by Sam West
“Yes? Go on.”
It came to her in a rush that was almost physical in its intensity, knocking the breath out of her.
“Jasper Black.”
“Very good. For a moment there I thought you were going to say Carrot. I always hated that particular nickname. Although I don’t recall you ever using it. That ginger-haired tosser of a comedian got right up my nose.”
“Why am I here?”
She marvelled at how calm her voice sounded; it had to be the doctor in her, taking control.
“Ah, yes, the million dollar question, so to speak. Do you not recognise any of your fellow school chums?”
School chums.
Her stomach felt like lead when she looked at the strangers. For the first time she noticed they were all dressed in black, like her. She just knew that they too had been ‘dressed for the occasion’. The two other women, one fat and one thin with an overly large chest, wore black cocktail dresses much like her own. The three men wore crisp, white shirts and black dinner jackets.
A horrible understanding danced just out of reach on the edges of her mind; now that he mentioned it, there was something familiar about them, especially the guy directly opposite her. Something about the straight angle of his hairline and thick, black hair stirred a long buried memory.
Surely it can’t be…
As if the man she was man staring at could read her mind, his head lolled on his neck, accompanied by a guttural moan. He raised his head.
Kendra gasped. His face was older, the jawline heavier, and his features had lost their boyish softness, but there was no mistaking him. This man sat opposite her could be no other than her very first, proper boyfriend, Kevin Hendricks.
”I think it’s safe to say you do recognise him, don’t you Kendra? Kevin Hendricks, your first love. The man you chose over me...”
END OF SAMPLE.