Reunion Flirts! 5 Romantic Short Stories

by Scott, Lisa

  Cathy should be happy to see Danny. They’d had a blast together in band, spending four years seated next to each other in the trumpet section. But Cathy never knew he’d had the biggest crush on her in school. And Danny had never been brave enough to tell her. Oh, he’d written her the lamest poem once and tucked it in her locker, but he’d never gotten the guts to tell her it was from him. He could still remember the verse: “Roses are red, your eyes are sparkling blue, true love would be sweet, especially with you.” Hard to believe he’d worked for a few hours on that.

  He ran his hand through his hair and checked his phone to see the time. The reunion was starting in a few minutes, so he went over and signed in, got a nametag, and soaked in all the compliments from the girls crowding the table.

  “Danny, we missed you last night. You look great. You’re a doctor?” asked Alyssa.

  “Yep. I’m finishing my residency right now.”

  “Wow. And you really filled out,” Brandi said, looking him over.

  He shrugged. “I was a late bloomer, I guess.”

  “I guess,” Brandi said, arching an eyebrow.

  He shoved his hands in his pockets and looked away from her, hoping she’d pick up on the “not interested” signals. But women were often good at overlooking those signs once they found out he was a doctor. That’s when he’d tell him he was just a resident, years away from making the big bucks. That usually discouraged most of them. “Is it okay if I go out on the deck?” he asked. That way he’d be able to watch people as they boarded. Hopefully, he’d get to watch Cathy.

  “Sure,” Brandi said.

  “We’re not actually heading out to sea, are we?” Chance was usually late for things. He’d hate for him to miss the whole thing.

  “No, we’re going to stay moored so people can come and go. You know, if they want to go back to their hotel rooms or whatever. Where are you staying?” Brandi asked, her voice breathy and her fingers grazing her long neck.

  “Right in the city.” He didn’t want to tell her where, just in case she was thinking about dropping by. Or delivering herself to his doorstep like she’d done with Peter Schmidt. He was another one to worry about. All the girls had loved him in school. Hopefully he won’t show up tonight, Danny thought.

  Danny was headed outside when he spotted Chance walking in. “Hey, let me go say hi to my friend.”

  Brandi pouted as he left. Danny walked over and clapped Chance on the back. “How are you, man?” Danny asked. “I can’t believe you actually made it on time.”

  Chance spread his arms wide. “What choice did I have? You harassed me like an old woman worried about missing her afternoon soaps.”

  “I just need you here when I see Cathy.”

  “You get women left and right. You don’t need me.” Chance started walking toward the bar.

  Danny followed. “But this is Cathy Blake we’re talking about. You know how I feel about her.”

  Chance ordered two beers and laughed. “Right. The poem I told you not to give her.”

  “She didn’t know it was from me.”

  “And I hope she never does. And I hope she never finds out you technically should’ve been charged with stalking her. How many times did we drive by her house at night?” Chance took the bottles from the bartender and handed one to Danny.

  Danny took a long drink. “Sometimes she left her curtains open. She looked really hot in that pink nightgown with the little straps.” Danny knew he sounded defensive. And incredibly immature. Guess first love dies hard, he thought. Especially when it’s not reciprocated.

  “Man, I hope you get her out of your system.” Chance set his beer down and rubbed his hands together. “Okay. What do you want me to do, talk you up in front of her? Tell her how much you make? How much you can bench-press?”

  Danny looked back toward the table at the entrance where Brandi had been sneaking glances at him. “The best thing you can do is occupy Brandi. Leave me free to spend some time with Cathy.”

  “Occupy Brandi. Kind of like occupy Wall Street, but better. That’s not a bad assignment,” Chance said, straightening his tie. Then his smile fell. “Shit. Peter Schmidt just got here.”

  Danny turned around and spotted the guy voted Best Looking in their class. Yep, Peter Schmidt was still a good-looking dude. Every girl in school had had a crush on him. Even upperclassmen. He’d gone out with a senior when they were freshmen. Peter Schmidt had been six-two in ninth grade. With muscles and a perpetual five o’clock shadow that girls thought was sexy. Danny always thought he looked like a criminal in the making.

  But it was more than Peter’s looks. His parents were divorced, and when Peter stayed with his father, his dad often went out of town, and that meant Peter was able to throw legendary parties. He looked old enough to buy alcohol without getting carded. He drove a vintage Corvette. If life were fair he would’ve lost his hair or grown a beer gut. But Peter was looking better than ever.

  “Peter Schmidt!” Brandi squealed and ran up to Peter, looping her arms around his neck. Peter picked her up and twirled her around.

  “He was at the party last night. I don’t know why she’s acting like she hasn’t seen him in forever. But I guess the Brandi problem is solved,” Chance said.

  “How many women do you think he’ll hook up with tonight?” Danny asked.

  Chance crossed his arms, giving the question some thought. “Are we talking how many women at once, or separately?”

  “Sadly, that’s a legitimate question.” Danny shook his head. But he didn’t care how many women Peter left with. He was here for one girl and one girl only. He looked over at the entrance and froze.. “Oh my God, there she is,” he whispered to Chance. His heart jumped into his throat. She looked even more beautiful than he could’ve imagined, with her long, dark hair swirling past her shoulders and a short, tight dress showing off curves he hadn’t expected. And her smile, it still left him loopy.

  Chance looked over at Cathy and whistled softly. “If she blows you off, mind if I go for it?”

  “Sure, and then I’ll kick your ass, throw you into the sea, and ignore my Hippocratic oath to provide medical treatment when they haul you back on board.”

  Chance held up his hands. “Kidding. Just kidding.”

  Danny’s heart was racing and he took a step forward, then a step back, and quickly finished his beer. “So, do I go right up to her or do I wait?”

  “Don’t race over like a puppy. When a guy runs to a girl, she usually runs the other way. Trust me, I know. Happens to me all the time. You’ve got to be cool, bro.”

  “Hey, believe me, I’m holding back. I left the dozen roses I bought for her with the valet.”

  That caught Chance’s attention. “If things don’t work out, can I have them? It’s my sister’s birthday tomorrow. She likes flowers.”

  “Thanks for the vote of confidence. I can’t believe I thought you’d be any help tonight. I need another drink.” Danny turned around to signal the bartender, but Chance tugged on his sleeve.

  “Here she comes,” Chance said.

  Danny turned back and his heart swelled as she walked toward him. He smiled and tried to look confident, hoping the right words found their way to his mouth.

  And then she breezed right past him and hurried over to Peter Schmidt.

  Danny’s heart plopped into his stomach as he watched her walk by.

  Chance stood there for a moment, shaking his head. “What color are those roses?” Chance asked. “My sister likes pink. Please tell me they’re pink?”

  Danny pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. “They’re red, like the poem, dummy. And I’m not ready to hand them over to you quite yet.”

  ***

  Cathy tried to keep from walking too quickly over to Peter. But she couldn’t help it. She probably looked like a Black Friday shopper busting down the door, elbows out, headed for the electronics section. But she’d been waiting a long time for this particular merchandise.

  “D
on’t you think you should be a little less eager? Maybe approach him in the first thirty minutes of the reunion, not the first thirty seconds?” Selena suggested, doing her best to keep up with Cathy.

  Cathy slowed down and blew out a minty breath. She’d gargled with mouthwash for a good five minutes. “You’re right. Maybe he’ll even come over to me.”

  And that’s when three former cheerleaders descended on Peter, breasts aimed directly at him like he was a magnet drawing them over. Cathy made a sharp right and walked out onto the front deck. She grabbed the railing and looked down at the water. She hoped she wouldn’t hurl.

  Selena glanced back at Peter. “I do hope he gets to come up for air from all that boobage. I wonder how many men die each year from breast smothering?” She patted Cathy’s hand. “I’m sure he’ll be fine. Let’s get a few drinks in you.”

  “No! You know I get weepy when I drink sometimes. Maybe a Red Bull?”

  “You’re charged up enough. I’ll get some wine, I’ll drink yours, and maybe I’ll calm down,” Selena said.

  Cathy nodded, trying to steady herself in her high heels as she got used to the sway of the boat. “I’ll be here, just waiting for the moment I’ve dreamed about for years.”

  “I’m so glad you’re not building this up too much.” Selena disappeared, and Cathy turned around to check out the crowd milling around outside.

  Girls she knew from the soccer team came over, gushing about her new appearance. She nodded and smiled and tried to make all the appropriate responses, but she was too busy rehearsing exactly what she was going to say to Peter. Should she be blunt? I loved you in high school. I still do. Or should she come right out and ask about the poem? Maybe she should shock the hell out of him and proposition him like Selena had suggested.

  Her cheeks felt hot just thinking about it. The girls she was talking with moved on to someone new and Cathy wondered where Selena was.

  “Hey, Cathy.”

  She was in such a daze she hadn’t noticed the guy standing in front of her. She squinted at him.

  He held out his hand. “Danny Patel.”

  Her eyes widened. “Danny! Wow, look at you.” There had only been a handful of Indian kids in her school. But Danny didn’t look anything like he had back then. His hair, once close-trimmed, was down past his chin with a slight curl to it. His face had filled out. She looked him over. His body had, too. The guy who had been a smart, funny kid in band so many years ago had sure turned out to be a hunk.

  “And look at you.” He kept smiling, never taking his eyes off her. They smiled at each other for a good thirty seconds until Danny finally asked, “What are you up to these days?”

  “I’m a newspaper reporter right here in Boston. And you?”

  “That’s cool. I’m a doctor in Seattle.” His voice had gotten deeper, too.

  “Really?” She checked out his left hand. No ring.

  “I am. A resident in pediatrics.” He shrugged. “I really like kids. Do you?”

  She curled a piece of her hair around her finger. “Sure, I guess. But a doctor—that’s great! Really impressive. Do you like Seattle?”

  “Yeah, it’s a cool town. Not that I get to go out often. I work really long hours. I’m doing a rotation there, and I’ll be back home in October.”

  Cathy snuck a peek over his shoulder, looking for Selena. She’d want to see Danny for sure. “I didn’t know you wanted to be a doctor.”

  “Seriously? Both my parents came from India to go to medical school. When I was born, they had “M.D.” added to my birth certificate. I didn’t have a choice.” He shrugged. “Thankfully, I like it.”

  “I’m surprised you were able to make it tonight. Aren’t doctors worked to death during their residencies?”

  “Pretty much. But I really wanted to catch up with everyone. I was especially hoping you’d be here,” he said.

  She felt her eyebrows rise. “Oh?”

  Just then, Selena came back, clutching the stems of two wine glasses with one hand and holding a Coke in the other. “Your drink, darling.” Selena looked at Danny and ran her tongue over her bottom lip. It was an obnoxious habit she had, and whenever Cathy tried to point it out to her, she denied doing it. Selena flipped her hair over her shoulder and did the lip thing again. “Oh, hello there.”

  Cathy bit back a smile and took her drink. She knew Selena would be interested in Danny—and she didn’t even know he was a doctor yet. She’d go nuts when she found out. Her career goal was to be a lady of leisure—a trophy wife, to be exact. So far, she was still working as a dental hygienist.

  “Who’s this?” Selena asked, setting down her wine.

  “You don’t recognize Danny Patel?” Cathy asked.

  “Get out of town,” Selena said, nudging Cathy hard enough to make her stumble.

  “He did get out of town. He lives in Seattle. He’s a doctor,” Cathy said with a Cheshire-cat grin.

  Danny interrupted. “But I’ll be back in October, don’t forget that.”

  “Little Danny Patel. Look at you, you Hindu hottie.” Selena walked around him like a hungry wolf.

  “Actually, my family’s Catholic,” Danny corrected.

  Selena raised an eyebrow. “I’m flexible. I’ll convert to whatever. Hey, didn’t we have a math class together?”

  He scrunched his eyebrows together, watching Selena. “I think so. But Cathy and I were in band together for years.”

  Cathy squeezed Danny’s arm. That boy had some muscles. “He played the trumpet, too. He was way better than me.”

  “You looked better in the uniform, though,” he said, smiling at her oddly.

  Cathy shook her head. “I don’t think so. No one looked good in that uniform,” she said, laughing. Then she spotted Peter walking through the door alone. Her heart bobbed into her throat, and she swallowed, hoping to get it back in place. “Will you guys excuse me for a minute?”

  Selena widened her eyes in question and Cathy gave her a quick nod.

  Selena pumped her fist, then snaked her arm around Danny’s. “Don’t worry, Danny and I have a lot of catching up to do.”

  He laughed. “I really didn’t know you that well in high school.”

  “Exactly. That’s why we’ve got a lot to catch up on, silly,” Selena said, tweaking his nose.

  Cathy set down her drink on a table, prayed for a surge of confidence, and walked toward Peter. Her legs felt wobbly, and romantic music swirled through her head. She looked up. The music was actually being pumped out of an overhead speaker. In any case, it was one of her favorite songs from high school, Pink’s “Get the Party Started,” and it seemed like a good sign. Because this personal party should’ve been started a long time ago.

  An even better sign was the grin on Peter’s face as she approached him. She smoothed her hair and sucked in her stomach, trying to add a little wiggle to her walk. Then she tripped and caught the railing that ringed the outer deck before she fell.

  It was too late to turn around now so she kept walking up to him, and then stopped when she was about two feet away. She smiled at him, forgetting all the different opening speeches she had planned, so she settled for “Hi.”

  “Hey,” he said, sounding uncertain.

  Well, of course he didn’t recognize her. She looked totally different. That was the entire point of coming here tonight. To lay it all out on the table and show him what he’d missed. To show him what he could have. Oh, who was she kidding? Of course she’d hook up with him if she got the chance tonight. This wasn’t Pretty in Pink. He wasn’t going to get her a cake and sit on the dining room table fully clothed with her like she’d imagined many, many times. They’d be dancing the horizontal mambo if she were lucky.

  Peter was still staring at her, and she felt her dress for her nametag. It wasn’t there. “Oh, it fell off.” She clutched her hands behind her, which pronounced her chest. Realizing her body language was betraying her, she quickly crossed her arms. “It’s Cathy Blake.”

&nb
sp; Peter peeled the sticky nametag from her hair. “Cathy Blake.” He pressed the sticker back on her chest, letting his fingers linger there longer than necessary. Oh, my God. We got to second base already!

  Her throat tightened and nothing came out for a few seconds. Then she said, “We had science and gym together freshman year? Then sophomore year we didn’t have any classes, but your locker was four down from mine and you had English across the hall from me when I was in health class. You sat in the last seat in the row by the window? I could see you when I leaned forward in my desk.” She nodded, knowing she should shut up, but unable to stop her mouth. “Then junior year we had a ton of classes together. We did a social studies project together on World War II and you told me I did a good job writing the whole thing up for us, remember? And of course, senior year we had the same lunch period and a study hall together.” She stopped herself before she mentioned their kiss after homecoming. She gulped and smiled at him, wondering if she was going to be the one to throw up this time. This wasn’t going exactly as planned.

  He chuckled. “Yeah, I remember you. You look great.” His eyes traveled over her and he looked like he really meant what he said.

  “So what are you up to these days?” she asked—as if she didn’t know. He worked at his father’s construction company that he’d undoubtedly own one day. She’d checked out his Facebook profile more than a few times, but not so many that she felt like a real stalker. She couldn’t help it if his vacation pictures from Florida featured dozens of shots of him at the beach. Those pictures were an addictive pick-me-up on dreary winter days. Come to think of it, they were good pick-me-ups on sunny summer days, too.

  “I work with my dad’s construction company. He’s had me sweating it out in the field, but he’ll be moving me into management soon,” Peter said.