The boy I'd been in love with back in high school, the one with soft brown hair past his ears and tattoos peeking out from the spot on his wrist where his suit ended, was standing right in front of me.
"I almost walked right past you," he said, touching my waist as he said it. "You look gorgeous, Sammie. Even more so than usual."
I couldn't believe he remembered my name. I wondered if he remembered the night back in senior year, when we had made out at my best friend's party. He certainly hadn't remembered to call me after.
But his ten-year-old betrayal didn't push my present butterflies away. My stomach was filled with them bustling around. "You look pretty dapper yourself, Chris," I said. "Where's your date? I bet she looks just as gorgeous."
His smile sent my legs into spasms, but somehow I remained standing.
"No date," he said, pausing to bite his lip as he gave me a once over. "I wanted to keep my options open, in case you still happened to be single."
That must've been a lie, but I didn't mind buying it. The teenage version of myself would've grabbed his hand and led him to my car for a make out session--and probably even more than that. But now? Well, the urge was still there, but...
I lifted my left hand, so he could see the tiny circle of diamonds sparkling on my finger.
"Oh," he said, only letting his smile fall for a moment. "Who's the lucky guy?"
"His name is Owen. He does a lot of traveling, and I usually go with him. He's actually over in Guam right now."
That was the truth. The only reason my fiancé hadn't followed me to my high school reunion was because he was stuck at work. Trapped at the high paying job that would help us afford our wedding.
If he was here, I wouldn't have stopped to chat with Chris. I would've walked away already. I would've stopped myself from gawking at his oversized grey eyes and puffy lips that had tasted so delicious ten years earlier.
But even if I was capable of cheating, I wouldn't have done it. Not to Owen. Not to the man I loved.
That's why I gave Chris a quick hug and said, "Well, it was nice to see you."
I'd gone three hours without running into Chris again. I'd purposely dodged him on several occasions, striking up conversations with strangers in order to stop him from running back over to me.
But toward the end of the night, when the DJ decided to announce the final slow song of the night, Chris had approached me by the snack table.
"Let's dance," he said. He had his jacket slung over his shoulder, so it was easier to see the muscles beneath his shirt.
I still had pretzels in my mouth, so I finished chewing them before saying, "I don't dance."
"Yes you do. We danced at prom. Come on."
He was already pulling me by the arm. I could see the eyes of a few other women on me when we reached the center of the dance floor. I wondered if they were judging me for dancing with him when I was already taken, or if they were just jealous that I was the one he was paying attention to. After all, he'd always been the most popular guy in town.
Even though my hand hovered over his shoulder and our waists were inches apart, I still felt like a cheater. Owen wouldn't like what I was doing, so I shouldn't have been doing it.
That's when Chris leaned in a little closer and whispered, "I was stupid for not calling you." His breath tickled my skin, sending my nerves on alert. "I just didn't want a girlfriend back then. If I did, it would've been you."
My teenage self would've kissed him right then and there, but I pushed him away. "Okay, stop. This is inappropriate," I said.
"What? You know I've always had feelings for you."
"And you know I would've done anything to be with you back then. But you also know I'm engaged now. So stop."
His eyes looked wide and deep as he stared at me with furrowed brows. The urge to kiss him didn't fade, but I rushed to the bathroom instead of giving into my instincts.
As soon as I locked myself in a stall, my cell rang. A picture of Owen hugging me popped up on the screen.
"Baby," I said, answering the call. "I miss you."
"I miss you back. How's the reunion?"
I took a sharp breath in. "Remember Chris? I think I told you about him."
"The guy you were in love with? Yeah, you've mentioned him once or twice or a hundred times," he said, but he was laughing as he said it.
"He danced with me."
There was a pause. "Are you asking me to come down there and beat him up?"
"I'm asking you not to hate me."
Another pause. "Nothing else happened? No kisses?"
"No, of course not."
"Then the wedding is still on," he said in his usual, playful voice. "I called a lady's dress pretty today, if that makes you feel any better."
It kind of did.
After that, I told him I loved him, hung up the phone, and left the building. I saw Chris staring at me as I made my way toward the exit doors, but the thought of Owen helped me walk past him.
Owen was my soulmate. He was all I wanted. That wasn't going to change because of a man with good genes and a suave attitude.
As gorgeous as Chris was, he never popped into my mind again after that night.
** That was a one-shot, which means there won't be any more parts. I hoped you enjoyed it! And remember, it's perfectly normal to find other men attractive when you're in a relationship. Just don't act on those feelings, unless you want to break a heart!**
** Also check out my new WattPad at Holly Rio. **