After I finished the bottle of wine, I decided I needed some more drinks, so I got dressed in some dark jeans and a green blouse, put on my boots and jacket, and got an Uber. It was cooler out than when I had come back to the hotel, but I didn't mind the cold. My skin was warm from drinking. When the Uber arrived I asked to be dropped off at one of my favorite bars on South Broadway. It was small and cozy, which is exactly what I missed about Baltimore. As I sat down, a nice looking bartender came up and asked my order. I asked him for a beer, and we held a decently long conversation about craft beers. His name was Caleb, and I was glad to have made a friend. That was until his girlfriend walked up to the bar and sat next to me. She was as beautiful as I remembered, with dirty blonde hair and a fit figure. She was shorter, but it wasn't obvious when she strapped herself into the heels she was wearing.
Lisa Ruocco stood next to me, and softly kissed my new friend Caleb. I tried to leave then, but Caleb insisted that I "meet" his beautiful girlfriend. Lisa's shock when she saw me was enough to make me blush and step back a few inches, fearing she would swing at me, but all she did was tear up and pull me into a big hug. I was frozen in pure surprise, but was finally able to relax into her hug. It was nice, Lisa and I had been great friends in our youth. She was always the one the boys wanted, and I was very shy and awkward, but we had a great time together when we hung out.
"Oh my gosh, Rachel! What are you doing here?" She asked, looking at me with wonder.
"Uhm, just visiting," I lied, not wanting to explain the real truth, especially after meeting Caleb.
She seemed satisfied with that answer and asked me to have a beer with her. I agreed and we sat down to catch up. She told me that she was doing great, and that she and Caleb had been together for a few months now. They had bought a dog, named Beaux, and where looking into moving in together. That's when I noticed the ring on her finger and realized why Alex was so messed up as of late, Lisa was engaged. She had moved on so quickly, and neither Alex's ego or heart where taking that well. I had to give it to Lisa though, Caleb was very attractive, and after hearing he had inherited the bar from his parents, I concluded that he was pretty accomplished. Of course, after a few beers I was a little more curious, and couldn't keep myself from asking the dangerous question.
"So, like, what the fuck happened with Alex?" I slurred, hoping sober me would remember the things she said in the morning.
When I asked, she got sad, and I started to feel bad. Caleb patted her back and coaxed her into telling me.
"You weren't the only time he has had eyes for other girls over the years, and I finally got over handling it. He was also so reckless, and would do things that would put him in danger. I wanted marriage, and a family, ya know, something more than drinking and partying and sleeping in a tiny bunk."
I nodded and then began to cry. I never thought that I would be face to face with Lisa ever again. If you had asked me in high school, I would have said she was one of my best friends, but when Alex and I kissed, I felt like she would always hate me. Finding out that she didn't was such a huge shock, but I was relieved at the same time. She hugged me and told me not to cry, that she knew we had both had feelings for Alex. She said if it wasn't for me, she would have never found Caleb and fallen in love again. She said she would always be my friend, and then helped me up and out of the bar. Before she left, she programmed her number into my phone, and asked me to call her sometime. I blubbered a "yes" as she loaded me into my Uber, and cried all the way back to my hotel. Falling into my bed for the night, my sobs subsided and I fell into a troubled, restless sleep.