Old Flame Rekindled?

My courage finally got its pants on and after my name was called to get my order, I made sure to make a quick pass in front of the woman before getting my bag. As before, I moved in front of her before pausing and taking a better look at her. I could never forget those green eyes that flash as they look back at me.

"Emma? Emma Stone is that you? What are you doing in town?" I ask softly.

"Morgan? Is that you?" The woman looks at me before a smile crossed her lips and a sparkle appeared in her eyes. "It's been so long hasn't it!"

She then wraps her arms around me. I had to control myself to not hug back as I wasn't sure I would let go for longer than I should, and my food was still in my other hand. Eventually, she let me go as she had to get her own order and waved me to follow her."C'mon, walk with me talk with me. We have some catching up."

We leave the cafe and take a quick walk, simply talking about the old times and friends for a bit. However, I steer the conversation back to my earlier question, as I was puzzled by Emma being here. Had something gone wrong with her life, and her shame or embarrassment kept her from informing me about her arrival? "Just why are you in town? Not that I mind but I thought you had that...."

"Oh the teaching job? No that got canned. Charter school went bankrupt for undisclosed reasons. I think someone was taking too much of the cash themselves so they didn't need an ex-star runner to coach anymore." Emma sighs. We'd kept in touch a bit and after her athletic career, she wanted to teach a new generation of track stars or at least show them how to not hurt themselves. I could see the smile fade and her sparkle dim for just a moment before color returned to her face and she continued.

"But I'm okay. Better actually. I'm moving back into town!" She says.

Her smile seems to grow as my jaw drops in shock. "When we're you gonna tell me?"

"Oh I know you would have tried to throw me some big welcoming thing and, You know I can't stand big groups!"

My face scrunched in thought. Emma was well known for not giving the full story without holding her to the fire, so to say. "You're moving back into town? When, where..., how?" I asked, raising an eyebrow, "What sort of job did you get?"

Emma cranked her grin up to 11 as she explained. "Oh I have this little apartment a few blocks away. Right next to that new gym that went up, 'Burn Fit', silly name but hey they pay well." She does a quick exaggerated jog in place, showing off her excitement and fit body, "They took me on as a trainer specializing in long-range running training. Isn't as slow or easy as the school gig but hey, I have a bunch of local college and high-school track kids showing up to get tutored by someone like me." Emma finishes with a laugh in her voice.

I pause to take a bit of a sip, carefully thinking how to keep this talk going, "You still should have told me. We could have at least had a dinner. How long will it be till you get squared away?"

"Rest of the furniture should arrive this week but I have enough to not be living in a hotel." Emma answers as she took a sip from her coffee. Probably a pumpkin-chai latte from how her face lit up when the liquid went down her throat. The woman has a taste for that fruit... was it a fruit? Never mind, I had to focus on the actual subject.

"You still owe me." I say, taking another sip to give myself some time to think. Then I got a wonderful idea, a smirk slowly drawing across my lips. "Hey your kitchen isn't set up is it?"

"No, it's not. Been doing take out for the last couple days... Why?" Emma raises an eyebrow.

“Simple. Make it up to me. No party, no big get together. Just you and me going out for dinner. My treat.” I said, noting her semi questioning look. “Look it has to be better than just another night of fast food right?”

“Alright fine you got me.” Emma says with a shrug and a roll of the eyes. “But Nothing too fancy, I don’t have anything too classy in my closet right now.”

“Besides those places aren’t your style anyway. Right?”

“Ah Morgan, you get me so.” She replies, “Okay okay, book the place and give me a call. Here’s my apartment. Pick me up at 8.”

“Wait. Pick you up?”

“Oh Morgan, I’m gonna have you drive me there too. Your treat so I plan on taking what I can, including a free ride.” Emma answers, her grin transformed into a sly 'I win' look.

“Fair enough. I can get a sitter for my son. Becky wanted some extra work this week for some… thing she was trying to save up for.” I sigh. Emma always had a way of pushing things on me back in the day, good to see her 'in charge' personality hadn't changed. It wasn't a commanding or demanding one just the sort that made you follow her own beat. I had found that infectious before, and now perhaps it was that upbeat energy that had been missing in my life for a good while now. Besides, Becky was a nice neighborhood girl and Max loved spending time with her. Plus, the poor girl had been wanting to buy something nice for some boy or girl's birthday gift, I had misplaced the name in my memory.

Eventually, it comes time for us to say our goodbyes. As I walk back to my office, I wonder what exactly tonight has in store for me.