Remember This [FICTION]

“Go ahead, Jim, ask her out. She has been grinning at you and twirling her hair for the past fifteen minutes.

“I noticed. I’m just not ready.”

“Not ready for what?” One friend asked.

“A good time,” a second responded with a suggestive wink.

“Guys, it has only been six months.”

“Marci is already engaged. Clearly, it is long enough.”

“That’s because she was ready to leave our marriage two years before I realized it.”

“Ouch.”

The table went quiet. Each member of the group found a thirst that only sipping on foamy pints of today’s special could slake. After a few minutes the awkward silence turned to mutual contemplation of the music pouring out of the speakers overhead. As they all nodded their heads in time to the upbeat country song, the girl who sparked their previous conversation stood up to leave. She graced Jim with a small pout and a finger wave as she and her friends strutted to the exit. As the door closed behind her, his friends rediscovered their voices.

“Man, how can we live through you if you don’t live.”

“That wave. You still had a chance.”

“But you just sat there…”

“Don’t worry about it, man, I think something better might have just stepped out of the past.”

Jim looked up and followed his friend’s gaze. Standing just inside the door, a tall blond stopped to toss her hair over her shoulder. Until that hair toss, his mind refused to recognize who she was. But that signature toss and those piercing grey eyes turned toward him left no doubt that the girl he crushed on and kissed on throughout his high school career stood before him in all her glory. It wasn’t that she hadn’t changed. It was that the changes had made her more captivating.

She smiled as her eyes rested on him. He got the feeling she had known he was here in this particular bar before she walked in. The feeling grew stronger, along with a few others, as she approached their table.

“Oh man,” one of his friends heaved a big sigh.

“Hello, boys,” she spared a glance for each of his three friends before honing in on Jim once more, “And hello, Jim.”

“Ummm,” he tried to smile at her, but the dumpster fire that was their breakup haunted him enough to make him worry about her intentions.

“Don’t say anything, dear. Marci and I have a message for you,” she leaned in to whisper these words directly into his ear.

Then she drew back and smiled at him before planting her lips on his. Even though years had passed since they last spoke let alone kissed, he responded immediately. As soon as he responded, she pulled away.

“See you later,” she winked and disappeared out the door quicker than she arrived.

“What the heck just happened?” Jim breathed around the echo of her lips on his.

His friends all shrugged. Then they began to look concerned.

“I don’t know what just happened but I don’t think your lips enjoyed it.”

“Huh?” Jim felt his lips and tongue tingling.

The skin grew tighter. His lungs strained. He tried to ask for help, but he couldn’t make anything work right. As he slumped to the floor, the world started to go dark.

“His epipen! Get his epipen!” Reason and memory brought this strangled cry from his friend.

He felt a tinge of gratitude before a sharp stab followed by more weird sensations. Then he passed out.

When he woke up the next morning, bright lights shone down on him from above. His friends gathered around his bed in a haggard cluster. He coughed softly and they all leaped to offer him a drink.

“Oh, thank goodness. We thought we got knocked down to a trio.”

“We told the police about your ex, man. He said he couldn’t prove malicious intent and she probably just forgot you can’t have peanuts before she had a snack.”

“Or wasn’t planning on kissing your sorry face.”

Jim coughed again to clear his throat and impart hard-one wisdom, “Don’t kiss your exes, guys. It’ll kill you.”

~~

Hope this last post of 2023 imparts wisdom and amusement to my dear readers. No matter how much you ex’s kisses may curl your toes, they are an ex for a reason. Unless they can prove a discernible change, don’t do it.

Just a reminder that next year’s posts are supposed to be part of one cohesive novel, so those of you who haven’t been enjoying the cliffhangers of my strange mind should be very excited. Those of you who love to have a quick taste of fiction before you go about your day are probably hoping I throw some of those in. Let’s all cross our fingers and get ready to face 2024 and whatever it has in store for us.