All ten arrived at the Village Inn on the south side of town. All sat a round table. The old waitress, Rosa, served them with a smile. She did, however, recognize Wiley. "I remember you- Michelle brought you in the day before she left for college." Rosa recalled with a smile. Wiley nodded. Ethan, Nichole, and Andrew exchanged looks of interest. Why hadn't Wiley said anything?
"It was only a private matter between me and her. But- come to think of it- there seemed to be more to the meal than was on the surface. She had invited me to have a meal with her here. We sat in a booth, and we both ordered and had our fill. For an hour we sat talking about what her plans were for the summer. She was going to wait until the following spring to head up to the campus, and she would come to visit me and Cuthrell during the holiday breaks she hoped to get. I laughed with her about some of our old memories, and everything seemed to be so dream-like. When it came time to pay the bill, I insisted on paying, but she said it was a treat for me. She paid, and we both walked to our adjacent cars." Wiley explain. He paused suddenly, lost in that thought. "Right before she left, she gave me a kiss- on the cheek, but a kiss no less." Wiley remembered, touching his cheek with his fingertips. "I still can feel it everytime I think of her."
The man listened intently from his place at the booth beside them. He had his head buried in the menu, pretending to look at it. At first, he was stunned by the recollection Wiley gave. Then, after some thought, he was angered. "So he is the other one. Now, to find Ryan." He huffed in vain and smiled wickedly. "Ryan- the one they have almost completely forgotten about."
Everyone in the group ate and drank, recalling so many different memories. One they all agreed on was the Christmas following Michelle's birthday. They all sat in the silence as they agreed to let Nichole tell exactly what happened. "So- where did this all start?" Ethan asked, resting his elbows on the table.
"The Christmas after Michelle's eighteenth birthday." Nichole answered, taking a sip of water.
"Christmas Day?" Andrew asked, mimicking Ethan.
"No, it was Christmas Eve. At a party her church was hosting. She had invited us all there-"
"It was only a private matter between me and her. But- come to think of it- there seemed to be more to the meal than was on the surface. She had invited me to have a meal with her here. We sat in a booth, and we both ordered and had our fill. For an hour we sat talking about what her plans were for the summer. She was going to wait until the following spring to head up to the campus, and she would come to visit me and Cuthrell during the holiday breaks she hoped to get. I laughed with her about some of our old memories, and everything seemed to be so dream-like. When it came time to pay the bill, I insisted on paying, but she said it was a treat for me. She paid, and we both walked to our adjacent cars." Wiley explain. He paused suddenly, lost in that thought. "Right before she left, she gave me a kiss- on the cheek, but a kiss no less." Wiley remembered, touching his cheek with his fingertips. "I still can feel it everytime I think of her."
The man listened intently from his place at the booth beside them. He had his head buried in the menu, pretending to look at it. At first, he was stunned by the recollection Wiley gave. Then, after some thought, he was angered. "So he is the other one. Now, to find Ryan." He huffed in vain and smiled wickedly. "Ryan- the one they have almost completely forgotten about."
Everyone in the group ate and drank, recalling so many different memories. One they all agreed on was the Christmas following Michelle's birthday. They all sat in the silence as they agreed to let Nichole tell exactly what happened. "So- where did this all start?" Ethan asked, resting his elbows on the table.
"The Christmas after Michelle's eighteenth birthday." Nichole answered, taking a sip of water.
"Christmas Day?" Andrew asked, mimicking Ethan.
"No, it was Christmas Eve. At a party her church was hosting. She had invited us all there-"
