Untitled

As I step outside of the airport Minnesota greets me with a chilling wind that sends a shiver through me. After living in California for the last four years I forgot how cold it gets here. I ordered an Uber on my way to the door but they have yet to arrive. So I drag my luggage to the closet bench to sit while I wait. I watch the people around me rush to their cars to escape the cold. The sky is cloudless so the sun is out full force. I close my eyes and imagine that the California heat is beating down on me. For a few fleeting moments, I tricked my body into thinking it was warm. When I open my eyes I scan the line of cars, I'm looking for a blue Malibu with a plate number JKU 2312. I spot a baby blue car towards the end of the line and immediately stand up to walk towards it. Even if it's not mine I need to move around. After sitting on a plane for hours my butt is sore and walking will warm me up some. Midway there I check the plates to confirm it's my ride. I appreciate that the app provides the plate number, I have this fear that I'll get into the wrong car and be whisked away to my doom. I took a couple of self-defense classes but I'm a petite lady. A tall woman, older than myself, gets out to help me load my things into the trunk. Her car smells of cherries mixed with clean linen.

The ride to Hyatt was short, accompanied by small talk she is soft-spoken but kind. The Hyatt is always my go-to whenever I travel. I'm a sucker for high ceilings. Check in was a breeze and before I knew it I was on the elevator on the way to my room. I did a quick walk-through once I made it inside just to make sure it was clean. Then I forced myself to unpack, If I don't do it now I never will. This is home for the next two weeks and living out of a bag can get messy. Once I started I got carried away with it so it didn't take me as long as I expected. As I'm putting my hair lotion on the bathroom vanity my stomach rumbles with a growl. I glance at my watch 6:43, I should probably eat something. I know of this place down the street with the best chicken and waffles I've ever had so I decided to go there. I took a quick shower to both wake myself up and freshen up. The plane ride has me looking a little rough.

I throw together a warm outfit and set out for the Handsome Hog. It's not a far walk but I'll surely be cold by the end of it. I'm not surprised by the number of people I see on my walk. They're all used to the cold. Even after living here for 17 years, I could never get used to it. I get cold so easily and once I'm cold it's hard for me to warm up. The freezing winters are part of the reason I decided I wanted to live in a very warm state

By the time I reach the Handsome hog my hands are freezing. When I step inside I am greeted with a welcoming smile "A booth for one please," I say lightly breathing into my hands. Thankfully I am seated by a window and I slide into the cold booth. I don't need to look at the menu, I already know what I want so I place my order. My stomach rumbles at the smell of the food around me. As I wait I entertain myself by staring out the window, lost in thought. But it wasn't long before I had a steaming plate of food in front of me that made my mouth water.

I was practically inhaling my food when the room was filled with a familiar laugh. I scan the room for a face I might know until my eyes finally landed on him. It was Darius Scott, we went to high school together. He was one of the kids who everyone knew and he was well liked. All the girls adored him even myself. I never had a chance with him though so I never bothered to try. He dated barbies all through high school and I was nothing like that. I never cared too much about the latest fashion, makeup, or boys. I just wanted to be the best at anything I set out to do. I was in a band and I even joined the robotics club for two years. Darius looked even better than he did in high school. He has dressed very business casual my guess is he was an accountant of some sort. I was off on my train of thought when I realized he was looking back at me. I felt my face flush red as I sheepishly looked back to my nearly empty plate.

I was face palming myself on the inside. Great, he probably thinks I'm some weirdo just gawking at him. I just got a little caught up daydreaming. I poke at the remaining waffle on my plate until a sudden "excuse me" swiftly brought me back to the present moment. The soothing scent of sandalwood caressed my nostrils before I could even lookup. I was so caught up in my thoughts that I didn't notice him coming towards me, nor was I expecting it. I slowly look up and our brown eyes meet. A million thoughts frantically run through my mind. I almost froze but my mind screamed for me to say something My heart skips a beat when I finally utter a single word. "Yes?"

"I'm so sorry to bother you but you look familiar. Do we know each other?" He says. He recognizes me? Should I tell him who I am? I'd very much rather just get up and run away but my feet stay planted. "Well, Do you know any Aubreys?" I say trying my best to play it off and keep my voice steady. He studied quickly studied my face. I'm sure he noticed my face get a red glow of nervousness. He snapped his fingers "Your Aubrey Song, we went to high school together." I could've fallen out of my seat. He knows who I was, who I am? Maybe I shouldn't have played the clueless card. He was well known in high school. "Yes, that's me," I added a little laugh that came out as an awkward chuckle. " I know that we technically don't know each other so let me introduce myself." He said while extending his hand. I've always liked a man with proper manners. "I'm Darius Scott." I shook his hand. I wish I would've dressed better than a hoodie and some jeans.

The Darius Scott?! As I live and breathe? You look a little different than you did in high school. That's probably why I didn't recognize you." That was a lie. "Right." He said as an amused look flashed across his face. I'm pretty sure he knows I'm full of shit but there's no going back now. Thankfully at the same moment, the waiter came over. I took that second to exhale all the tension that had been building up in my body. He asked Darius if he could get anything for him to which he politely declined. Before the waiter walked away I asked for the check. "So what are you about to do?" Darius looked at me. "Well," I looked at my watch that read 8:00 exactly. I decided to be truthful and I told him that I was just going to go back to my room. If I'm being truthful, I was hoping he was going to save me from boredom. The next words that came out of his mouth sounded like they were a direct response to my silent prayer. "I was just on my way to grab a drink, I would love for you to join me." I graciously accepted.

His car was very clean, like new car clean. "What do you do these days?" I looked at the side of his face as he watched the road. It was far easier to look at him when he wasn't looking back. "I am a lawyer for J&J's law firm. "What do you do Aubrey?" The way he said my name made my heart dance. " I am a graphic designer and I also train dogs" I answer." Nice! I see you still like to keep yourself busy with something interesting. "I smiled at the comment. He must've paid more attention to me in high school than I noticed.

Like a man after my own heart, he pulls my seat out for me at the bar. "What will you be having?" he asks me. "I'll take an Emmolo Merlot, please," I replied. I feel a little underdressed at this bar but it's just us and the bartender. I'm sure he's seen worse. He asked the woman behind the counter for two of the same drink. We chatted for hours. We talked about high school, life after high school, and a bunch of conversations stemmed from those topics. I still can't believe I'm here with him now. The same boy I was crushing for most of my high school career. I can hold his gaze now. I'll admit that liquid courage does play a part in this, I'm nearly on my third glass, but it's mainly because I didn't want to look away.

"This is not how I was expecting my night to turn out but I'm glad it has," I confess. He thanks my words with a flashy grin that looks as if he's just been awarded a prize. "You and me both. I'm just glad I worked up the nerve to come and talk to you." he shyly responded "I always thought that you were such a cool chick. You know, with your robots and your band." "Aubrey Sings." We both say at the same time laughing. "OK, I know that sounds pretentious." I blurt out. "But It wasn't even my idea! My friends thought it was a nice play on words." We laugh some more. "But seriously I thought that you were amazing. And now that I've gotten to know you, It just confirms that I was right." We had quickly shifted into a new vibe. He spoke with seriousness and sincerity. Made a million thoughts run through my mind again. But one stood out loud and clear. So I leaned in.

But when I did I tipped my chair, fell forward, and smacked my head on the bar. I must've passed out. But I hear an "Excuse me" that jolts me back to the present moment. I utter a single word. "Yes?" "Did you want a to-go box, Ma'am?" I look up at the waiter and stop fiddling with the waffle. "No, just the check please," I respond, at the same time I watch Darius glide out the door.