When We Were Young

Unexpected

The bar was crowded. It was a Thursday night in early spring and every person in the city, including me, was restless to get outside. The March bitterness had finally disappeared and now mid-April, the sun was around most of the day and kept everyone warm until the evening. After sundown, most had a few too many drinks and wouldn't care if it started to snow.

I tried to avoid having a few too many, especially when out with my work colleagues. My father told me never to get drunk with those you work alongside and I listened to him. My colleagues drank enough for me anyway.

"If you wear that tie one more time," Nate teased, flipping the tie up into my face.

"I like this tie," I said. "My mum gave it to me." I tugged the tie, pink with green polka dots, back into its proper place. I ran my fingers through my hair and tried to let the stress of the week disappear.

"So what do we think about our options tonight?" Nate clapped his hands together, eying the crowd.

I took a deep drink of beer and just shrugged. I wasn't like Nate; I usually let him talk to the girls first and then I would join in as the friend.

"Come on," Nate urged. "When was the last..."

"Ah, ah, ah," I shook my head. "Don't you dare ask me that and go on and on about how this is New York City and I could have any girl I want," I said. "Besides, I'm only here for a few pints."

Nate laughed and slapped my shoulder. "Well, it's true. You're too picky."

"I call it being selective," I said. Nate was partially right. I was picky, and it was February when I had last been with a girl. I tried to blame the fact that I was too busy with work and preparing for law school, but there was always time for sex. It was a one-night stand with a friend of the girl Nate hooked up. I don't even remember her name and barely remember the sex.

What I do remember is that I woke up to the girl's cat sitting on my chest and I had broken out in hives.

I glanced back up at the television. I still didn't understand American sports. I watched football, European football. I definitely didn't get guys skating around chasing after a puck.

The red light went on behind the net and cheers erupted from the corner of the bar, at a table tucked away from the crowds. I leaned forward, past those hovering around the bar, so I could see who was cheering.

I had to blink a few times to see if it was really her but it was. There was no mistaking. I stared as she gave her friends at the table all high-fives. Skylar was laughing and smiling as if she was the one who had just scored. It is amazing to catch someone in complete elation when they don't realize someone else is watching. The look on her face was utter joy.

She was with three girls and two guys but I couldn't remember what the guy she had been with at the fundraiser looked like, so I didn't know if he was there. Skylar wasn't dressed like everyone else. They all wore business clothes, suits and such, while she wore a light green jumper. They looked a little bit older than her, but maybe it was just because of how she was dressed. Her hair looked gold and fell long and straight over her shoulders this time. Her bronzed skin gave the impression she just returned from an island holiday.

I took a step back to see her better when some guys blocked my view, and I backed into Nate.

"Who are you looking at?" he asked, and followed my gaze.

Inside, I groaned. The last thing I wanted was for Nate to get involved. The group blocking my view moved aside and I got caught staring directly at her. Her eyes were bright, and wide.

She was smiling or laughing. It was hard to say if she recognized me. Her stare didn't waiver as I continued to look at her. My chest tightened and I felt short of breath. She pursed her lips together, perfectly shaped and pink, and crookedly grinned. I half-laughed out loud.

"That girl is out of your league," Nate said but his voice was far removed, down a tunnel. "Move on."

I instinctively glanced at him. When I turned to look back at her, she was paying attention to the game again.

"Out of my league? How so?" So apparently, Nate hadn't recognized her.

Nate looked at me like I was crazy. "That chick is like ten years older than you." He shook his head and guzzled his beer.

I doubted he was sober enough to make a judgment call like that but I looked at her and couldn't see what Nate was talking about. She looked about the same age as Nate and he was twenty-eight. "Nah, you're wrong."

"No way! I'm dead right. Go ask her."

I laughed. "There is no way I'm going to ask a woman how old she is," I said much too loud. A few girls around us gave me a curious look. "Right, that's rude?" I asked rhetorically.

The girls glanced at each other then turned back around to look at their phones. I wondered why they were even out if they were just going to look at their phones all night.

I frowned and looked at Nate. "Okay, maybe she is a little older. But so what?"

"AJ, man, she's trouble. That's all I'm going to say," he sighed. Nate held up his hand to get the bartender's attention. "Older women like her," he continued and took out his credit card, tossing it on the bar, "they just want some rich guy to get them pregnant. That's why they come to bars like this," he announced.

The two girls nearby turned around and shot Nate a nasty look. I laughed. "That's brilliant, Nate. Fucking, brilliant."

I resumed staring at the TV to try and figure out what was going on in the game while ignoring Nate and the girls he started to talk to. I stayed at the bar much longer than I planned because I couldn't stop looking back to Skylar. I debated whether or not I should approach her and remind her that we met last fall.

Of course, I rehearsed the conversation in my head over and over. I would say, "I'm Albert. We met at the fundraiser..."

She would say, "Are you stalking me?"

No, she wouldn't do that. But she could say, "I have a boyfriend. I know you saw us at the fundraiser so why are you stalking me?"

I shook my head. Surely she wouldn't say that. Maybe she would say, "Albert, I remember you! I dumped my boyfriend and have been searching the city for you for the last five months."

I laughed to myself. She would definitely not say that. "Albert, you're fucking losing your mind," I mumbled.

Our eyes met again and we both looked quickly away. It was like being in school again and neither of us knew how to flirt properly. But when we caught each other's glance again, her friend waved me over to the table.

Skylar dipped her head low, her cheeks turning crimson even beneath the tan. She mumbled something to her friend who patted her shoulder in a comforting way and kissed her cheek.

I took a deep breath and put my empty glass on the bar. "I'll be back," I muttered to Nate who barely glanced up, as I made my way over to Skylar.