Love and Music (Small Town Secrets Book 3), page 4
A sign in the lobby pointed us to the right, and we began walking down a long hallway. The hotel had plenty of people milling about, and I refused to make eye contact, just in case any of them were former classmates and I’d have to begin the awkward encounters already.
Down the hall we entered a large ballroom packed with people. While it wasn’t dark inside, the lights were dimmer than in the hallway, so I had to let my eyes adjust. Clumps of various people seemed to be involved in intense conversations, and I wondered if I should find that intimidating or comforting. Lisa grabbed my arm. “Hey, there’s a bar over there. I think we should head there first before we do anything else.”
“Do you think that’s such a good idea?”
We hadn’t even noticed the long table to the left of the doorway until a woman there raised her voice. “Can I get your names?”
“Penny? Is that you?”
Thank goodness for Lisa. Even though she’d told me Penny was the person in charge of this whole shindig, I wouldn’t have put two and two together. The Penny in front of us today looked nothing like the Penny of yesterday. This woman wore subtle makeup that emphasized her natural beauty, and her dark hair cascaded down her back in soft curls.
Oh, and her smile and skin were flawless.
I imagined her seeming transformation would likely be the talk of lots of our classmates, and that caused me to reflect on myself. There was nothing exciting about me, and I figured I didn’t look much different from my youth. Sure, I looked ten years older, but my appearance was close to what it had been back then. Even my hairstyle was similar, because I liked my brown hair long and easy to care for.
But Penny needed our names, so maybe I was wrong about looking the same.
And I suddenly felt underdressed. Unprepared. Inadequate.
Where the fuck was all this shit coming from?
Fortunately, Lisa and Penny didn’t let me drown in my thoughts.
“Lisa French.”
Penny nodded and smiled. “I’m gonna go out on a limb here and take a guess that you would be Megan Walker.”
My smile must have looked weak—but I managed to squeak out some words. “Still inseparable.”
“That’s awesome, you guys. Not everyone has friends like that.”
As Penny scanned a list to cross our names off, Lisa took a deep breath, eyeballing the room before turning back. “You look amazing, Penny.”
Our hostess laughed as if she’d heard that same sentiment from everyone else who’d arrived—and she probably had. “Thanks so much. I was just thinking the same thing about the two of you. The years have been kind.” She handed Lisa a nametag. “May the years always be this kind to us.”
“Agreed.” She handed me a tag as well, and I fiddled with the pin to stick it to my tank top. “So what do you do these days, Penny? Besides organizing our class reunion.”
“It’s a dream, my friend. My grandparents passed away a few years ago and willed me their land, so Robert and I live up there. We’re still in Winchester County but up in the mountains. It’s absolutely beautiful. Robert drives into town to work, and I stay home and do freelance writing when I feel like it. When I don’t, I’m busy gardening and crafting. Fun stuff.” Holy shit. That did sound like a dream. “It gives me plenty of time to organize events like this.”
Lisa looked over at me still struggling with my pin, and I gave her an evil eye that told her she didn’t dare offer to help. I had this shit. So she turned to Penny. “It looks like you’ve done an awesome job so far.”
“Thanks! So what do the two of you do nowadays?”
“I’m a fitness instructor and Meg’s the Assistant Librarian at the library.”
“Oh, my God. I should probably get both your numbers. Research at the library seems kind of outdated, but I bet you could change my mind, Megan. And, Lisa, I could definitely use some extra exercise. I’d love biceps like yours, girl.” At this point, I thought Penny was just flattering us, because she didn’t look like she needed any kind of fitness routine.
At that thought, my nerves tensed up again. Underneath my calm exterior, my insides bubbled with the knowledge that Tyler might show up after all.
“Enjoy yourselves, ladies. We’ll do more catching up later.”
This time, I grabbed Lisa’s arm. “I think we most definitely need to hit the bar first. And I think I need a drink or two. First one’s on you.”
“Hey!”
“You owe me that much for not fessing up right away, girlfriend.”
Her frosted pink lips curled up in a sheepish smile. “Fair enough.”
I sensed more people coming in the door behind us, so I pulled my friend toward the bar and steeled my courage.
After all, it was gonna be a long night.
Chapter Five
As my best friend and I made our way toward the bar, Lisa leaned her head toward me, lowering her voice. “I peeked at the list while you and Penny were talking, and Tyler’s name wasn’t checked off.”
“So?”
“So? That means he’s not here. Doesn’t that make you happy?”
“Happy is a relative term, Lisa—and do you think I should be? His name is on the list. That’s the issue here. Think about it. As a big rock star nowadays, maybe he likes being fashionably late even more than you do. Or maybe he’s trying to make a quiet entrance. His name not checked off doesn’t mean anything.”
We arrived at the bar to a small line, and Lisa’s eyes started looking everywhere but at me. “Come on, Meg. What’s the big deal? Don’t you think it’s cool seeing how people have changed? I guarantee you’ll feel the same way about Tyler.”
What pissed me off most in that moment was that I couldn’t make her feel guilty or get her to realize that we both wanted different things when it came to high school memories—but before I could even try, Lisa spotted someone at her side. “Oh, my God. Randy Butler—please tell me that’s you.” The man drawing her attention was stocky, ruggedly built, with dishwater blond hair and green eyes. He was tall as well, but as I started remembering what he’d looked like in high school, I noticed that he wasn’t wiry as he’d been before. In fact, he’d filled out and was dangerously close to becoming doughy.
Not Lisa’s type—unless he was a project.
But she wasn’t brushing him off and was actually enjoying the attention. Great. Now I’d be alone until I found an old acquaintance around here to catch up with. As Lisa turned on her flirtatious charm, I remembered that she’d had a crush on this guy for most of our junior year. He’d been a basketball player—so it wasn’t that he hadn’t been athletic, but maybe he’d let himself go the last year or so. Lisa ordered a beer, chatting with Randy as if I no longer existed, so I did what any good friend would do and looked at the man’s left hand. After noticing he had no wedding ring, I gave him a quick hi but let Lisa do her thing.
I was not going to settle for beer. The occasional called for something stronger.
Much stronger if I was going to make it through.
With Lisa tied up with Randy, I knew I was now here for the long haul. Maybe I could steal her back from him after they’d had a little time to catch up—but I’d give her a little time to flirt and feel like she’d gotten her money’s worth. In the meantime, I felt a little relief that there was now no one at the bar, so I wouldn’t have to put on my game face again for a bit.
“What’ll it be?”
I was so grateful the bartender was a hotel employee and not someone I should remember from my past—and I hoped that strange overblown thankfulness flooding my soul didn’t make me appear drunk. “Do you know how to make Sex on the Beach?”
When I came of legal drinking age, that had been the first drink I’d ordered, probably for the shock value. Then, it became my standard for a long time. I hadn’t had one in a couple years, so I didn’t even know if I’d like it anymore.
My bartender, a guy maybe a few years older than myself, had a serious look on his face. “Do I know how to make that? That’s one of the first drinks they teach you in bartending school.” It looked like he had lots more to say on the subject—but he obviously wanted a nice tip and being blunt with a customer wouldn’t grease the wheels. So he gave me a short-lived smile that never made it to his eyes and began grabbing bottles, mixing liquids much like an old-time apothecary.
Watching his actions was almost soothing, and I decided that if I wasn’t enjoying myself by the time I emptied the lovely drink he was mixing for me, I would call a cab. First, of course, I’d check on Lisa—but then, if she didn’t need me, I was going to blaze.
I glanced over at her. She was playfully pushing her fingers against Randy’s chest. Thus far, she needed me like she needed another eyeball.
After taking a sip of the delicious drink, I made a point of dropping a generous tip in the jar. The bartender nodded but he was already helping one of the many classmates I couldn’t remember. Or maybe he was the spouse of one of my former classmates. How the hell should I know? WHS hadn’t been a huge school, but there were plenty of cliques and you were part of one, whether you wanted to be or not—and, frankly, a few people I hadn’t either loved or hated had probably dropped out of my memory bank in a use-it-or-lose it fashion.
Fuck. I did not want to be here, forced to remember and make nice.
The drink, though? It was exactly what I’d needed.
Turning completely around, I moved closer to Lisa and Randy, but I might as well have been a table, for all the notice they paid me. That hadn’t taken long. Why exactly had Lisa insisted upon my presence?
Half-heartedly, I surveyed the landscape, hoping I wouldn’t see anyone I recognized—and I hoped they returned the favor. Whether I liked it or not, memories began dropping into my brain like a gentle shower. Like the time Lisa had dragged me to basketball games our junior year just so she could watch Randy dribble the ball.
Had I always played the third wheel to my gorgeous girlfriend?
Everyone else here—everyone but me—appeared to be having a great time. I slowly scanned the faces in this huge room, and some of them seemed familiar but no names, no recollections came to mind to help my brain.
Why was I the only miserable person here?
Oh, yeah. It was because I hadn’t wanted to come in the first place. But I couldn’t guilt Lisa right now—she was occupied. And I supposed I could have learned a thing or two from my dear friend, but right now I was busy wallowing.
Sipping my drink, I scanned the crowd, and I thought I recognized one face—a guy named Mike Hardy. His sandy blond hair, including the no-nonsense style, looked exactly the same, but he didn’t look like a skinny, wimpy kid anymore. We’d been in FBLA together, back when I hadn’t had a clue what the hell I wanted to do with my life. I wasn’t sure how long I’d been staring when I realized he was looking back. When he smiled and waved, assuring me I wasn’t mistaken, I responded in kind. Maybe if I could at least spend an hour or two reminiscing with an old acquaintance, I would feel like this wasn’t time wasted--and I would have no qualms about telling Lisa I wouldn’t be back for the other two days of festivities.
Not that she would care at this point.
As I let my eyes drift, I realized I actually did recognize more faces than I’d initially thought—and I was sure now that if I could see these people’s nametags, my memories would take over. Most of the people here were completely engaged in conversations already, so—if I felt like mingling—I’d have to actively pursue it.
Damn Lisa. She’d scoured our old yearbooks last week and now I was certain she’d be better at remembering people because of it. I, on the other hand, was going to look like an asshole.
I took a deep gulp of my fruity drink. All the more reason to imbibe. Then, if someone wanted to chat, I could blame my faulty memory on strong liquor.
Oh, real classy, Megan. Was that really how I wanted my classmates to remember me from this point forward?
Did I care?
No. I took another drink and, when I lowered my glass, Mike was standing right in front of me. “Megan Walker. How the hell are you?” Before I could prepare, Mike pulled me into a tight hug, so I held my glass carefully. If I’d spilled it on his back, that would have been his fault, but this shit was expensive and I really wanted to get my money’s worth.
“Pretty good, Mike. How’ve you been since I last saw you?” He’d been someone I hadn’t seen since graduation ten years ago—and he’d been a nice guy back in school.
Oh. I remembered then that he’d had a hell of a crush on me then. He’d never made a move, but there was no denying his feelings. But what was I worried about? After all the losers I’d dated over the past couple years, why would I fret over any guy?
“Couldn’t be better.” Hoping what little liquor I’d already consumed hadn’t made me less subtle, I glanced at his left hand and ascertained his single status in short order. “I tell you what—leaving this backwater burg was the best decision I ever made.” He saw my face cringe before I could reel it in. “Oh, sorry. That wasn’t meant to be a slight on people who stayed. Let’s just say Winchester was inhibiting my personal growth.”
“So when did you leave, Mike?”
“I was here the first summer after graduation, but do you remember I got a scholarship to—”
“A university in Texas, right?”
“Yep. Best decision I ever made. Now I’m living in Dallas and own my own software company.”
“Wow.”
“What have you been up to?”
“Not that it will sound as impressive as your stats, but—”
He smiled, taking a swallow from his bottle of beer. “I’m not judging.”
“I earned a master’s degree in Library Science and I’ve been the Assistant Librarian here in town for the past few years.”
“Very cool. You know I spent many long days at the good ol’ local library.”
“Yep. I remember.”
“I don’t suppose you and Lisa French are still buddies? I’ve been wondering a lot about her.”
Oh, fuck. Had my memory failed me? Had Lisa been the target of his mad crush? Maybe I’d been too good at putting Mike in the friend zone and he’d moved on. Or maybe my memory sucked.
No. It was probably thanks to Tyler. I’d been a hopeless girl, madly in love, before, during, and after our actual relationship. I was never the same after Tyler, and Mike had to know that.
But Lisa? I hadn’t pictured her as his type.
And who the fuck was I kidding? Lisa was every man’s type—blonde, blue-eyed, and beautiful. And my bestie had the added bonus of a little hidden brawn.
“Actually, yes. She’s still my best friend—and she’s around here somewhere.” I almost divulged to Mike how Lisa had been fantasizing about a computer nerd coming back single and rich, looking for the woman of his dreams to share his life with—and damned if he hadn’t popped up in front of me right on cue. I’d definitely have to give her shit later that I found him first.
“You were both on the list of people I wanted to see while I was here.”
Glancing around, I couldn’t see where Lisa and Randy had gone. “I’m sure she’ll show up here soon. She was just here a minute ago.” I took another large gulp of my drink, grateful that it was working its way into my bloodstream and would soon take the edge off.
“What’s she been up to? Wasn’t she into photography?”
Lisa hadn’t been one of the “smart” kids. Oh, she’d been plenty intelligent, but she’d managed to avoid the label that people like Mike and me hadn’t been able to lose. And I’d forgotten about Lisa’s artistic phase until he mentioned it. “Nowadays, she’s a fitness instructor.”
“Like classes or a personal trainer?”
“Both. I think she makes more money as a personal trainer, though.”
“I never pictured her doing that.”
“Me, either.” In fact, my friend had been the Oreo Queen when we’d been younger. “I think her dad having a heart attack inspired her.”
“When did that happen?”
“About a year after we graduated.”
“Is he okay?”
I laughed. “Oh, yeah. He doesn’t have much choice with Lisa around. Both he and her stepmom do whatever she tells them.” I looked again to the area where I’d last seen my friend. “But she could tell you that stuff better than I.” As my eyes continued scouring the room, I spotted cheerleading co-captains Summer and Brenda, and it made me wonder where the hell Lisa was, because this was one of the moments she’d been waiting for. Maybe it was for the best, though, because neither Summer nor Brenda looked as haggard as Lisa had described a few months ago. Both women looked their age but no worse for the wear.
They didn’t look old. Or fat. Or sad. And that might crush my friend’s hopes.
“Well, it sounds like they’re definitely lucky to have her.”
“They sure are.” But I was ready to change the subject. Lisa could tell Mike about herself. “I didn’t recognize anyone when I first got here—but now I do. I recognize Summer and Brenda.”
“Cheerleaders.” I couldn’t tell if it was a question—or an indication of how he felt about them, so I just nodded.
He turned his body just a bit so he could crowd-observe like I was, and my eyes continued to drift a little farther off. I was also wondering in the back of my mind when I could ditch this whole event and go home to curl up on my sofa with a bowl of popcorn and the next thriller on my ereader. But as my eyes continued to move, they screeched to a complete halt when Tyler Green came into view.
How long had he been here? I took a deep breath in through my nostrils, hoping to stop myself from panicking as I assessed the situation. Goddamn, he looked gorgeous, making all the other men in this huge room pale in comparison—but he didn’t seem to be hogging the spotlight even though he could have. Instead, he was chatting it up with a group of kids I recognized from jazz band.
