As soon as Dawson got off the phone with Pacey and Joey, he buzzed his secretary.

"Linda?"

"Yes Mr. Leery?"

"What time is my dinner with that journalist tonight?"

"7:30"

"Great, I better get going."

"Yes sir, have a good evening."

"You too Linda."

Dawson pushed himself up from behind his desk and looked at his watch. 5:45. He decided to make a quick stop at the gym before going home to take a shower.

Gretchen sighed. She had been daydreaming again. She seemed to be doing that a lot lately. She mulled over how her life had changed since she had left college to go back to Capeside. She had fallen in love, truly, head-over-heels in love, with an 18 year old. He had been perfect, in all aspects of the word. But no matter how well they fit, like two puzzle pieces in a puzzle, they had been going in two different directions at the time. She finally had to end it, breaking both their hearts. Since then, she had graduated from college and was now working as a journalist in L.A.

But she had never forgotten him. No, she thought, and I don't think I ever will. No one would ever love her more than Dawson had, and she didn't think she could devote her whole mind, body, and soul to anyone like she did to him. In fact, she hadn't had a serious relationship since him. Sure, she had had flings, but Dawson had spoiled her, had shown her that she was special. She was jolted out of her reminiscing by the ringing of the phone.

"Gretchen Witter"

"Gretchen, its Maria. I wanted to remind you about your dinner interview tonight at 7:30."

"Oh, shoot." She looked down at her watch.

"I better hurry, or I'm going to be late."

She hung up and walked down to her wrangler, stopping for a second to remember a certain senior ditch-day trip, riding in a wrangler very similar.
Dawson was a few minutes early. After being seated, he glanced around at the other people in the restaurant. Most of them were couples, old and young, laughing and talking. He missed having someone to hold hands with over the table, someone to kiss, someone to be all his own.
Gretchen walked into the restaurant and cursed herself for being late. A good journalist is always on time.

Oh well, she thought, at least I'll be able to get a good look at the guy before I have to eat dinner with him.

After giving her name, the head waiter led her to a table in the corner where a man with sandy blonde hair had his back to her.

Not bad…he's pretty cute, I'd go so far as to say hot…and he's about my age. He's…

"Dawson!"

The young man turned around at the sound of his name and the voice that said it.

"Gretchen?"

"Oh my gosh!"

"I can't believe it's you! I haven't seen you since…"

"Graduation week"

"That's right! My god Gretchen, you look great! If it's possible, even more beautiful than you were 7 years ago."

Gretchen blushed, "Well, you don't look too bad yourself…"

Dawson suddenly seemed to realize his surroundings, "um…are we going to sit down, or should we continue this conversation where everyone is staring at us?"

Gretchen looked around. Sure enough, almost everyone in the restaurant was staring at her and Dawson.

"I'll sit" she said as he pulled out her chair, "Thanks".

Dawson went around the table and sat down.

"So, what are you doing here?"

Gretchen didn't answer at first. She was too busy caught up in her memories. The kiss under the mistletoe, his letter from when he was 12, making out in her parent's basement, the first time they told each other they loved them.

She was finally snapped out of her memories by Dawson, who was waving a menu in front of her.

"Gretch? You still with us?"

"Hmm?...Oh, sorry" she blushed, "just reminiscing".
He smiled. He knew what she meant. Ever since she had walked in and called his name, he had had flashback after flashback of him and her together, happy. She was his first crush, his first true love (although she didn't know it), and his first real heartbreak.
The waiter walked up and asked if he could take their order.

"We'll have two steaks, medium-well, and two glasses of your best champagne." He turned to Gretchen, "still like your steak medium well, don't you?"

"Yes Mr. Leery," she smiled, but inside she was amazed he had remembered.

The waiter left and they were alone again.

Dawson cleared his throat, "So…tell me about your life."

"Well," she began, and told him all that had happened to her since she had left Capeside. Everything, that is, except her love life. After she finished, he gave her a questioning glance. Their eyes locked for a second before Gretchen looked away.

"What about relationships?"

Gretchen considered lying, considered telling him she had had many amazing relationships after theirs, but decided against it. The thing she had loved most about their relationship was the honesty.

"Well, there've been a few, but nothing like…"

"What we had" he finished her thought.

"Exactly." She coughed to cover up her blush. "What about you? You have to have hundreds of girls knocking down your door, asking you out."

Dawson glanced quickly into her eyes before answering.

"Actually, no. I haven't been in anything serious since us. To tell you the truth, you kinda spoiled me. I mean, how am I ever supposed to find another girl as beautiful, intelligent, inspiring, and one who pulls at my heart strings like you? I've found it to be impossible."

Gretchen sighed, "So, here we are, 7 years after we broke each other's hearts; single, spoiled, and together. Wanna go see a movie?"

He laughed. This was the Gretchen he knew and…loved? Yes, he knew, deep in his heart, he still loved her. Strange as it may seem.

"Sure…but what about that interview?"

TBC