Reigniting [FICTION]

I keep dreaming about him. We dated for a week in high school. We broke up because he found me too boring with my nose always buried in a book, and I couldn’t keep up with him and those long legs that loved cross-country. A couple of weeks later, my ex husband moved to town and I never thought of Theo again. 

Until this past week when he entered my dreams. I recognized him by his dark, piercing eyes because his dark curls had given way to baldness. I woke up the next morning laughing at the thought that he could change so much and still be so handsome. I tried looking him up on social media, like casual stalkers do these days. His profile picture featured a cartoon stick figure running fast. The rest of his page featured memes and comics, nothing personal, nothing to give a clue where life has taken him.

A couple of nights later, he enters my dreams again. The next morning, I search for his phone number. If he is on my mind this much, I should check on him. That logic gives me the courage to give him a call.

“Hello?” My stomach flutters as the deep timbre of his voice resonates from my phone.

“Hi. This is Jane…”

“Jane McIntyre? From high school?” His voice raises in excitement or am I imagining that?

“Yes.”

“Are you on the reunion committee?”

“No.”

“Good. They always try to enlist me to help since I am one of the few graduates who didn’t flee from this tiny town. What did you need then?”

“I just wanted to catch up…” I let the invitation hang between us, holding my breath hopefully.

“Then we should meet up. How about the pub on Elm? We could grab some lunch.”

I took a beat before agreeing to the suggestion. As the clock read eleven, I rushed to make myself presentable but not too presentable. I didn’t want Theo to think I had any expectations. After all, he might be married or a priest for all I could glean from my brief bouts of research. Despite my ministrations to my appearance, I arrive at the pub twenty minutes early. I sit at the bar and order a root beer float to calm my nerves. The bartender laughs but brings my drink to me quickly.

I am taking my third tentative sip when Theo enters the room. I recognize him immediately. He looks exactly as he has in my dreams with dark penetrating eyes and not a single hair upon his head. My heart stops as I take in his outfit. Suddenly, my casual button down and flared slacks seem inappropriate. His dark tuxedo marks him as out of place in this dimly lit pub. He fiddles with his bowtie as his eyes scan the room.

Then those eyes rest on me and he smiles. His long legs carry him swiftly toward me, as if he must resist the innate desire to run that got drilled into him in high school.

“Jane, it’s wonderful to see you. You look good.”

“And yet I feel underdressed,” I quip.

He looks down at his clothing in confusion for a moment before offering an embarrassed explanation. “I’m supposed to be getting married today, but you called, and I had to see you.”

“I had no idea.” I stammer. “We can catch up later…with your wife.”

“But she might not be my wife. I mean, I always wondered…”

His moment of silence makes me nervous, so I ask, “Wondered what?”

“What would have happened if I hadn’t been stupid. My friends said we weren’t the right fit, and I let them decide. That’s why I broke up with you. Then you married the weasel…er…Wesley.” 

I stare at him, stunned. When I finally find words, I ask. “You called Wesley…the weasel?”

“That’s what you got from what I just said.” The animation leaves his face and his lips turn downward.

“I got some other things, but I don’t know what to say about them. Did everyone call Wes a weasel?”

“Not everyone. Just all the guys from his gym class. He always tried to weasel his way out of gym, so he could go looking for you in the library.”

“No. He just needed help with his homework. I just happened to have library media at the same time he came in for tutoring.”

“Right.” He rolled his eyes.

“If it bothered you so much, why didn’t you say something?”

“I already admitted I was stupid, do you have to rub it in?”

I gnaw my lower lip and survey his attire again. “I am not sure you have gotten smarter.”

Now he looks like he is about to burst into tears. He doesn’t speak just turns sad eyes on me imploringly.

“You are supposed to be getting married but you came to meet me. We haven’t seen each other in years.”

“And yet when I dream about you, you look like you do now.”

“Well, I have a picture of myself on my social media.” I bite my tongue, realizing my mistake and hoping he doesn’t.

“And you saw that I don’t? So you were looking at my page.”

I don’t answer.

“Why?” When I remain silent, he follows with another question. “Were you having the dreams, too.”

I feel the flush creeping up my neck to my face. I try to think of anything but the question to stop red from infusing my cheeks, but I fail. 

“I thought I just had cold feet.” Now he takes me hands. “Maybe it is something more.”

I am still fighting the urge to squeeze his hands and not let go when the door opens again. This time a loud bang turns all eyes toward the person entering. She glares in our general direction and I have no doubt who she is. I look from the woman in the flowing white dress to Theo with wide eyes. He turns his head to see what I am looking at.

“Mary,” he gasps, gripping my hands tighter.

“We need to talk.” She declares loudly as she swishes over to us. “I thought something was wrong, but I never expected to find you with another woman.”

“You don’t understand…”

She raises her hand, all but slapping him in the face with it to stop him from speaking. “I don’t want to hear excuses. I’m getting married today, Theo. Since you seem to have other plans, I am accepting your brother’s offer.”

“My brother? What?”

“We spent a lot of time planning this wedding while you got the track team ready for the meet. I thought I was just charmed by his hair, but now I am thinking it was the fact that he didn’t keep any secrets from me. He offered to marry me. I thought it was a joke, but maybe he knew about this.” She gestures at us, her blue eyes resting on our joined hands.

“Now wait a minute.” I protest, trying unsuccessfully to reclaim my hands. “We haven’t seen each other in fifteen years.”

“Don’t worry, honey. I’m not mad at you. I’m glad you lured him away before I made the mistake of marrying him.” She slips her engagement ring from her finger and hands it to Theo. “You better keep this. Hope it fits her finger…if she’ll have you.”

Mary lifts her skirt and twirls away from us. As she reaches the door, it opens again, revealing a younger version of Theo who does indeed still have a thick mat of dark curls falling into his eyes.

“Mary, did you find him?” His eyes look past her long enough to give Theo a quizzical look. 

Then his attention returns to her. She leans in to whisper something to him. He looks sympathetic and then ecstatic as she speaks. He offers her his elbow and holds the door open as they leave together.

“I guess that should relieve some of my guilt,” Theo says though he looks like he is battling indigestion.

“This is too much for me.” I say at last. “Maybe we can try to catch up in a couple of weeks after we both have time to process.”

“That’s probably best.” He says, moving to the other end of the bar and facing away from me as he orders a drink.

I go back to drinking my float, taking an occasional surreptitious glance at Theo. He really does look like he did in my dreams. Maybe he is right, but this day has already been too much. I am going to need to do a lot of thinking over the next couple of weeks.

~~Ah. The fun of coincidences. Hope you enjoyed this one.~~