Running into her... (EDITED)
Another pub, another gig but the applause after my final set was the same. Singing in Tight, where it all started a few years ago was always a different feel. As I got down the stage, every other person complimented me -- "Thank's", "Loved it", "Too good". And in that crowd, I saw a face, I saw her -- the girl I loved -- after 4 years of last talking to her, almost 6 years after last seeing her in person.
Like every other guy's first love, mine too was a stereotypical story -- friends, falling in one-sided love, emotional attachment, fuck ups, and then eventually growing two worlds apart. But it was something else with her while we were on good terms. Now it was a vacuum of sorts. Not fully though.
The tiny place that Tight was, I did not realize how or when did we end up within talking distance of each other. She was with her husband and a group of perhaps 15-20 people. The husband, who was her boyfriend at one point (whom I hated to the core) formally complimented me for the gig. But I was brain-frozen seeing her and I warded him off with a "Thanks". Obviously, he knew about me since before and luckily he got busy with his other friends letting me catch up with her.
She looked just the same. Slim and fit as she always was. A hot body (which she always wanted) I wouldn't want to get my hands off. She was wearing an LBD which showed off her perfectly shaped body, her curves and her toned legs in full glory. It also gave away a hint of cleavage. But along with that I couldn't get my eyes off her face. Her eyes speaking to me, that she was so happy to see me -- a relief of sorts. I would always get smitten by her eyes -- wanting to hold her face in my hands and kiss her all over it.
But sticking to the reality, I restricted myself to some small talks and soon slipped away to another table for a few rounds of beer -- and who knows what else I would require to normalize myself from this sudden blast from the past. As I had my fourth beer, the tipsiness crept in. I could figure her group was scattered by now and she -- for some reason -- wasn't with her husband.
Spotting me hovering my eyes around, she joined me on the high table with her drink. She too was a bit tipsy but was in a decent state to talk. We started talking a bit more about each other -- how had life been over these years, how had we caught up with things, etc. But the awkwardness was pretty clear -- and why wouldn't it be. Four years of burning bridges without peaceful goodbyes, words left unspoken, and emotions left unexpressed; it had to be let out.
"So...you've not been serious with anyone all this while?" she asked.
"Nope. Had a few flings, but nothing serious as such.", as I sipped my beer.
"Why not?"