June 2002
Schemer sat with Billy outside Shining Time Station. Now that Schemer could leave his business in the hands of his upper management staff, he had more free time to visit. Sometimes he saw Stacy but he mostly just visited Billy and ran into her randomly. Their interactions felt mostly normal now, but he always felt a slight sting of loss at the sound of her voice. They had talked briefly about the incident on her wedding day and moved past it as best they could back in summer of 2001.
"Schemer, I'm really sorry for how uncomfortable I made you feel." She said gently, and he didn't doubt her sincerity in the slightest. "I didn't want you to feel like you were the bad guy or like you did anything wrong because it was all my fault."
He was a little bit taken aback as she said this. They were alone in the Station, he had come in looking for Billy that day. "It's okay, I know you didn't mean it." He said, trying to shrug it off.
"No, that's where you're wrong. I did mean it, and I had to accept it to move on. I also had to confess to Ned, I couldn't let him go on marrying me while I had kissed another man on my wedding day and meant it."
Now he was even more taken aback. "So you told him?"
"Yes, I told him that night. There was no time before the ceremony and it was either cancel the ceremony and leave him confused, or tell him that night while he still had a chance to annul it."
"And he was okay with it?"
"Well, yes and no. I was always honest about the circumstances under which I started dating him. I made sure he knew about us being together right before he returned. And I didn't date him right away, but he was relentless. I gave in eventually, but things moved very fast. Anyways, he forgave me, which is probably more than I deserve, but he made me promise that I wasn't just in it because he happened to be there."
Schemer was confused, and his head felt like it was spinning. "Why are you telling me all this?"
She looked away. "Because I didn't want you to feel used, I know you left on your own terms, but I didn't want you to think that you were replaceable. I was with you because I wanted to be, not because you happened to be there either."
He breathed heavily, trying to work it all out. "Thanks for letting me know. I guess, I shouldn't have been there that day in the first place."
He turned to leave but he couldn't hold back from asking something more. "Would things have been different if I hadn't left?"
She looked him in the eye instead of the bashful way she had been speaking to him earlier. "I love Ned, he's a wonderful man." She gave a small, sad smile. "But you were never his placeholder."
He made a face akin to a grimace and nodded slowly. He left without talking to anybody else that day.
He had been reminded of that conversation as he saw Stacy and Ned pass by them. Stacy gave a small to Billy and Schemer, Ned just gave Schemer a cold look. Schemer refused to be cowed by him and just stared back. They entered Shining Time Station.
"Pleasant fellow." Schemer said sarcastically.
"He's alright, I try to get along with him as best I can." Billy shrugged.
"Fortunately I don't have that problem." Schemer folded his arms behind his head and leaned back.
Stacy eventually came out to say a few words with them, and they exchanged pleasantries until she left. Ned came out shortly after. He scowled at the two and came towards them. Schemer braced himself, he may not be cowed by Ned anymore, but he was still aware that being confronted by someone much taller than him was not a good thing.
"I don't think it's right for two unmarried men to talk alone with another man's wife." Ned said somewhat dangerously.
Schemer grit his teeth and even Billy bristled a bit. "We were speaking outside to her in public, and we've been friends and coworkers with her for a long time. I hardly think we've stepped any boundaries." Billy said seriously.
"I don't know what things were like where you came from, but woman are free to do as they please in this time." Schemer said angrily, cutting off Ned's response to Billy.
"I don't like you Schemer, never have. I don't care what you have to say because your money and promiscuous ways mean nothing to me. Where I came from, men had integrity."
Schemer sputtered in frustration. "Then why don't you go back where you came!" He lashed out, losing his cool.
Ned just shook his head and walked away.
Billy heaved a sigh when Ned had left. "Don't let him get under your skin, he's not worth it."
Schemer suddenly felt fatigued by the exchange. "I'm exhausted, I'm heading back home." He grumbled. His eyes felt dry and gritty, it would be a long drive home.
Coldplay - Talk
