Jasmine, an old friend new in town

For once, Spencer was left alone by the mothers. As he drove away, he decided to celebrate his successful getaway with a trip to the Corner Coffee House for a coffee and maybe a cake. After parking his car, Spencer felt a sudden jolt as the car behind bumped into the rear of his SUV. After a deep breath, he opened the door, hearing a woman declare "Oh my God I'm so sorry."

Stepping out, his draw dropped upon seeing Jasmine Hong. Despite having not seen her in twenty years, Spencer could have picked out his former high-school classmate just about anywhere, even with the addition of two-arms worth of tattoos, thick-rimmed glasses and a short pixie-style haircut. Even twenty-years later, she was still tiny, with her slender frame and diminutive height.

Her jaw became equally agape. "Spencer?"

"Hey Jazzy."

"Oh my God... I... holy shit... I-I... I'm so sorry Spencer."

"It's fine Jazzy. Insurance will take care of it."

"Okay... yeah I guess."

After exchanging insurance details, Spencer and Jasmine sat down at the cafe.

"So, what brings you to Avonwick?" He asked.

"Well the wife wanted to move somewhere quiet."

Spencer raised his eyebrows. "Wife?"

"Yeah." Jasmine smiled. "I'd always liked girls but it took me a while to come out."

"Well that's great... just a little surprised. Who's the lucky girl?"

"Amber's her name. So what about you Spencer?"

"Uhh... I was married but she passed."

"Oh... jeez, I'm sorry... I didn't mean to bring it up."

"It's fine Jazzy... so what about the ink?"

"Oh yeah, my wife does tattoos. That's how we met."

"Quite the artist."

"She certainly is. You got any tattoos yourself?"

"Uh, no. So what do you do for work?"

"I became a chef."

"Really?"

"Yeah, well you know I've always loved cooking, and when my parents divorced, I did have to take care of myself a fair bit."

"Of course."

"You much of a cook?"

"Well I'll keep you from dying, but that's about it."

Jasmine gave him a chuckle. "So what about work?"

"Lobbyist for a while, but now I'm basically retired."

"Retired huh?"

"Yep."

"Lucky you. What do you do with your free time?"

"Uhh, I've been renovating an old farmhouse. That and my daughter Amy."

"How old's she?"

"13."

"Ohh, the trouble years." The two shared a laugh. "I'm kidding Spencer. I'm sure she's lovely."

"She is. So what about you? Any kids?"

"Well besides the lack of a penis among me and my wife..."

"I guess that's a point."

"You offering?"

Spencer shot Jasmine a puzzled look. "Uhh..."

"I'm kidding Spence." Jasmine lied. She couldn't deny Spencer had kept good care of himself, and whilst she loved her wife, the two of them indulged in the occasional man.

"So where is your wife?"

"In bed with the flu."

"Oh. That's a shame."

"Yeah well, she's almost over it."

"You know I'd love to meet her?"

"Well, how about we have you and your daughter over sometime?"

"Sounds great."

"Perfect." Jasmine looked at her empty coffee. "Anyway, I better get back to her. It was lovely seeing you, Spencer."

"Yeah. Happy to bump into you Jazzy."

After a laugh, the two went their separate ways. Jasmine smiled to herself thinking of her former high-school crush. Despite the twenty years of time, Spencer had proven to age like fine wine, and she couldn't wait to finally get a taste.