“Travis Franklin!” She squealed. “What…is this you?”
“Yes, it’s me in flesh and blood.”
They both burst into laughter.
“What are you doing here?” He asked, giving her a once over.
“I came to get my dad’s prescriptions from the pharmacy.”
“You too, what are you doing here?”
“I came to get some yarn,” she looked back at Melissa’s shop.
“It’s good to see you again!” He gave her a half hug.
“Yes, it’s good to see you again,” Tasha said with a smile as they pulled apart.
“How many years has it been now?” Travis asked as both of them leaned against her car.
“I’m sure we last saw each other five years ago at our twentieth reunion, right?”
“Yeah, I think you.”
“Wow!” He said. “You haven’t changed a bit! You are still as beautiful as ever, Tash.”
“I can say the same thing about you too,” she grinned. He was so handsome. Though he’d added some weight, he was still very good-looking.
“You are in town for the summer, right?” Tasha asked, looking up into his eyes fondly.
“Yes, something like that,” he put a hand on his waist. “I left Seattle seven months ago. I needed a break from the hustle and bustle of Seattle life after my divorce.”
“Oh, no.” It surprised her to hear about his divorce. “I’m so sorry about your divorce.”
“Well,” he shrugged. “Life happens.”
“What are you doing now…?” She shrugged, “as per work?”
Travis was a high-flying lawyer back in Seattle. He was hoping to make a senior partner before his life turned upside down when his wife of nine years sued for divorce.
“I took up a teaching job at the nearby Catholic College. I now teach in their law department until I return to Seattle later in the year.”
“Wow,” she smiled. “That is fantastic. We are now colleagues.”
“I know,” he agreed. “Do you mind if we go for a drink?” Travis raised his hand to check for the time on his wristwatch. “I can still spare forty minutes before I have to return to the office.”
“Sure,” she checked her wristwatch too. “I have some time, though I’m supposed to visit my grandma. But I can go later.”
“Good,” he said.
They walked down to the cafe a few shops away and found a table for two.
“How have you been?” Travis asked as soon as they had their seats. “And your boy, too?”
“My boy and I are doing fine,” she told him as a waiter came over to hand them the menu.
“I will have French hot chocolate and a chicken club sandwich.” Tasha looked up at the waiter and passed the menu to Travis.
He took it and returned it to the young waiter. “I will have the same thing as the lady.”
“Are you going to be around all summer?” The look of longing on his face was so intense.
“No,” nostalgia stabbed at her heart, and she quickly looked away. “I actually came to drop my son off and to attend Rachel and Terry’s wedding. I will return to Berkeley on Sunday or Monday. I have a lot of work planned out for the summer.”
They both stopped talking, watching as the young girl set out their drinks and sandwiches.
“I must say, some of us are lucky then,” he said jokingly when the girl left.
“You can say that again.” Tasha picked up her drink and took a long sip.
“Are you coming to the party tomorrow evening?” Travis eyed her, biting into his sandwich.
“Yeah, I should come,” she replied.
“Do you mind if we go together?” He asked, looking intently into her eyes.
She wanted to say no at first, but she changed her mind and said it was okay.
He smiled and nodded wordlessly.
Tasha wondered if he was thinking about the relationship they never had back in senior high. He came to join them in Sandville High in their senior year when his father was transferred to the little town as the new sheriff. They hit it off instantly as friends and before long, they began to develop deep feelings for each other. Then a year later, he acted on it one night by kissing her passionately at the cinema.
Tasha couldn’t sleep properly that night. She was running the kissing episode over and over in her mind. But he dashed her hope when a new girl, Sydney, joined them. The daughter of a new doctor. She got so close to her and Travis, and before Tasha knew what was happening, Sydney lured him away.
“Why didn’t you marry Sydney after everything?” Tasha asked the question that had been at the back of her mind for years.
“Sydney…” Travis dropped his drink back on the table. “I think life just happened to us.” He shrugged. “You know she got into college before me. I had a gap year. By the time I joined her in UCLA, Los Angeles, it was so apparent that we had grown apart.”
Tasha didn’t say anything. Silence stretched between them for a long while until he spoke again.
“I’m very sorry I allowed Sydney to destroy what we had.” he lowered his lashes in shame and regret. “My mom never stopped telling me until she died how foolish I was to allow that to happen.”
“It’s okay,” she reached out and squeezed his hand over the table. “It is what it is. If it’s any consolation, I don’t think about it anymore.” She admitted truthfully.
That seemed to change the atmosphere. They did a little more, catching until Tasha had to return to the recreation center to pick up Tyson and Kel. He collected her cell phone number, and they agreed that he would pick her up at sixty pm the following day.
“It’s so great to spend some time with you today,” he said as they got back to where she parked her car.
She just chuckled.
He moved forward, closer, and before she could brace herself, his arms encircled her, his wide, hard chest pressed against her cheek and his scent wrapped around her.
Travis momentarily got back to his senses and moved away with an embarrassed smile.
“I will be waiting for you tomorrow,” Tasha said and opened her car door. She hurriedly got inside and drove away.