Summary: A series. At the ten year suite-mate reunion with all of your Hartfeld friends, Chris honors a pact that you made during senior year. This is for anyone out there like me whose MC dated James and missed her chance with Chris due to his emotional unavailability in Book 1 (or anyone who just loves Chris Powell, really).
Disclaimer(s): I do not own any characters originally introduced in The Freshman. This series takes place mostly during a time jump. This series will be based on my own perceptions of the characters, and not all recollections of their history together will be cannon to each reader.
Patrons of the restaurant engage in lively conversation complemented by a soft, candlelight glow. You hear the sounds of cutlery tinkling against dishes set to a soundtrack of nondescript jazz. The evening of dinner and drinks unfolds with beaming smiles and laughter all around. Everyone reminisces on the experiences at Hartfeld which helped develop the friendships that ultimately led you here. You can’t help but linger on each of your friend’s faces for a moment and admire how beautiful and happy they all are. At last your eyes land on Chris, who is sitting diagonally across from you.
It’s suitemate reunion number four and the night has been bustling with fun so far. The gang decided to skip the previous year’s reunion as things had been crazy for everyone and schedules just couldn’t seem to match up. That unfortunately happens from time to time. But you’ve managed to meet up with Kaitlyn at least twice since the last reunion and also with Abbie and Zack. That being said, tonight is just what you’ve needed these past few months. Working and sleeping around has been a thrill and all, but man, you’ve needed something stable and comfortable to lean on more than you’ve realized.
This is what you’re thinking to yourself while you’re standing in a crowded bar having your ear chewed off by a stranger. He says he’s had his eye on you “all night” , but the truth more likely is that he targeted you about ten minutes ago after he had struck out with the last broad who had a boyfriend or was waiting for her friend to show up or was just not drunk enough to fall for his shallow, generic compliments. Realistically, he’s not so bad to look at, you think, and he’s been harmless thus far. You almost start to feel bad that you’ve only been half listening to him this whole time. It isn’t until he starts to get handsy that you decide that you’ve honestly just had enough. The first time, you simply remove his hand from your back and shoot him a polite smile. The second time, you tell him you’re not comfortable being touched. The third time, you attempt to walk away from him and find your wrist caught in his fist. Before you can say anything, a comforting presence appears at your side.
“Hey, man,” says Chris, “It doesn’t look like she wants to talk to you anymore. Why don’t you step aside?”
You look up at Chris and then back at your suitor, who makes a dumbfounded face. “We’re just fine over here, actually, so why don’t you mind your business?”
When the guy doesn’t budge, Chris takes a step forward putting his body in between the two of yours, his back to you. It’s a bit difficult to make out what he says next over the music and the chattering.
“Trust me, you don’t want me to make it my business. So, if you want to remain ‘just fine’ I suggest that you walk away from my friend and take a hike”.
It seems to work, because the jerk backs away and disappears into the crowd. Chris deflates his chest and turns around to face you.
“Are you okay?” he asks.
Your eyes meet his and you suddenly realize how little space there is between the two of you. “Yeah, I am,” you say, “Thank you… for… for that” .
Just as you’re stumbling over your words, you also happen to be stumbling quite literally when someone accidentally bumps into you. With an ‘umph’, you crash into Chris, knocking him momentarily off balance. You wind up face to face with your hands pressed flat against his chest. You want to say something or do something but you feel paralyzed, so you just try to catch your breath instead. Chris can feel your hot breath on his face, smelling of rum and coke. Your eyes search each other for a few beats and you notice that his hands are still gripping your waist tightly. You’re not sure why, but you want to etch the feeling of his grip in your brain forever. With your noses barely touching, your gaze moves downward to his lips, then to his neck, and finally to his shirt, which you had unknowingly spilled your drink all over.
“Oh, god…” you gasp and run your fingers over the wet fabric, looking at him apologetically. He chuckles and shrugs it off.
“Well… at least this time it wasn’t coffee, right?”
You hardly realize that you’ve slipped into a daydream until your name is being called at the table. Snapping out of the trance, you return your attention to Chris’s face. He’s looking at you with a bit of concern and the rest of your friends are quiet.
“Uh, you ok?” Chris asks.
You blink a few times. “Sorry, what?”
“I was just saying how you were the last one to hear from Becca. How’s she doing?”
“Oh,” You start, regaining your composure, “Yes, in fact, she wanted me to tell you all, and I quote: ‘Sorry, not sorry’ she couldn’t make it this weekend being that she’s in Paris and all”. You try to give your best Becca impression, amusing yourself.
“Something tells me Becca would really shake up the Parisians”, Abbie says, making everyone chuckle.
“She actually sent me a selfie yesterday of her sitting at a cafe, looking glamorous as always. Check out those pastries!” You offer, passing your phone around the table.
Your waiter soon comes to the table to distribute dessert menus. Some of your friends sit back in their chairs, rubbing their full bellies. Others open the menu and peruse. Zack takes a glance but quickly sets his down,
“Nah, I’d rather save the calories for more alcohol,” he grins, leaning with his hands behind his head. Abbie shoots him a cautionary look. “I assume dinner isn’t the end of the line, right?” He says pleadingly, surveying the group with his eyes.
“I’d be down to go out,” you nod, a small smile creeping onto your face. Zack pounds his fist in the air.
“Ooh, should we go dancing?” asks Kaitlyn, mirroring Zack’s enthusiasm. She hardly waits a beat before directing her eyes at Abbie and Tyler. “Please don’t tell me that, now that you guys have kids, you’re gonna be all dull and fun-sucking…?” she frowns.
“Excuse me,” Abbie retorts, “you’re a parent now, too!”
“Yeah, but I’m a cool mom”, she gloats, a beaming grin playing on her lips.
Abbie tosses a balled up napkin at Kaitlyn’s nose and chuckles, “I know it’s been a long time since college, you guys, but I can assure you that Tyler and I still know how to have fun”.
“Actually,” Tyler chimes in, “there is this place just a town over that’s supposed to be a hot spot. I found it on Yelp,” he nods matter of factly.
“Oh, you did, now, did you?” Zack mocks playfully. Kaitlyn squints in laughter.
“Well, if you’ve got any better ideas, I’d love to hear them”, says Tyler. Abbie squeezes his shoulder and gives him a peck on the cheek.
Zig downs the last of his beer and sets it down on the table forcefully. “I say we go to the place that Yelp recommended. I trust your judgment, Tyler”.
“Yeah, me too,” Chris agrees. The rest of you also come to a consensus.
“How about you, James? I hope you’ll be joining us,” Abbie smiles kindly at James.
“Quite honestly, things have been so crazy running around and preparing for the baby, so I could really use a night to unwind,” he grins, fingers tapping thoughtfully on his glass.
“Aww, I’ll bet you’ve been so attentive to Rosa. How’s she doing?” Kaitlyn asks, having flashbacks to her own pregnancy.
“She’s a saint, I swear,” he replies, “I don’t know how she’s been so calm throughout all of this. I’m sure she’s exhausted. I felt guilty leaving her in bed alone tonight, but she insisted that I come and try to have a good time. She sends her love to you all”.
Resting a hand on Kaitlyn’s arm, Leighann sighs, “Your wife really is incredible”. Kaitlyn nods in agreement.
“How are you holding up?” Asks Zig, directed towards James.
“I’m nervous, and it feels like these last few months have been a blur, but I can’t wait to meet my daughter. I hope I’m everything she deserves”.
“James,” you start, “don’t even think that way for a second. We’ve all seen the way you worship Rosa. You’re patient, and mature, and you’re more than ready for this! That little girl is lucky to have you”.
“She’s right,” Zig adds, “and besides, you’ve got enough sweater vests in your closet to embarrass her for the next 18 years, at least.”
James’s troubled face finally cracks with laughter. He taps Zig on the shoulder with his fist. “Thanks, guys. I really appreciate that”. A quiet moment passes, as does the sentimental atmosphere. Everyone looks around at each other. “So, shall we all get drunk?”
—————-
It’s been a good two years since you’ve stepped foot in an actual club like this one. It’s spacey with an enormous dance floor, an outdoor patio and multiple bars lit in vibrant colors. The servers are young and the music shakes the floor. Guys are chatting up the girls while the girls are dancing in clusters. Drinks are up in the air. Before you can even take in the entirety of your surroundings, you’re being dragged to the bar by your wrist.
The bar is crowded but you can see servers shuffling around quickly behind the heads of others ordering drinks. ‘This should be fun’, you think to yourself sarcastically, chewing your bottom lip. As you and Zack push your way through to an opening, you notice there are two bartenders gathering orders as quickly as they can, one of which is a man of average height with sandy brown hair. When his eyes scan in your direction, you see he’s got an impressive physique and a strong jawline. You turn to Zack with raised eyebrows, mouthing “Hot, right?” Zack holds a hand over his heart as if it’s just stopped.
Casually, you check your cleavage and you fluff your hair. You raise your arm above your head like you’re hailing a taxi and lean forward a bit. When he comes back toward your direction, you shoot him a confident smile. As you’re about to open your mouth, he passes you by and leans on the bar in front of Zack.
“Hey,” he smiles wide, observing Zack’s face intently, “Can I get you a drink?”
Jaw dropping slightly, you smirk to yourself as you watch Zack and the bartender ogle each other. Zack seems to laugh at something the beautiful man has said, then turns to you, leaning in close. “Looks like we used the wrong person as bait. Solid try, though”. You laugh as he shoo’s you away to gather the others.
You and the group do a round of shots together, followed closely by a second round. You scrunch up your face a bit while swallowing it down, shooting Zack a questioning look.
“What? They were buy one round, get one free!” He winks, “Cheers!”
While some of you head straight to the dance floor, others opt for checking out the quieter spots for some chit-chat. You follow James outside to the patio where there is an outdoor bar, some tables and a lot of standing room. You each order a cocktail to nurse while you engage in some people watching. As the minutes pass, a warm buzz quickly encompasses you and you’re not quite aware of it until you find yourself opening up to James about things you hadn’t planned to.
“…It’s not that I think I’m a failure or anything,” you spill, “I’ve just been wondering lately if there’s something I missed, or something I could have done differently”.
James looks at you with furrowed brows, listening intently.
“Oh, god, listen to me,” you laugh, “I’m such a bummer”.
He smiles lightheartedly and shakes his head, “No, no, please, don’t worry. You’re not bumming me out. You’re not the only one going through stuff like this right now”.
“Really?” you question him, blushing some.
He lays a friendly hand on your arm. “Yeah! I feel like this is the time when everyone starts to question the choices they’ve made and whether they’ve accomplished everything they wanted to by their thirties”, he shrugs, “She’d kill me for saying this, but, Rosa cried on her 30th birthday. Like… a lot,” He laughs.
“Aww,” you cock your head to the side, looking at him genuinely. You think for a moment more, “But here’s the thing, it’s not being in my early thirties that freaks me out. It’s…” You hesitate, eyeing James from under your lashes.
He encourages you to continue and you play shy. As it is you’ve already said more than you should have, and you’re not sure if it will be awkward to discuss personal stuff with James, considering the history you’ve had.
“Come on, I know what you’re doing–don’t do this shit with me. You know I’ll always be here for you”.
You search his brown eyes for another moment before releasing the breath you’ve been holding. You shrug your shoulders dramatically. “I don’t know… I feel like I’ve tried living my life in all different ways… I’ve tried long-term relationships, I’ve tried dating friends, I’ve tried dating strangers, I’ve tried being set up, and I’ve tried having sex without feelings. As much as I love my job, well, it’s a job. It’s work. And when the smoke clears, I come home to an empty bed and I wonder where I went wrong. I just…” You trace the rim of your glass with your finger, “I can’t help but feel like something should have stuck. And it didn’t. Sure, it was all a learning experience, and that’s important, but I’m not so sure I know what the lesson is. You know?”
James’s mouth turns up in an empathetic smile. He sees the embarrassment written on your face after having overshared. “Listen,” he starts, widening his stance, “first of all, I know that was hard for you to say, and I want you to know that I was listening to every word. Just because of the way things happened between us doesn’t mean our relationship was all for nothing. I care about you, no matter how many years go by, okay?”
You nod your head without a word. Your muscles start to relax a little more.
“Second,” he continues, “if our friendship teaches you anything it should be that no experience is a waste. I know you. I know that you put your whole heart into everything, especially your relationships. So, trust me when I say you’ve done nothing wrong”.
You look up at him thankfully, processing his words. When you smile, he pulls you close.
“C’mere,” he chuckles, “You’re gonna be fine, I promise. Now… I know you didn’t come here to stand here all night talking to me, so, let’s get in there and catch up”.
“Yeah, you’re right,” you smile, touching your glass to his in a toast. At that, you down the remainder of your drink in one large gulp. James looks at you, impressed, and then follows suit. The two of you head back inside to search the dance floor for your friends.