Taylor Townsend was 25 years old and had a good life. She had graduated high school top of her class, graduated Berkeley college top of her class and went on to have a brilliant career as an economist. She always knew she'd be the best at everything, and she was. She just wasn't so good at having friends.
While in highschool she was a geek. People respected her but never befriended her. The truth was that she hadn't done much to earn their friendship because she never thought she'd get it anyway.
She had had a phase in her senior year when she had a crush on Seth Cohen, a guy that was simmilarly geeky. After the crush went away and she realized that it was just a way for her to discover people that are like herself (too much like herself – so much it would have probably been boring had they gotten together) she tried being friends with him and his girlfriend, the not so geeky Summer Roberts. Unfortunately they were already part of a group, a two couples group, joined in by Seth's adoptive brother, Ryan and his girlfriend, Marissa, Ryan's girlfriend. Taylor tried but realized she was a fifth wheel. Seth and Summer tried to welcome her in and were nice to her while Ryan and Marissa completely ignored her. In the end she decided it wasn't worth the effort.
She went to Berkeley to college, ironically with Ryan and Marissa, but she might as well not known them. They continued to ignore them and after trying to say hi a couple of times and failing miserably, she started ignoring them too. Seth told her they broke up but she noticed nothing on campus. She kept contact with Seth and Summer, mainly through e-mails and instant messaging but that was about all the contact she had with the group she once tried to be a part of.
Until...
She couldn't believe it when she saw the architect's name on the piece of paper. And when she went to meet him and saw his surprised face she couldn't help but giggle.
„Hi, Ryan."
„Taylor."
„Fancy meeting you here, in these circumstances. I didn't even know you were an architect."
„I am. What are you doing here?"
„Well, my boss told me to take his place in this meeting. I usually don't deal hands on with constructions – I mainly deal with the marketing side of the business – but he simply could not make it. How is the building?"
„Nearly ready. There won't be much need for me anymore. In fact, my assistant will take it from me starting tomorrow. I'm going back home."
„To Newport?"
„Yeah."
„I haven't been to Newport in ages."
„I know. Why not?"
„I don't know... I guess I haven't had a reason to."
„Your mother is still there if I am not mistaken."
„I don't know if you know this, Ryan, but me and my mother are not exactly close."
Ryan did not reply. Taylor felt an awkward silence coming so she filled it:
„So, are you going to show me this building or what?"
Ryan showed her around, filling her with all sorts of technical details that she didn't understand but wrote down carefully for her boss who was more of an expert in the field than she was. She noticed how he used very few words and only went straight to the point. She remembered him from highschool and from the very few times she went out with the „core four" – he wasn't a guy of too many words. There were times when she'd wondered about him (she always wondered about the things that she didn't know much about). And now the questions and her curiousity hit her again. She didn't say anything, but tried to notice the way he moved and the way he talked, in hope of some things.
He hadn't changed much since highschool. His moves didn't show much and his words didn't say much. Just technical details.
„So, what do you think?" he asked her at the end.
She was ashamed to admit she didn't know anything of what he had told her.
„It sounds good. I will present this to my boss and he will contact you if he has any problem. I believe he has your number, right?"
„Right."
She checked her watch.
„OK, I have to go, I have to finish a report today. It was nice seeing you again, Ryan" she said and lifted her hand for a handshake – the way she did at the end of every business meeting she had. He smiled:
„Nice seeing you again, Taylor" he said and took her hand in his.
And that is when she felt it. A jolt of electricity running through her entire body. Her eyes shot wide and she looked at him in surprise. The look on his face told her he felt it too.
Her phone rang. She bit her lip and tore away her hand from his with great effort.
„Hello, Taylor Townsend here."
„Hey Taylor, how did your meeting with Ryan go?"
„Uh... very well... We were just saying our goodbyes and I was coming to the office. How did your meeting go?"
„Perfect. We got the deal."
„That's great!"
„Come here. We have to report to finish and then we have that offer to make."
„Sure thing. I'm on my way."
She lifted her eyes to meet him. He just stood there with an odd look on his face. He must have been as confused as she was.
„Well..."
„Well..."
„I have to go. That was my boss. He always finds more ways to get more contracts and then hands them all to me because he likes to show me that he can give me more work when I feel I have nothing to do. Which is, like, never. But he still gives me more work."
„Yeah, bosses can be like that." He said with a half smile.
„Yeah."
„Yeah"
„Right"
„Right"
„I'll... uh... see you around. Whenever I go to Newport. Which probably won't be very soon. Cause... you know... just... Yeah."
„Yeah."
It was turning really weird.
„Okay. I gotta go now. See you."
„Yeah."
She turned around and left without looking back, fearing that if she did, she wouldn't have the power to go further.
As she walked she started thinking about her and Ryan throughout the years. Tried to remember if they ever touched. Casually, of course. She couldn't remember a time when they touched. What was that that just happened there?
She got in the car and drove to work. What the hell was that?
She hadn't talked to Ryan much over the years. The only time she could remember was when she wanted to find out more about Seth, cause she had a crush on him. Most of the other times it was just one liners. Pointless. She envied the core four from afar but she never actually felt the need to get close to Ryan or Marissa. It was always Seth and Summer that she was going for.
But what the hell was that?