"I figured as much. You looked like you were off in your own little world." She smiled at me. She’d always been sweet, if not a little bit playful, and she loved to poke fun.
But she was never cruel. It was why I gravitated to her. She’d never intentionally wound, but she was witty and bright.
"What can I do for you, do you have a permit application? Need to make an appointment for an inspection?" I asked. I'd gone over all my duties and I knew what I needed to do now. It was a slow office, the kind that might only see a few people a day, so I needed to file in between.
"What?" she asked then blinked. "Oh no. I came to see you."
"Me?" I asked. We hadn't talked in ages, and I'd been the one who stopped calling and writing. The last time I saw her was when I'd come home for my dad's funeral and since then I'd emailed maybe twice. I couldn't remember the last time we'd called. But I kept up with her on Facebook, and I made sure to like a status every once and again. I felt like a shitty friend though. My job had gotten the best of me.
"I wanted to see if you might like to do lunch? They put in this really cute little cafe down the road, Peaks and Perks. Coffee and a mountainside view." She smiled. "They have great little sandwiches too."
"You want to ask me to lunch?" I asked.
"Well, of course. I heard you were back in town and I thought I might come by and say hi." She grinned at me, but I blinked. I didn’t know how to deal with this. I’d been so unfair towards her. I’d barely called, IMed, or chatted in years, and there she was, picking up right where we left off.
Those were some of the best friendships to have.
She had no idea how much I needed a friend in this particular moment, but I did. So I walked around the desk and gave her a quick hug.
"You have no idea how much this means to me. I would be so happy to grab lunch with you." I looked at my watch then walked over towards the Bill’s office.
"I'm going to run out for my lunch, if that's okay?" I asked.
"Sure, sure. Just don't forget to put up the sign," he said as he looked at his computer.
"Will do." I grabbed the little "out to lunch" placard and stuck if on my desk before smiling at her. "Okay, I think I have everything I need."
A distraction. This was exactly what I needed. We walked down the small main street to the little restaurant and ducked in. It was easy to find a table, and we sat down.
"So, what have you been up to all these years?" I asked.
"I work over at the hardware store. Made manager." She smiled. Jessie was always a hard worker. She didn't go to college, but that didn't make her any less intelligent. She knew what she wanted, and what she wanted was to stay right here in Laurel. "Oh, and I got my associates degree. Had to in order to become manager."
She’d accomplished quite a bit since I’d been gone. Part of me was proud. The other part of me was ashamed I hadn’t stayed in touch throughout the years. I’d done that to a lot of people. But she should not have been one of them.
"And Braden?" I asked. She'd been in love with him since we were in middle school. They were always stuck together, like peanut butter and jelly. No matter how hard they tried not to be.
If two people were more made for each other, I couldn’t find them.
She blushed and then stuck out her hand. There was a little ring with an even smaller stone on it. I almost had to squint to see it, but that didn't matter. It might as well have been the biggest rock in Montana.
He'd finally done the thing she'd been hoping for all these years. He finally proposed. About time.
"When?" I asked. I thought that the next ice age would come and go before he ever worked up the nerve. I didn’t see an announcement on Facebook, so I figured they were keeping it quiet.
"Last Valentines. We are hoping for a fall wedding though. Take advantage of the discounts." I saw a blush rise on her cheeks and I knew that she was happy. I was glad.
She deserved some happiness.
"I'm really excited for you, Jess. I always knew you'd do well." She’d done better than me. I was turning into the queen of mistakes.
We ordered coffee and sandwiches, but I was more interested in hearing about her life than I was eating. She'd done so much, and I was surprised. They'd gone on cruises, been to the Bahamas.
Hell, she'd even taken a trip to California, and stayed with some family.
All I'd done was work. Nose to the grindstone, and for what? A failed relationship and a one-night stand that left me wanting more.
"I'm glad you're back. I know it's selfish, but just about everyone has moved away, and I've missed my friends," she said as she looked out the window. "Hell, I miss the amount of trouble we used to get into together."