job looking for her?" Brianna threw a quick glance my way.
"Very good actually. Blake here seems like she would do a great job here." Janelle smiled at me. That's a good sign.
"Hm...I guess we will see, won't we?" Brianna glanced my way again.
I saw Janelle look back and forth between the both of us. "How about we finish the rest of the tour, dear." She said to me, "See you later, Brianna."
Brianna waved and walked away. That interaction, I hated to admit it, stung a little bit. She barely acknowledged me. Maybe I deserved it.
"She can be a bit fickle." Janelle gave me a small smile.
"I know." I almost said back to her. I knew that too well.
"But she really is a sweetheart. And the residents absolutely love her. She is great with them." Janelle continued.
For some odd reason that made my heart melt a little, thinking about her being good with the senior citizens.
"I know sometimes it can be an adjustment for people to get used to new faces." I said back to Janelle. She didn't have to know about mine and Brianna's past.
And what a past we had.