Sweet Infatuation 2
Time heals all wounds, even the most painful. I tried to shake the feelings of loss when a good friend, ex-lover, died tragically but it was only the passing of time that allowed me to move on. Initially I tried to immerse myself in college and part time work to fill the empty hours and coupled with occasional lovers, it seemed to work...for a while. The weekends were the worst since my sleep pattern was erratic and when I did not have something to occupy my mind I would toss and turn, eventually lying awake in the darkness, alone with my thoughts for hours. Memories can be good companions, but certain memories are like demons that haunt you and take over your being. I looked for an exorcism to purge these unwanted spirits but never seemed to find the right magic.
It was during one of these low periods that I received a surprise phone call from an old friend, someone who I had not seen in over two years. Gary was part of a small group of people that filled the summer nights several years back but was a friend of a friend and never really part of my inner circle. I had a brief fling with his close friend, Jimmy, a couple of years ago but that was the extent of our closest connection. Gary was a nice guy and I liked him personally but I never considered him when I needed support after Jimmy died, believing that his loss was greater than mine.
Gary called one night saying that he thought of me out of the blue and he took the stray thought as an omen that should not be ignored. He wondered how I was doing and eventually asked if I ever thought about the days when we rode around together. I told him that I try not to dwell on the past since parts of it are too painful even now but, strangely enough, lately I had been thinking about the fun that we had together and how much I missed those days. He understood and shared similar sentiments.
After we spoke for a while the conversation got easier and we chatted quite amicably. Before we ended the call Gary said that it would be nice to see me again if I was up to meeting him for dinner one night. It felt good talking to him so I lightheartedly asked if he was asking me on a date and if he was, I accept. We laughed and set our meeting for the following Friday evening at one of the local haunts that served good food and had a pleasant, lively atmosphere. I hung up feeling good and slept very well that night.
When Friday came I was in very good spirits and was looking forward to seeing Gary again. I thought about our mutual friends and wondered if he changed much in the time that passed. I also considered that he must be wondering the same about me and this brought a smile to my face.
I arrived at the restaurant several minutes late, fashionably late but theoretically on time, and found Gary sitting at the table awaiting my arrival. He rose to greet me and gave me a kiss on the cheek in lieu of a traditional handshake, something that was clearly comfortable for both of us.
Gary looked very handsome in freshly pressed pants and a polo shirt that showed off his physique. He was hard and fit but did not seem to be as bulky as he once was so he obviously was taking good care of himself but not pushing himself with bodybuilding anymore. I liked the way he looked and unfortunately did not hide my thoughts very well. Gary gave me a big grin of acknowledgment and said, "You look fantastic. It is so nice to see you, it has been too long."
I returned his smile and commented on the changes that I noticed. I said that he was so much more handsome now with his new look and asked what inspired him to go in this direction. Was it someone special in his life or something else? He laughed and said that it was something much more practical. We ordered drinks and he continued.
