Tonight I was sitting at home watching Netflix and suddenly I decided I HAD to go out. It was 11 at night. I ended up at the cowboy bar, and as soon as I walked in, I had a feeling I knew someone in the crowd.
I walked through but didn’t see anyone so I just took everything in. The band was awesome–country influence but they did a version of Billy Jean that segued into Whoomp There It Is (knowing all the lyrics was a rite of passage for me).
I saw this guy with a shaved head looking like he wanted to talk to me, but I ignored him like I was ignoring everyone else. I was watching a stocky Mexican guy with a crude fade getting Jack Daniels poured into his mouth as he lay prone in the dentist chair when the guy with a shaved head came up to me and asked, “Is your name Julia?” I said yes and looked into his eyes and at once recognized him.
“Ryan,” I said at the same time he said, “I think we went to high school together.”
I gave him a hug and it was so tight, so GOOD, like we were long lost friends when they truth was, we never really knew each other.
But I always remembered him; I was fascinated with him. Back up quarterback, in love with my softball teammate Courtney. When I found out years later through Facebook that he’s a Gemini, I wondered if that’s why I never forgot him. We had had a conversation on Facebook a few months ago. And here we were. It had been half a lifetime since we’d last seen each other.
We were both so different. He’d lost his hair since but I just wanted to rub his head. I wasn’t sure…what was ever between us? What did we possibly have in common except an intertwined past? An Anatomy class together?
It felt good to be with someone from my past. Shocking yet comfortable. If he had asked me to go home with him I probably would have against my best judgment. I really didn’t know if there was even anything between us, but it was the idea of having someone safe whose arms I could fall asleep in. I want, need that so badly.
He asked me repeatedly to message him and we would get a beer. Later he went back to his group and I saw him talking with a girl. Don’t know if they were together.
Later, as I was leaving, I saw a gorgeous brother, like a prizefighter with a fauxhawk in a white suit. Complete with handlers. I went up to him. Asked him if we’d met in Vegas. He said I looked really familiar. I pulled out this picture.
Is this you, I asked. He laughed. “This is unbelievable! That is me!”
I told him I’ve been showing people that picture and telling people he’s the biggest panther I ever caught.
He was so impressed we’d run into each other again. That was a random meeting 2 years ago. I asked if he was still in school to be a firefighter and he said he’s wrapping up in June. He can’t believe I remember that.
Of course I do. And it’s not lost on me that Ryan is a firefighter too. Two people from my past in one night. Two firefighters.
WTF.